19 And he bought H7069 a parcel H2513 of a field, H7704 where he had spread H5186 his tent, H168 at the hand H3027 of the children H1121 of Hamor, H2544 Shechem's H7927 father, H1 for an hundred H3967 pieces of money. H7192
And the field H7704 of Ephron, H6085 which was in Machpelah, H4375 which was before H6440 Mamre, H4471 the field, H7704 and the cave H4631 which was therein, and all the trees H6086 that were in the field, H7704 that were in all the borders H1366 round about, H5439 were made sure H6965 Unto Abraham H85 for a possession H4736 in the presence H5869 of the children H1121 of Heth, H2845 before all that went in H935 at the gate H8179 of his city. H5892 And after H310 this, H3651 Abraham H85 buried H6912 Sarah H8283 his wife H802 in the cave H4631 of the field H7704 of Machpelah H4375 before H6440 Mamre: H4471 the same is Hebron H2275 in the land H776 of Canaan. H3667 And the field, H7704 and the cave H4631 that is therein, were made sure H6965 unto Abraham H85 for a possession H272 of a buryingplace H6913 by the sons H1121 of Heth. H2845
And when Shechem H7927 the son H1121 of Hamor H2544 the Hivite, H2340 prince H5387 of the country, H776 saw H7200 her, he took H3947 her, and lay H7901 with her, and defiled her. H6031 And his soul H5315 clave H1692 unto Dinah H1783 the daughter H1323 of Jacob, H3290 and he loved H157 the damsel, H5291 and spake H1696 kindly H3820 unto the damsel. H5291 And Shechem H7927 spake H559 unto his father H1 Hamor, H2544 saying, H559 Get H3947 me this damsel H3207 to wife. H802 And Jacob H3290 heard H8085 that he had defiled H2930 Dinah H1783 his daughter: H1323 now his sons H1121 were with his cattle H4735 in the field: H7704 and Jacob H3290 held his peace H2790 until they were come. H935 And Hamor H2544 the father H1 of Shechem H7927 went out H3318 unto Jacob H3290 to commune H1696 with H854 him. And the sons H1121 of Jacob H3290 came H935 out of the field H7704 when they heard H8085 it: and the men H582 were grieved, H6087 and they were very H3966 wroth, H2734 because he had wrought H6213 folly H5039 in Israel H3478 in lying H7901 with Jacob's H3290 daughter; H1323 which thing ought not to be done. H6213 And Hamor H2544 communed H1696 with them, saying, H559 The soul H5315 of my son H1121 Shechem H7927 longeth H2836 for your daughter: H1323 I pray you give H5414 her him to wife. H802 And make ye marriages H2859 with us, and give H5414 your daughters H1323 unto us, and take H3947 our daughters H1323 unto you. And ye shall dwell H3427 with us: and the land H776 shall be H1961 before you; H6440 dwell H3427 and trade H5503 ye therein, and get you possessions H270 therein. And Shechem H7927 said H559 unto her father H1 and unto her brethren, H251 Let me find H4672 grace H2580 in your eyes, H5869 and what ye shall say H559 unto me I will give. H5414 Ask H7235 me never so much H3966 dowry H4119 and gift, H4976 and I will give H5414 according as ye shall say H559 unto me: but give H5414 me the damsel H5291 to wife. H802 And the sons H1121 of Jacob H3290 answered H6030 Shechem H7927 and Hamor H2544 his father H1 deceitfully, H4820 and said, H1696 because he had defiled H2930 Dinah H1783 their sister: H269 And they said H559 unto them, We cannot H3808 H3201 do H6213 this thing, H1697 to give H5414 our sister H269 to one H376 that is uncircumcised; H6190 for that were a reproach H2781 unto us: But in this H2063 will we consent H225 unto you: If ye will be as we be, that every male H2145 of you be circumcised; H4135 Then will we give H5414 our daughters H1323 unto you, and we will take H3947 your daughters H1323 to us, and we will dwell H3427 with you, and we will become one H259 people. H5971 But if ye will not hearken H8085 unto us, to be circumcised; H4135 then will we take H3947 our daughter, H1323 and we will be gone. H1980 And their words H1697 pleased H3190 H5869 Hamor, H2544 and Shechem H7927 Hamor's H2544 son. H1121 And the young man H5288 deferred H309 not to do H6213 the thing, H1697 because he had delight H2654 in Jacob's H3290 daughter: H1323 and he was more honourable H3513 than all the house H1004 of his father. H1 And Hamor H2544 and Shechem H7927 his son H1121 came H935 unto the gate H8179 of their city, H5892 and communed H1696 with the men H582 of their city, H5892 saying, H559 These men H582 are peaceable H8003 with H854 us; therefore let them dwell H3427 in the land, H776 and trade H5503 therein; for the land, H776 behold, it is large H7342 enough H3027 for them; H6440 let us take H3947 their daughters H1323 to us for wives, H802 and let us give H5414 them our daughters. H1323 Only herein H2063 will the men H582 consent H225 unto us for to dwell H3427 with us, to be one H259 people, H5971 if every male H2145 among us be circumcised, H4135 as they are circumcised. H4135 Shall not their cattle H4735 and their substance H7075 and every beast H929 of theirs be ours? only let us consent H225 unto them, and they will dwell H3427 with us. And unto Hamor H2544 and unto Shechem H7927 his son H1121 hearkened H8085 all that went out H3318 of the gate H8179 of his city; H5892 and every male H2145 was circumcised, H4135 all that went out H3318 of the gate H8179 of his city. H5892 And it came to pass on the third H7992 day, H3117 when they were sore, H3510 that two H8147 of the sons H1121 of Jacob, H3290 Simeon H8095 and Levi, H3878 Dinah's H1783 brethren, H251 took H3947 each man H376 his sword, H2719 and came H935 upon the city H5892 boldly, H983 and slew H2026 all the males. H2145 And they slew H2026 Hamor H2544 and Shechem H7927 his son H1121 with the edge H6310 of the sword, H2719 and took H3947 Dinah H1783 out H3947 of Shechem's H7927 house, H1004 and went out. H3318 The sons H1121 of Jacob H3290 came H935 upon the slain, H2491 and spoiled H962 the city, H5892 because they had defiled H2930 their sister. H269 They took H3947 their sheep, H6629 and their oxen, H1241 and their asses, H2543 and that which was in the city, H5892 and that which was in the field, H7704 And all their wealth, H2428 and all their little ones, H2945 and their wives H802 took they captive, H7617 and spoiled H962 even all that was in the house. H1004 And Jacob H3290 said H559 to Simeon H8095 and Levi, H3878 Ye have troubled H5916 me to make me to stink H887 among the inhabitants H3427 of the land, H776 among the Canaanites H3669 and the Perizzites: H6522 and I being few H4962 in number, H4557 they shall gather themselves together H622 against me, and slay me; H5221 and I shall be destroyed, H8045 I and my house. H1004 And they said, H559 Should he deal H6213 with our sister H269 as with an harlot? H2181
In the cave H4631 that is in the field H7704 of Machpelah, H4375 which is before H6440 Mamre, H4471 in the land H776 of Canaan, H3667 which Abraham H85 bought H7069 with the field H7704 of Ephron H6085 the Hittite H2850 for a possession H272 of a buryingplace. H6913 There they buried H6912 Abraham H85 and Sarah H8283 his wife; H802 there they buried H6912 Isaac H3327 and Rebekah H7259 his wife; H802 and there I buried H6912 Leah. H3812 The purchase H4735 of the field H7704 and of the cave H4631 that is therein was from the children H1121 of Heth. H2845
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible » Commentary on Genesis 33
Commentary on Genesis 33 Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
CHAPTER 33
Ge 33:1-11. Kindness of Jacob and Esau.
1. behold, Esau came, and with him four hundred men—Jacob having crossed the ford and ranged his wives and children in order—the dearest last, that they might be the least exposed to danger—awaited the expected interview. His faith was strengthened and his fears gone (Ps 27:3). Having had power to prevail with God, he was confident of the same power with man, according to the promise (compare Ge 32:28).
3. he bowed himself … seven times—The manner of doing this is by looking towards a superior and bowing with the upper part of the body brought parallel to the ground, then advancing a few steps and bowing again, and repeating his obeisance till, at the seventh time, the suppliant stands in the immediate presence of his superior. The members of his family did the same. This was a token of profound respect, and, though very marked, it would appear natural; for Esau being the elder brother, was, according to the custom of the East, entitled to respectful treatment from his younger brother. His attendants would be struck by it, and according to Eastern habits, would magnify it in the hearing of their master.
4. Esau ran to meet him—What a sudden and surprising change! Whether the sight of the princely present and the profound homage of Jacob had produced this effect, or it proceeded from the impulsive character of Esau, the cherished enmity of twenty years in a moment disappeared; the weapons of war were laid aside, and the warmest tokens of mutual affection reciprocated between the brothers. But doubtless, the efficient cause was the secret, subduing influence of grace (Pr 21:1), which converted Esau from an enemy into a friend.
5. Who are those with thee?—It might have been enough to say, They are my children; but Jacob was a pious man, and he could not give even a common answer but in the language of piety (Ps 127:3; 113:9; 107:41).
11. He urged him and he took it—In the East the acceptance by a superior is a proof of friendship, and by an enemy, of reconciliation. It was on both accounts Jacob was so anxious that his brother should receive the cattle; and in Esau's acceptance he had the strongest proofs of a good feeling being established that Eastern notions admit of.
Ge 33:12-20. The Parting.
12. And he said, Let us take our journey—Esau proposed to accompany Jacob and his family through the country, both as a mark of friendship and as an escort to guard them. But the proposal was prudently declined. Jacob did not need any worldly state or equipage. Notwithstanding the present cordiality, the brothers were so different in spirit, character, and habits—the one so much a man of the world, and the other a man of God, that there was great risk of something occurring to disturb the harmony. Jacob having alleged a very reasonable excuse for the tardiness of his movements, the brothers parted in peace.
14. until I come unto my lord—It seems to have been Jacob's intention, passing round the Dead Sea, to visit his brother in Seir, and thus, without crossing the Jordan, go to Beer-sheba to Isaac; but he changed his plan, and whether the intention was carried out then or at a future period has not been recorded.
17. Jacob journeyed to Succoth—that is, "booths," that being the first station at which Jacob halted on his arrival in Canaan. His posterity, when dwelling in houses of stone, built a city there and called it Succoth, to commemorate the fact that their ancestor, "a Syrian ready to perish" [De 26:5], was glad to dwell in booths.
18. Shalem—that is, "peace"; and the meaning may be that Jacob came into Canaan, arriving safe and sound at the city Shechem—a tribute to Him who had promised such a return (compare Ge 28:15). But most writers take Shalem as a proper name—a city of Shechem, and the site is marked by one of the little villages about two miles to the northeast. A little farther in the valley below Shechem "he bought a parcel of a field," thus being the first of the patriarchs who became a proprietor of land in Canaan.
19. an hundred pieces of money—literally, "lambs"; probably a coin with the figure of a lamb on it.
20. and he erected … an altar—A beautiful proof of his personal piety, a most suitable conclusion to his journey, and a lasting memorial of a distinguished favor in the name "God, the God of Israel." Wherever we pitch a tent, God shall have an altar.