Study Desk

Jacob stayed where he was for the night. Then he selected these gifts from his possessions to present to his brother, Esau:

He divided these animals into herds and assigned each to different servants. Then he told his servants, "Go ahead of me with the animals, but keep some distance between the herds."

You must reply, ‘They belong to your servant Jacob, but they are a gift for his master Esau. Look, he is coming right behind us.'"

During the night Jacob got up and took his two wives, his two servant wives, and his eleven sons and crossed the Jabbok River with them.

After taking them to the other side, he sent over all his possessions.

The sun was rising as Jacob left Peniel, and he was limping because of the injury to his hip.

Then Jacob looked up and saw Esau coming with his 400 men. So he divided the children among Leah, Rachel, and his two servant wives.

Then Jacob went on ahead. As he approached his brother, he bowed to the ground seven times before him.

Then Esau ran to meet him and embraced him, threw his arms around his neck, and kissed him. And they both wept.

Jacob, on the other hand, traveled on to Succoth. There he built himself a house and made shelters for his livestock. That is why the place was named Succoth (which means "shelters").

He said to his father, Hamor, "Get me this young girl. I want to marry her."

Soon Jacob heard that Shechem had defiled his daughter, Dinah. But since his sons were out in the fields herding his livestock, he said nothing until they returned.

Hamor tried to speak with Jacob and his sons. "My son Shechem is truly in love with your daughter," he said. "Please let him marry her.

But since Shechem had defiled their sister, Dinah, Jacob's sons responded deceitfully to Shechem and his father, Hamor.

Hamor and his son Shechem agreed to their proposal.

Shechem wasted no time in acting on this request, for he wanted Jacob's daughter desperately. Shechem was a highly respected member of his family,

and he went with his father, Hamor, to present this proposal to the leaders at the town gate.

including Hamor and his son Shechem. They killed them with their swords, then took Dinah from Shechem's house and returned to their camp.

So Jacob told everyone in his household, "Get rid of all your pagan idols, purify yourselves, and put on clean clothing.

Eventually, Jacob and his household arrived at Luz (also called Bethel) in Canaan.