Study Desk

Jacob Prepares to Meet Esau

^[a]Jacob also went on his way, and the angels of God^(a) met him.

When Jacob saw them, he said, "This is the camp of God!"^(b) So he named that place Mahanaim.^[b](c)

Jacob sent messengers^(d) ahead of him to his brother Esau^(e) in the land of Seir,^(f) the country of Edom.^(g)

He instructed them: "This is what you are to say to my lord^(h) Esau: ‘Your servant⁽ⁱ⁾ Jacob says, I have been staying with Laban^(j) and have remained there till now.

I have cattle and donkeys, sheep and goats, male and female servants.^(k) Now I am sending this message to my lord,^(l) that I may find favor in your eyes.^(m)'"

When the messengers returned to Jacob, they said, "We went to your brother Esau, and now he is coming to meet you, and four hundred men are with him."⁽ⁿ⁾

In great fear^(o) and distress^(p) Jacob divided the people who were with him into two groups,^[c](q) and the flocks and herds and camels as well.

He thought, "If Esau comes and attacks one group,^[d] the group^[e] that is left may escape."

Then Jacob prayed, "O God of my father Abraham,^(r) God of my father Isaac,^(s) Lord , you who said to me, ‘Go back to your country and your relatives, and I will make you prosper,'^(t)

I am unworthy of all the kindness and faithfulness^(u) you have shown your servant. I had only my staff^(v) when I crossed this Jordan, but now I have become two camps.^(w)

Save me, I pray, from the hand of my brother Esau, for I am afraid^(x) he will come and attack me,^(y) and also the mothers with their children.^(z)

But you have said, ‘I will surely make you prosper and will make your descendants like the sand^(aa) of the sea, which cannot be counted.^(ab)'"

He spent the night there, and from what he had with him he selected a gift^(ac) for his brother Esau:

two hundred female goats and twenty male goats, two hundred ewes and twenty rams,^(ad)

thirty female camels with their young, forty cows and ten bulls, and twenty female donkeys and ten male donkeys.^(ae)

He put them in the care of his servants, each herd by itself, and said to his servants, "Go ahead of me, and keep some space between the herds."^(af)

He instructed the one in the lead: "When my brother Esau meets you and asks, ‘Who do you belong to, and where are you going, and who owns all these animals in front of you?'

then you are to say, ‘They belong to your servant^(ag) Jacob. They are a gift^(ah) sent to my lord Esau, and he is coming behind us.'"

He also instructed the second, the third and all the others who followed the herds: "You are to say the same thing to Esau when you meet him.

And be sure to say, ‘Your servant^(ai) Jacob is coming behind us.'" For he thought, "I will pacify him with these gifts^(aj) I am sending on ahead;^(ak) later, when I see him, perhaps he will receive me."^(al)

So Jacob's gifts^(am) went on ahead of him, but he himself spent the night in the camp.

That night Jacob got up and took his two wives, his two female servants and his eleven sons^(an) and crossed the ford of the Jabbok.^(ao)

After he had sent them across the stream, he sent over all his possessions.^(ap)

So Jacob was left alone,^(aq) and a man^(ar) wrestled with him till daybreak.

When the man saw that he could not overpower him, he touched the socket of Jacob's hip^(as) so that his hip was wrenched as he wrestled with the man.

Then the man said, "Let me go, for it is daybreak." But Jacob replied, "I will not let you go unless you bless me."^(at)

The man asked him, "What is your name?" "Jacob,"^(au) he answered.

Then the man said, "Your name^(av) will no longer be Jacob, but Israel,^[f](aw) because you have struggled with God and with humans and have overcome."^(ax)

Jacob said, "Please tell me your name."^(ay) But he replied, "Why do you ask my name?"^(az) Then he blessed^(ba) him there.

So Jacob called the place Peniel,^[g] saying, "It is because I saw God face to face,^(bb) and yet my life was spared."

The sun rose above him as he passed Peniel,^[h](bc) and he was limping because of his hip.

Therefore to this day the Israelites do not eat the tendon attached to the socket of the hip,^(bd) because the socket of Jacob's hip was touched near the tendon.

Jacob Meets Esau

Jacob looked up and there was Esau, coming with his four hundred men;^(a) so he divided the children among Leah, Rachel and the two female servants.^(b)

He put the female servants and their children^(c) in front, Leah and her children next, and Rachel and Joseph^(d) in the rear.

He himself went on ahead and bowed down to the ground^(e) seven times^(f) as he approached his brother.

But Esau^(g) ran to meet Jacob and embraced him; he threw his arms around his neck and kissed him.^(h) And they wept.⁽ⁱ⁾

Then Esau looked up and saw the women and children. "Who are these with you?" he asked. Jacob answered, "They are the children God has graciously given your servant.^(j)"

Then the female servants and their children^(k) approached and bowed down.^(l)

Next, Leah and her children^(m) came and bowed down.⁽ⁿ⁾ Last of all came Joseph and Rachel,^(o) and they too bowed down.

Esau asked, "What's the meaning of all these flocks and herds I met?"^(p) "To find favor in your eyes, my lord,"^(q) he said.

But Esau said, "I already have plenty,^(r) my brother. Keep what you have for yourself."

"No, please!" said Jacob. "If I have found favor in your eyes,^(s) accept this gift^(t) from me. For to see your face is like seeing the face of God,^(u) now that you have received me favorably.^(v)

Please accept the present^(w) that was brought to you, for God has been gracious to me^(x) and I have all I need."^(y) And because Jacob insisted,^(z) Esau accepted it.

Then Esau said, "Let us be on our way; I'll accompany you."

But Jacob said to him, "My lord^(aa) knows that the children are tender and that I must care for the ewes and cows that are nursing their young.^(ab) If they are driven hard just one day, all the animals will die.

So let my lord go on ahead of his servant, while I move along slowly at the pace of the flocks and herds^(ac) before me and the pace of the children, until I come to my lord in Seir.^(ad)"

Esau said, "Then let me leave some of my men with you." "But why do that?" Jacob asked. "Just let me find favor in the eyes of my lord."^(ae)

So that day Esau started on his way back to Seir.^(af)

Jacob, however, went to Sukkoth,^(ag) where he built a place for himself and made shelters for his livestock. That is why the place is called Sukkoth.^[a]

After Jacob came from Paddan Aram,^[b](ah) he arrived safely at the city of Shechem^(ai) in Canaan and camped within sight of the city.

For a hundred pieces of silver,^[c] he bought from the sons of Hamor,^(aj) the father of Shechem,^(ak) the plot of ground^(al) where he pitched his tent.^(am)

There he set up an altar^(an) and called it El Elohe Israel.^[d]

Dinah and the Shechemites

Now Dinah,^(a) the daughter Leah had borne to Jacob, went out to visit the women of the land.

When Shechem^(b) son of Hamor^(c) the Hivite,^(d) the ruler of that area, saw her, he took her and raped her.^(e)

His heart was drawn to Dinah^(f) daughter of Jacob;^(g) he loved^(h) the young woman and spoke tenderly⁽ⁱ⁾ to her.

And Shechem said to his father Hamor, "Get me this girl as my wife."^(j)

When Jacob heard that his daughter Dinah had been defiled,^(k) his sons were in the fields with his livestock; so he did nothing about it until they came home.

Then Shechem's father Hamor went out to talk with Jacob.^(l)

Meanwhile, Jacob's sons had come in from the fields as soon as they heard what had happened. They were shocked^(m) and furious,⁽ⁿ⁾ because Shechem had done an outrageous thing in^[a] Israel^(o) by sleeping with Jacob's daughter—a thing that should not be done.^(p)

But Hamor said to them, "My son Shechem has his heart set on your daughter. Please give her to him as his wife.^(q)

Intermarry with us; give us your daughters and take our daughters for yourselves.^(r)

You can settle among us;^(s) the land is open to you.^(t) Live in it, trade^[b] in it,^(u) and acquire property in it.^(v)"

Then Shechem said to Dinah's father and brothers, "Let me find favor in your eyes,^(w) and I will give you whatever you ask.

Make the price for the bride^(x) and the gift I am to bring as great as you like, and I'll pay whatever you ask me. Only give me the young woman as my wife."

Because their sister Dinah had been defiled,^(y) Jacob's sons replied deceitfully^(z) as they spoke to Shechem and his father Hamor.

They said to them, "We can't do such a thing; we can't give our sister to a man who is not circumcised.^(aa) That would be a disgrace to us.

We will enter into an agreement with you on one condition^(ab) only: that you become like us by circumcising all your males.^(ac)

Then we will give you our daughters and take your daughters for ourselves.^(ad) We'll settle among you and become one people with you.^(ae)

But if you will not agree to be circumcised, we'll take our sister and go."

Their proposal seemed good to Hamor and his son Shechem.

The young man, who was the most honored^(af) of all his father's family, lost no time in doing what they said, because he was delighted with Jacob's daughter.^(ag)

So Hamor and his son Shechem went to the gate of their city^(ah) to speak to the men of their city.

"These men are friendly toward us," they said. "Let them live in our land and trade in it;^(ai) the land has plenty of room for them. We can marry their daughters and they can marry ours.^(aj)

But the men will agree to live with us as one people only on the condition that our males be circumcised,^(ak) as they themselves are.

Won't their livestock, their property and all their other animals become ours?^(al) So let us agree to their terms, and they will settle among us.^(am)"

All the men who went out of the city gate^(an) agreed with Hamor and his son Shechem, and every male in the city was circumcised.

Three days later, while all of them were still in pain,^(ao) two of Jacob's sons, Simeon^(ap) and Levi,^(aq) Dinah's brothers, took their swords^(ar) and attacked the unsuspecting city,^(as) killing every male.^(at)

They put Hamor and his son Shechem to the sword^(au) and took Dinah^(av) from Shechem's house and left.

The sons of Jacob came upon the dead bodies and looted the city^(aw) where^[c] their sister had been defiled.^(ax)

They seized their flocks and herds and donkeys^(ay) and everything else of theirs in the city and out in the fields.^(az)

They carried off all their wealth and all their women and children,^(ba) taking as plunder^(bb) everything in the houses.^(bc)

Then Jacob said to Simeon and Levi, "You have brought trouble^(bd) on me by making me obnoxious^(be) to the Canaanites and Perizzites, the people living in this land.^(bf) We are few in number,^(bg) and if they join forces against me and attack me, I and my household will be destroyed."

But they replied, "Should he have treated our sister like a prostitute?^(bh)"

Jacob Returns to Bethel

Then God said to Jacob, "Go up to Bethel^(a) and settle there, and build an altar^(b) there to God,^(c) who appeared to you^(d) when you were fleeing from your brother Esau."^(e)

So Jacob said to his household^(f) and to all who were with him, "Get rid of the foreign gods^(g) you have with you, and purify yourselves and change your clothes.^(h)

Then come, let us go up to Bethel, where I will build an altar to God,⁽ⁱ⁾ who answered me in the day of my distress^(j) and who has been with me wherever I have gone.^(k)"

So they gave Jacob all the foreign gods they had and the rings in their ears,^(l) and Jacob buried them under the oak^(m) at Shechem.⁽ⁿ⁾

Then they set out, and the terror of God^(o) fell on the towns all around them so that no one pursued them.^(p)

Jacob and all the people with him came to Luz^(q) (that is, Bethel) in the land of Canaan.^(r)

There he built an altar,^(s) and he called the place El Bethel,^[a](t) because it was there that God revealed himself to him^(u) when he was fleeing from his brother.^(v)

Now Deborah, Rebekah's nurse,^(w) died and was buried under the oak^(x) outside Bethel.^(y) So it was named Allon Bakuth.^[b]

After Jacob returned from Paddan Aram,^[c](z) God appeared to him again and blessed him.^(aa)

God said to him, "Your name is Jacob,^[d] but you will no longer be called Jacob; your name will be Israel.^[e]"^(ab) So he named him Israel.

And God said to him, "I am God Almighty^[f];^(ac) be fruitful and increase in number.^(ad) A nation^(ae) and a community of nations will come from you, and kings will be among your descendants.^(af)

The land I gave to Abraham and Isaac I also give to you, and I will give this land to your descendants after you.^(ag)"^(ah)

Then God went up from him^(ai) at the place where he had talked with him.

Jacob set up a stone pillar^(aj) at the place where God had talked with him, and he poured out a drink offering^(ak) on it; he also poured oil on it.^(al)

Jacob called the place where God had talked with him Bethel.^[g](am)

Then they moved on from Bethel. While they were still some distance from Ephrath,^(ao) Rachel^(ap) began to give birth and had great difficulty.

And as she was having great difficulty in childbirth, the midwife^(aq) said to her, "Don't despair, for you have another son."^(ar)

As she breathed her last—for she was dying—she named her son Ben-Oni.^[h](as) But his father named him Benjamin.^[i](at)

So Rachel died and was buried on the way to Ephrath^(au) (that is, Bethlehem^(av)).

Over her tomb Jacob set up a pillar, and to this day^(aw) that pillar marks Rachel's tomb.^(ax)

Israel moved on again and pitched his tent beyond Migdal Eder.^(ay)

While Israel was living in that region, Reuben went in and slept with his father's concubine^(az) Bilhah,^(ba) and Israel heard of it. Jacob had twelve sons:

The sons of Leah:^(bb) Reuben the firstborn^(bc) of Jacob, Simeon, Levi, Judah,^(bd) Issachar and Zebulun.^(be)

The sons of Rachel: Joseph^(bf) and Benjamin.^(bg)

The sons of Rachel's servant Bilhah:^(bh) Dan and Naphtali.^(bi)

The sons of Leah's servant Zilpah:^(bj) Gad^(bk) and Asher.^(bl) These were the sons of Jacob,^(bm) who were born to him in Paddan Aram.^(bn)

Jacob came home to his father Isaac^(bo) in Mamre,^(bp) near Kiriath Arba^(bq) (that is, Hebron),^(br) where Abraham and Isaac had stayed.^(bs)

Isaac lived a hundred and eighty years.^(bt)

Then he breathed his last and died and was gathered to his people,^(bu) old and full of years.^(bv) And his sons Esau and Jacob buried him.^(bw)