English Standard Version
Genesis 32:4
4instructing them, "Thus you shall say to my lord Esau: Thus says your servant Jacob, 'I have sojourned with Laban and stayed until now.
Genesis 32:4 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)And he commanded them, saying, Thus shall ye speak unto my lord Esau; Thy servant Jacob saith thus, I have sojourned with Laban, and stayed there until now:
- New International Version (NIV)He instructed them: “This is what you are to say to my lord Esau: ‘Your servant Jacob says, I have been staying with Laban and have remained there till now.
- New King James Version (NKJV)And he commanded them, saying, “Speak thus to my lord Esau, ‘Thus your servant Jacob says: “I have dwelt with Laban and stayed there until now.
- New Living Translation (NLT)He told them, “Give this message to my master Esau: ‘Humble greetings from your servant Jacob. Until now I have been living with Uncle Laban,
Context of Genesis 32:4
2And when Jacob saw them he said, "This is God's camp!" So he called the name of that place Mahanaim. 3And Jacob sent messengers before him to Esau his brother in the land of Seir, the country of Edom, instructing them, "Thus you shall say to my lord Esau: Thus says your servant Jacob, 'I have sojourned with Laban and stayed until now. 5I have oxen, donkeys, flocks, male servants, and female servants. I have sent to tell my lord, in order that I may find favor in your sight.'" 6And the messengers returned to Jacob, saying, "We came to your brother Esau, and he is coming to meet you, and there are four hundred men with him."
Read all of Genesis 32Genesis 32:4 word by word
וַיְצַ֤ו אֹתָם֙ לֵאמֹ֔ר כֹּ֣ה תֹאמְר֔וּן לַֽאדֹנִ֖י לְעֵשָׂ֑ו כֹּ֤ה אָמַר֙ עַבְדְּךָ֣ יַעֲקֹ֔ב עִם־לָבָ֣ן גַּ֔רְתִּי וָאֵחַ֖ר עַד־עָֽתָּה׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- And he commandedצָוָהtsâvâh · to commandH6680
- them, sayingאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
- unto my lordאָדוֹן'âdôn 'âdôn · lordH113
- Esauעֵשָׂו‛êώâv · EsauH6215
- Thy servantעֶ֫בֶד‛ebed · servant/slaveH5650
- Jacobיַעֲקֹבya‛ăqôb · JacobH3290
- thus, I have sojournedגּוּרgûr · to sojournH1481
- with Labanלָבָןlâbân · LabanH3837
- and stayed thereאָחַר'âchar · to delayH309
Cross-references for Genesis 32:4
- Genesis 32:5I have oxen, donkeys, flocks, male servants, and female servants. I have sent to tell my lord, in order that I may find favor in your sight.'"
- Genesis 4:7If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door. Its desire is contrary to you, but you must rule over it."
- Genesis 23:6"Hear us, my lord; you are a prince of God among us. Bury your dead in the choicest of our tombs. None of us will withhold from you his tomb to hinder you from burying your dead."
- Genesis 27:29Let peoples serve you, and nations bow down to you. Be lord over your brothers, and may your mother's sons bow down to you. Cursed be everyone who curses you, and blessed be everyone who blesses you!"
- Genesis 33:8Esau said, "What do you mean by all this company that I met?" Jacob answered, "To find favor in the sight of my lord."
- Exodus 32:22And Aaron said, "Let not the anger of my lord burn hot. You know the people, that they are set on evil.
- 1 Samuel 26:17Saul recognized David's voice and said, "Is this your voice, my son David?" And David said, "It is my voice, my lord, O king."
- Proverbs 6:3then do this, my son, and save yourself, for you have come into the hand of your neighbor: go, hasten, and plead urgently with your neighbor.
- Proverbs 15:1A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.
- Luke 14:11For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted."
- 1 Peter 3:6as Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him lord. And you are her children, if you do good and do not fear anything that is frightening.
- 1 Kings 20:32So they tied sackcloth around their waists and put ropes on their heads and went to the king of Israel and said, "Your servant Ben-hadad says, 'Please, let me live.'" And he said, "Does he still live? He is my brother."
- Ecclesiastes 10:4If the anger of the ruler rises against you, do not leave your place, for calmness will lay great offenses to rest.
Commentaries on Genesis 32:4
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 4Thus shall ye speak unto my lord Esau - Jacob acknowledges the superiority of his brother; for the time was not yet come in which it could be said, The elder shall serve the younger.Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 1-32Verses 1-32 - Jacob Wrestles in Prayer 3. מחנים machănāyı̂m Machanaim, “two camps.” 22. יבק yaboq Jabboq; related: בקק bāqaq “gush or gurgle out” or אבק 'ābaq in niphal, “wrestle.” Now Wady Zurka. 29. ישׂראל yı̂śrā'ēl Jisrael, “prince of God.” 31. פניאל penı̂y'ēl = פנוּאל penû'ēl Peniel, Penuel, “face of God.” After twenty years spent in Aram, Jacob now returns to Kenann. As his departure was marked by a great moment in his spiritual life, so he…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 3-5Apparently inspired by the vision of angels (32:1, Hebrew mal’akim), Jacob sent messengers (mal’akim) into Edom to meet Esau.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 44. Thus shall ye speak unto my lord Esau--The purport of the message was that, after a residence of twenty years in Mesopotamia, he was now returning to his native land, that he did not need any thing, for he had abundance of pastoral wealth, but that he could not pass without notifying his arrival to his brother and paying the homage of his respectful obeisance. Acts of civility tend to disarm opposition and soften hatred (Ec 10:4). Thy servant Jacob--He…Read the comment
Topics related to Genesis 32:4
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Genesis 32
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Rashi on Tanakh
- Calvin’s Commentaries
- Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
- John Wesley’s Notes
- Darby Translation Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
- Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
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