3AndJacobH3290sentH559messengersbeforeאֱלֹהִ֖ים'E.lo.HimH430him toEsauH559his brother unto thelandהַמָּק֥וֹםha.ma.KomH4725of Seir, the field of Edom.
4And he commanded them, saying, Thus shall ye say unto my lordEsauH6215; Thus saith thy servantJacobH3290, I have sojourned with Laban, and stayed until now:
5and I have oxen, and asses and flocks, and menservants ard maidservants: and I havesentוַיְצַ֤וvay.TzavH6680totellH559mylordH113, that I may find grace in thy sight.
6And themessengersלְהַגִּ֣ידle.ha.GidH5046returned toJacobוָֽאֶשְׁלְחָה֙va.'esh.le.ChahH7971, saying,WeH4672cameH1961to thy brother Esau, andmoreoverH1961he cometh tomeetH4672thee, and four hundredmenוְעֶ֣בֶדve.'E.vedH5650with him.
7ThenJacobH3290was greatly afraid and was distressed: and he divided thepeopleאִ֖ישׁ'ishH376that was with him, and the flocks, and the herds, and the camels,intoH413twoמֵא֥וֹתme.'otH3967companies;
8and he said,IfH834Esau come to the onecompanyH4264, and smite it, then thecompanyH4264whichH834is left shall escape.
9AndJacobH559saidH559, OGodH559of my fatherAbrahamH559, andGodH559of my fatherIsaacH559, O LORD, which saidst untomeH413,Returnיָב֥וֹאya.Vo'H935unto thy country, and to thy kindred, and I willdoאִם־'im-H518thee good:
10I amnotלְאַרְצְךָ֛le.'ar.tze.KhaH776worthy of the least of all the mercies, and of all the truth, which thou hast shewed unto thy servant; for with my staff I passed over this Jordan; andnowיִצְחָ֑קyitz.ChakH3327I ambecomeשׁ֧וּבshuvH7725two companies.
11DelivermeH1961, I pray thee, from the hand of my brother, from the hand of Esau: for I fear him, lest hecomeH1961and smitemeH1961, the mother with the children.
12And thou saidst, I willsurelyH3588doH3027thee good, andmakeH3588thy seed as the sand of the sea, which cannot be numbered for multitude.
13And he lodged there that night; andtookאֶֽת־'et-H853of thatwhichאֲשֶׁ֥ר'a.SherH834he had with him a present forEsauאָמַ֔רְתָּ'a.Mar.taH559his brother;
14twoH3947hundred she-goats and twenty he-goats,twoH3947hundred ewes and twenty rams,
15thirty milch camels and their colts, forty kine and ten bulls,twentyH6242she-asses and ten foals.
16And he delivered them into the hand of his servants, every drove by itself; and said unto his servants, Pass over beforemeוּבְנֵיהֶ֖םu.ve.nei.HemH1121, and put a space betwixt drove and drove.
17And hecommandedH559the foremost,sayingH559, WhenEsauH559my brother meeteth thee, and asketh thee,sayingH559,Whoseעֲבָדָ֔יו'a.va.DavH5650art thou? and whither goest thou? andwhoseעֲבָדָיו֙'a.va.DavH5650aretheseתָּשִׂ֔ימוּta.Si.muH7760beforeH6440thee?
18then thou shaltsayH559, They be thy servant Jacob’s; it is a presentsentוַיְצַ֥וvay.TzavH6680unto my lordEsauH6215: and, behold, he also is behindusכִּ֣יkiH3588.
19And hecommandedH559also the second, and the third, andallוְהִנֵּ֥הve.hi.NehH2009thatfollowedH310the droves,sayingH559, On this manner shall yespeakH559untoEsauH6215, when ye find him;
20and ye shallsayוַאֲמַרְתֶּ֕םva.'a.mar.TemH559,MoreoverH1571, behold, thy servantJacobאָמַ֞ר'a.MarH559isbehindH310usH413. For hesaidלֵאמֹ֑רle.MorH559, I will appease him with thepresentבְּמֹצַאֲכֶ֖םbe.mo.tza.'a.KhemH4672that goethbeforeH413meH413, andafterwardH310I will see his face; peradventure he will acceptmeH413.
21Soכֵן֙khenH3651thepresentH4503passedH310overbeforeH6440him: and hehimselfH6440lodged that night in the company.
Commentaries