19 and he buyeth the portion of the field where he hath stretched out his tent, from the hand of the sons of Hamor, father of Shechem, for a hundred kesitah;
And established are the field of Ephron, which `is' in Machpelah, which `is' before Mamre, the field and the cave which `is' in it, and all the trees which `are' in the field, which `are' in all its border round about, to Abraham by purchase, before the eyes of the sons of Heth, among all entering the gate of his city. And after this hath Abraham buried Sarah his wife at the cave of the field of Machpelah before Mamre (which `is' Hebron), in the land of Canaan; and established are the field, and the cave which `is' in it, to Abraham for a possession of a burying-place, from the sons of Heth.
and Shechem, son of Hamor the Hivite, a prince of the land, seeth her, and taketh her, and lieth with her, and humbleth her; and his soul cleaveth to Dinah, daughter of Jacob, and he loveth the young person, and speaketh unto the heart of the young person. And Shechem speaketh unto Hamor his father, saying, `Take for me this damsel for a wife.' And Jacob hath heard that he hath defiled Dinah his daughter, and his sons were with his cattle in the field, and Jacob kept silent till their coming. And Hamor, father of Shechem, goeth out unto Jacob to speak with him; and the sons of Jacob came in from the field when they heard, and the men grieve themselves, and it `is' very displeasing to them, for folly he hath done against Israel, to lie with the daughter of Jacob -- and so it is not done. And Hamor speaketh with them, saying, `Shechem, my son, his soul hath cleaved to your daughter; give her, I pray you, to him for a wife, and join ye in marriage with us; your daughters ye give to us, and our daughters ye take to yourselves, and with us ye dwell, and the land is before you; dwell ye and trade `in' it, and have possessions in it.' And Shechem saith unto her father, and unto her brethren, `Let me find grace in your eyes, and that which ye say unto me, I give; multiply on me exceedingly dowry and gift, and I give as ye say unto me, and give to me the young person for a wife.' And the sons of Jacob answer Shechem and Hamor his father deceitfully, and they speak (because he defiled Dinah their sister), and say unto them, `We are not able to do this thing, to give our sister to one who hath a foreskin: for it `is' a reproach to us. `Only for this we consent to you; if ye be as we, to have every male of you circumcised, then we have given our daughters to you, and your daughters we take to ourselves, and we have dwelt with you, and have become one people; and if ye hearken not unto us to be circumcised, then we have taken our daughter, and have gone.' And their words are good in the eyes of Hamor, and in the eyes of Shechem, Hamor's son; and the young man delayed not to do the thing, for he had delight in Jacob's daughter, and he is honourable above all the house of his father. And Hamor cometh -- Shechem his son also -- unto the gate of their city, and they speak unto the men of their city, saying, `These men are peaceable with us; then let them dwell in the land, and trade `in' it; and the land, lo, `is' wide before them; their daughters let us take to ourselves for wives, and our daughters give to them. `Only for this do the men consent to us, to dwell with us, to become one people, in every male of us being circumcised, as they are circumcised; their cattle, and their substance, and all their beasts -- are they not ours? only let us consent to them, and they dwell with us.' And unto Hamor, and unto Shechem his son, hearken do all those going out of the gate of his city, and every male is circumcised, all those going out of the gate of his city. And it cometh to pass, on the third day, in their being pained, that two of the sons of Jacob, Simeon and Levi, Dinah's brethren, take each his sword, and come in against the city confidently, and slay every male; and Hamor, and Shechem his son, they have slain by the mouth of the sword, and they take Dinah out of Shechem's house, and go out. Jacob's sons have come in upon the wounded, and they spoil the city, because they had defiled their sister; their flock and their herd, and their asses, and that which `is' in the city, and that which `is' in the field, have they taken; and all their wealth, and all their infants, and their wives they have taken captive, and they spoil also all that `is' in the house. And Jacob saith unto Simeon and unto Levi, `Ye have troubled me, by causing me to stink among the inhabitants of the land, among the Canaanite, and among the Perizzite: and I `am' few in number, and they have been gathered against me, and have smitten me, and I have been destroyed, I and my house.' And they say, `As a harlot doth he make our sister?'
in the cave which `is' in the field of Machpelah, which `is' on the front of Mamre, in the land of Canaan, which Abraham bought with the field from Ephron the Hittite for a possession of a burying-place; (there they buried Abraham and Sarah his wife; there they buried Isaac and Rebekah his wife; and there I buried Leah); the purchase of the field and of the cave which `is' in it, `is' from Sons of Heth.'
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.