Gen. 33 Jacob sets his wives and children in the order they shall travel, Gen. 33:1–2. Meets his brother; his obeisance to him, Gen. 33:3. Esau kindly embrace Jacob, Gen. 33:4. His wives and children present themselves to Esau, Gen. 33:7. Jacob offers a present to his brother, Gen. 33:8.

Placing his best beloved in the last and safest place.

He passed over before them, exposing himself to the first and greatest hazard for the security of his wives and children.

He knew his meaning before from the servants’ mouths; but he asks, that he might both be more certainly informed of the truth, and have an occasion for a civil refusal of the gift.

I neither need it for my use, nor desire it as a compensation for thy former injuries.

For therefore I have seen thy face; or, for I therefore tender it unto thee, and humbly beg thy acceptance of it, because; for thus the Hebrew al-cen is used, Num. 14:43, and elsewhere. As though I had seen the face of God.

Take, I pray thee, my blessing; this gift, which as I received from God’s blessing, so I heartily give it to thee with my blessing and prayer, that God would abundantly bless it to thee. Gifts are oft called blessings, as Josh. 15:19, 1 Sam. 25:27, 1 Sam. 30:26.

Or rather, beside thee, so as to keep thee company, or to keep pace with thee.

The children are tender; the eldest of them, Reuben, not being yet fourteen years old. The flocks and herds with young are with me; or, upon me, i.e. committed to my care, to be managed as their necessities require. See Isa. 40:11.

We do not read that Jacob did according to this promise or insinuation go to Seir; either therefore he changed his first intentions for some weighty reasons, or upon warning from God; or he used this only as a pretence, which we should not too easily believe of so good a man, especially after such…

Built him an house, which doubtless was some slight building, because he intended not to stay there.

Shalem; most take it for the proper name of a place belonging to Shechem, as it here follows, called Salim, John 3:23, and Sichem or Sychar, John 4:5. But others take it for an appellative noun, and render the place thus, he came safe or whole to the city of Shechem; to note either that he was then…

He bought a parcel of a field for his present possession and use; for the right which he had to it was only in reversion after the time that God had allotted for it. The children of Hamor, i.e.

Or, called upon El-elohe-Israel, the particle lo being redundant, as such pronouns oft are, as Gen. 12:1, Josh. 20:2.