1 AND Jacob lifted up his eyes, and looked, and, behold, Esau came, [ Is Jacob going to be in big trouble here he might be wondering? Who knows what's gone on with Esau? Because he's has not been the focus of the story, but how did he work out with those wives that he married that Rebekah was unhappy with? How did his family work out? What was his relationship like with... We don't hear of a Rebekah again, we only hear of Isaac when we get back to Genesis 35, and then he was almost dead and he did die shortly after Jacob gets back. So we don't know if he ever saw Rebekah again. But Esau would've been there with both of them. I assume he repaired that relationship the way that he went about repairing the relationship with Jacob. ] and with him four hundred men. And he divided [ Sent some one direction and sent some another direction for protection. ] the children unto Leah, and unto Rachel, and unto the two handmaids. [ Who were Zilpah and Bilhah respectively. ]

2 And he put the handmaids and their children foremost, [ In front. ] and Leah and her children after, and Rachel and Joseph hindermost. [ In the rear. ]

3 And he [ Jacob. ] passed over before them, [ Went to the very front. ] and bowed himself to the ground seven times, [ The number 7 is symbolic for completeness - So by bowing 7 times he was in body language saying there is nothing else that I can do to ask for your forgiveness. Jacob came to Esau as a subordinate bowing before Esau 7 times is only reserved for royalty. He is treating Esau as royalty here. And apparently, Jacob doing what he did to Esau was an act of ritual humiliation. Now he's trying to bring reconciliation to a broken home. And, it can be seen as Hospitality restoration, too. ] until he came near [ That phrase "he came near", those three words he came near is a Hebrew phrase used when priests draw near to the altar to minister before God. You know you had Moses' tabernacle and you had the tent and outside was the altar of sacrifice. That Hebrew phrase, "he came near", which you don't hear in the English, but if you look at the Hebrew and every time that it appears, often it refers to when the Levites or the priests would come and offer animals at that altar. Again, he's not just treating Esau as a king, but he's even treating with respect as if he was approaching God himself. ] to his brother.

4 And Esau ran to meet him, and embraced him, and fell on his neck, and kissed him: and they wept. [ What's crazy about this, who initiates all the actions? It appears to be Esau. ]

5 And he [ Esau ] lifted up his eyes, [ This phrase is often associated with visions or revealations. So is it possible that Esau this red headed hot head after allowing Jacob back into his arms, loving him once again is now seeing or getting a glimpse of what the blessings are of the covenant? Is he finally realizing what he has tried so hard to dismiss? I just wonder. He see's all that Jacob has, how blessed he has been. ] , and saw the women and the children; and said, Who are those with thee? And he [ Jacob. ] said, The children which God hath graciously given thy servant. [ The posterity that the Lord has blessed me with. ]

6 Then the handmaidens came near, they and their children, and they bowed themselves.

7 And Leah also with her children came near, and bowed themselves: and after came Joseph near and Rachel, and they bowed themselves.

8 And he [ Esau. ] said, What meanest thou by all this drove which I met? [ Referring to the 500 animals that Jacob had presented in advance to Esau as a gift. Gen 32:13-21. ] And he said, These are to find grace in the sight of my lord. [ Or they are an offering to you that I might find peace with you. ]

9 And Esau said, I have enough, my brother; [ Esau was never where Jacobs at. But over time, Esau had matured. He had become a man of accomplishment himself. He'd gained some degree of wealth and he began to appreciate, as he grew up, the brother that was his twin and that he had driven away in his own way. There could not be a more welcoming and gracious Esau welcoming Jacob back. With Esau, all was well, and it just goes to show that as Jacob did, if you make every possible effort you can to overcome a perceived hurt... And Jacob, of course, was going to send a big gift of livestock to Esau. Esau said, "Ha, no problem. We're brothers. It's so good to see you again." And if you will do everything you can to overcome the difficulties that you see, but then just let things work out, very often, the goodness of people comes out. And I don't think Esau ever became really a covenant guy during his mortality, but he turns out to have been a pretty good guy once he became an adult. I can live with people like that. People don't have to believe in covenant the way I do for me to love them and appreciate them and learn from them and consider them to be close, close friends. Even members of the church who might not be active or be where I'm at, I can be as close to them as to anyone else. ] keep that thou hast unto thyself.

10 And Jacob said, Nay, I pray thee, [ Which means, please, please. ] if now I have found grace in thy sight, then receive my present a [ The word for present is "minḥah" - a tribute given to a superior from a subordinate). This whole offering is a restitution offering and the act of Jacob bowing down (was probably full prostration). ] at my hand: for therefore [ Because of the gifts that I gave you. ] I have seen thy face, as though I had seen the face of God, [ I have seen in your attitude toward me a change for the good and I want to keep ot that way. ] and thou wast pleased with me.

11 Take, I pray thee, my blessing that is brought to thee; [ So please accept these gifts from me. They are all gifts that the Lord has blessed me with under the covenant. So in essence he is asking Esau to accept the covenant in one manner of speaking. ] because God hath dealt graciously with me, and because I have enough . [ Or I have plenty. Hebrew word is "kol". Or I have everything. I have all things. Which hearkens back to Genesis chapter 24:1 where the Lord said that he had blessed Abraham in all things. ] And he [ Jacob. ] urged him, and he took it. [ and Esau took the gifts. On a symbolic level, did Esau accept the covenant? Remember in verse 4 it was Esau that initiates the hug, the embrace, the kiss, the falling on the neck. Esau for some reason has changed from the old Esau, he now seems very forgiving. The text is pointing out to us, that like Jacob there's so many that we cry ourselves to sleep and we worry about the Esau's in our own family. Are they gonna make it? And here the text suggests, it's the Lord imploring us. You don't give up on them. Remember that as Jacob returned to Canaan, he was greatly afraid and distressed about how his brother Esau would receive him. What we see in this story that the Lord worked with Esau in the same manner that the Lord worked with Jacob. ]

12 And he said, Let us take our journey, and let us go, and I [ Esau. ] will go before thee. [ As a protection for him. ]

13 And he said unto him, My lord knoweth that the children are tender, and the flocks and herds with young are with me: and if men should overdrive [ Make them walk or move faster than is good for their health. ] them one day, all the flock will die. [ Jacob says that he has young children and flocks and so they must travel really slow or they will kill them. ]

14 Let my lord, I pray thee, pass over before his servant: [ So you go on ahead with your men who can travel much quicker. ] and I will lead on softly, according as the cattle that goeth before me and the children be able to endure, [ And I Jacob will bring the herds and children along as fast as they are capable. ] until I come unto my lord unto Seir. [ Until I meet you at your home in Seir where Esau had settled which was south of the dead sea. ]

15 And Esau said, Let me now leave with thee some of the folk that are with me. [Esau says let me leave some of my men behind to help then.] And he said, What needeth it? [ Jacob responds that is not necessary as we have gotten along fine up to now. ] let me find grace in the sight of my lord. [ Just give me your blessing and we will be fine. ]

16 ¶ So Esau returned that day on his way unto Seir.

17 And Jacob journeyed to Succoth, [ A place which is about 30 miles north of the Dead Sea just east of the Jordan river. ] and built him an house, and made booths for his cattle: therefore the name of the place is called Succoth.

18 ¶ And Jacob came to Shalem, a city of Shechem, [ The city that is across the Jordan river and about 20 miles west of Succoth] which is in the land of Canaan, when he came from Padan-aram; and pitched his tent before [ Before he reached the city or outside of it. ] the city.

19 And he bought a parcel of a field, where he had spread his tent, at the hand of the children of Hamor, Shechem’s father, for an hundred pieces of money. [ Jacob settles for a short period buys some land from the children of Hamor. ]

20 And he erected there an altar, and called it El-elohe-Israel. [ Which means "God is the God of Israel". ]