Genesis 33:10
in Genesis 33But Jacob insisted, “No, please! If I have found favor in your sight, then receive this gift from my hand. For indeed, I have seen your face, and it is like seeing the face of God, since you have received me favorably.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And Jacob said, Nay, I pray thee, if now I have found favor in thy sight, then receive my present at my hand; forasmuch as I have seen thy face, as one seeth the face of God, and thou wast pleased with me.
KJV
And Jacob said, Nay, I pray thee, if now I have found grace in thy sight, then receive my present at my hand: for therefore I have seen thy face, as though I had seen the face of God, and thou wast pleased with me.
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This verse in Genesis 33
Commentary
5 notes on this verseReceive my present at my hand - Jacob could not be certain that he had found favor with Esau, unless the present had been received; for in accepting it Esau necessarily became his friend, according to the custom of those times, and in that country. In the eastern countries, if your present be received by your superior, you may rely on his friendship; if it be not received, you have every thing to fear.
This site's exposition
like seeing the face of God
Jacob tells Esau that seeing his face is like seeing the face of God. He had named the ford Peniel the night before for the same sight. Henry takes it as Jacob reading God's favor in his brother's. Clarke gives the custom underneath the asking, that a gift accepted in that country settled a friendship.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
It is a very high compliment that he passes upon him: I have seen thy face, as though I had seen the face of God, that is, "I have seen thee reconciled to me, and at peace with me, as I desire to see God reconciled." Or the meaning is that Jacob saw God's favour to him in Esau's: it was a token for good to him that God had accepted his prayers.
I have seen thy face as though I had seen the face of God - That is, I have seen thee reconciled to me, and at peace with me, as I desire to see God reconciled.
quarantine:scripture (2026-07-29) — scripture-overlap:83%@v10-14
And Jacob said, nay, I pray thee,....
How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
On the verses either side of this one
I.e., the gift. Likewise, Make your blessing with me. II Kings:31. means “bring me a gift” or “make your peace with me.” So also, Take a blessing of thy servant. Ibid.,:15. means “take a present from thy servant.
This section is reception history: how the passage was read and kept in the Jewish tradition. Where a reading parts from an essential of the Christian faith, the section says so at that point.
Texts and citation data: Sefaria; each excerpt follows its version’s licence. 4 further sources are cited on this chapter that carry no English text this site may quote or only restate the verse.
The words behind it
21 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַיֹּ֣אמֶר | vaiyomer | and he said | H559 → | 5305 times |
| יַעֲקֹ֗ב | yaako | Jacob | H3290 → | 350 times |
| אַל־ | ʾal- | may not [it be] | H408 → | 724 times |
| נָא֙ | na' | please | H4994 → | 404 times |
| אִם־ | ʾim- | if | H518 → | 1069 times |
| נָ֨א | na' | please | H4994 → | 404 times |
| מָצָ֤אתִי | matzati | I have found | H4672 → | 455 times |
| חֵן֙ | chen | favor | H2580 → | 69 times |
| בְּעֵינֶ֔יךָ | beeineikha | in view your | H5869 → | 887 times |
| וְלָקַחְתָּ֥ | velakachta | and you will accept | H3947 → | 966 times |
| מִנְחָתִ֖י | minchati | gift my | H4503 → | 211 times |
| מִיָּדִ֑י | miyadi | from hand my | H3027 → | 1618 times |
| כִּ֣י | ki | for | H3588 → | 4482 times |
| עַל־ | ʾal- | since | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| כֵּ֞ן | ken | <thus> | H3651 → | 771 times |
| רָאִ֣יתִי | raiti | I have seen | H7200 → | 1300 times |
| פָנֶ֗יךָ | faneikha | face your | H6440 → | 2123 times |
| כִּרְאֹ֛ת | kirot | like seeing | H7200 → | 1300 times |
| פְּנֵ֥י | penei | [the] face of | H6440 → | 2123 times |
| אֱלֹהִ֖ים | ʾelohim | God | H430 → | 2601 times |
| וַתִּרְצֵֽנִי׃ | vatirtzeni | and you have accepted favorably me | H7521 → |
וַיֹּ֣אמֶרand he said
vaiyomerH559 →5305 times
יַעֲקֹ֗בJacob
yaakoH3290 →350 times
אַל־may not [it be]
ʾal-H408 →724 times
נָא֙please
na'H4994 →404 times
אִם־if
ʾim-H518 →1069 times
נָ֨אplease
na'H4994 →404 times
מָצָ֤אתִיI have found
matzatiH4672 →455 times
חֵן֙favor
chenH2580 →69 times
בְּעֵינֶ֔יךָin view your
beeineikhaH5869 →887 times
וְלָקַחְתָּ֥and you will accept
velakachtaH3947 →966 times
מִנְחָתִ֖יgift my
minchatiH4503 →211 times
מִיָּדִ֑יfrom hand my
miyadiH3027 →1618 times
כִּ֣יfor
kiH3588 →4482 times
עַל־since
ʾal-H5921 →5755 times
כֵּ֞ן<thus>
kenH3651 →771 times
רָאִ֣יתִיI have seen
raitiH7200 →1300 times
פָנֶ֗יךָface your
faneikhaH6440 →2123 times
כִּרְאֹ֛תlike seeing
kirotH7200 →1300 times
פְּנֵ֥י[the] face of
peneiH6440 →2123 times
אֱלֹהִ֖יםGod
ʾelohimH430 →2601 times
וַתִּרְצֵֽנִי׃and you have accepted favorably me
vatirtzeniH7521 →
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Revelation 22:4They will see His face, and His name will be on their foreheads.
it leads to
- Revelation 14:1
Then I looked and saw the Lamb standing on Mount Zion, and with Him 144,000 who had His name and His Father’s name written on their foreheads.
- Matthew 5:8
Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.
- Revelation 3:12
The one who overcomes I will make a pillar in the temple of My God, and he will never again leave it. Upon him I will write the name of My God, and the…
- 1 John 3:2–3
Beloved, we are now children of God, and what we will be has not yet been revealed. We know that when Christ appears, we will be like Him, for we will see Him as…
- Hebrews 12:14
Pursue peace with everyone, as well as holiness, without which no one will see the Lord.
- Revelation 14:1
Through
Job 33:26He prays to God and finds favor; he sees God’s face and shouts for joy, and God restores His righteousness to that man.
it leads to
- Psalms 50:15
Call upon Me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you will honor Me.”
- Psalms 30:5
For His anger is fleeting, but His favor lasts a lifetime. Weeping may stay the night, but joy comes in the morning.
- Psalms 50:15
Through
Genesis 32:30So Jacob named the place Peniel, saying, “Indeed, I have seen God face to face, and yet my life was spared.”
it leads to
- Numbers 12:8
I speak with him face to face, clearly and not in riddles; he sees the form of the LORD. Why then were you unafraid to speak against My servant Moses?”
- Numbers 12:8
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies1
About Genesis
Who and where
1 name in this verse with a page on the site.
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.