Genesis 33:13
in Genesis 33But Jacob replied, “My lord knows that the children are frail, and I must care for sheep and cattle that are nursing their young. If they are driven hard for even a day, all the animals will die.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And he said unto him, My lord knoweth that the children are tender, and that the flocks and herds with me have their young: and if they overdrive them one day, all the flocks will die.
KJV
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 them one day, all the flock will die.
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This verse in Genesis 33
Commentary
4 notes on this verseThis site's exposition
I will go ahead of you
on Genesis 33:12-14
Esau offers to travel with him, and Jacob gives the pace of the frail children and the nursing flocks. He then says he will come on to his lord at Seir, and Genesis never records the visit. Clarke takes the promise as sincere and undone later, and Jamieson, Fausset and Brown read the refusal as prudence between brothers now unlike each other. The text gives the words and leaves the motive out.
This site's exposition
the children are frail
Frail is rak, tender, used of Leah's weak eyes at 29:17. Joseph, the youngest, was about six, born before Jacob's last six years with Laban at 30:25 and 31:41. Isaiah 40:11 gives the LORD the same care as shepherd, gently leading the nursing ewes.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
And he said unto him, my lord knoweth the children are tender,....
Christ, the good Shepherd, does so, Isa. xl. Now Jacob will not desire Esau to slacken his pace, nor force his family to quicken theirs, nor leave them, to keep company with his brother, as many would have done, that love any society better than their own house; but he desires Esau to march before, and promises to follow him leisurely, as he could get forward.
How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
Jacob said this in a compassionate manner for he should have said, “And they will all die,” but he would not express himself this way about the children.
2 more on this passage, in their own words ▾
In returning to his land Jacob could have gone by way of the land of Se’ir. Now Esau told him, And I will go before thee, 93 Verse 12 here.
Some say that nisah (let us take our journey) is an imperative.
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
17 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 |
| אֵלָ֗יו | ʾelav | to him | H413 → | 5510 times |
| אֲדֹנִ֤י | ʾadoni | lord my | H113 → | 333 times |
| יֹדֵ֙עַ֙ | yodea' | [is] knowing | H3045 → | 945 times |
| כִּֽי־ | ki- | that | H3588 → | 4482 times |
| הַיְלָדִ֣ים | hayladim | the children | H3206 → | 89 times |
| רַכִּ֔ים | rakim | [are] weak | H7390 → | 16 times |
| וְהַצֹּ֥אן | vehatzon | and the sheep | H6629 → | 274 times |
| וְהַבָּקָ֖ר | vehabakar | and the cattle | H1241 → | 183 times |
| עָל֣וֹת | alot | [are] nursing | H5763 → | |
| עָלָ֑י | ʾalai | with me | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| וּדְפָקוּם֙ | udefakum | and people will drive hard them | H1849 → | |
| י֣וֹם | yom | a day | H3117 → | 2304 times |
| אֶחָ֔ד | ʾechad | one | H259 → | 971 times |
| וָמֵ֖תוּ | vametu | and they will die | H4191 → | 839 times |
| כָּל־ | kol- | all | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| הַצֹּֽאן׃ | hatzon | the flock | H6629 → | 274 times |
וַיֹּ֣אמֶרand he said
vaiyomerH559 →5305 times
אֵלָ֗יוto him
ʾelavH413 →5510 times
אֲדֹנִ֤יlord my
ʾadoniH113 →333 times
יֹדֵ֙עַ֙[is] knowing
yodea'H3045 →945 times
כִּֽי־that
ki-H3588 →4482 times
הַיְלָדִ֣יםthe children
hayladimH3206 →89 times
רַכִּ֔ים[are] weak
rakimH7390 →16 times
וְהַצֹּ֥אןand the sheep
vehatzonH6629 →274 times
וְהַבָּקָ֖רand the cattle
vehabakarH1241 →183 times
עָל֣וֹת[are] nursing
alotH5763 →
עָלָ֑יwith me
ʾalaiH5921 →5755 times
וּדְפָקוּם֙and people will drive hard them
udefakumH1849 →
י֣וֹםa day
yomH3117 →2304 times
אֶחָ֔דone
ʾechadH259 →971 times
וָמֵ֖תוּand they will die
vametuH4191 →839 times
כָּל־all
kol-H3605 →5413 times
הַצֹּֽאן׃the flock
hatzonH6629 →274 times
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
Isaiah 40:11He tends His flock like a shepherd; He gathers the lambs in His arms and carries them close to His heart. He gently leads the nursing ewes.
it leads to
- Revelation 7:17
For the Lamb in the center of the throne will be their shepherd. ‘He will lead them to springs of living water,’ and ‘God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.’”
- Psalms 23:1–6
The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.
- Micah 5:4
He will stand and shepherd His flock in the strength of the LORD, in the majestic name of the LORD His God. And they will dwell securely, for then His greatness will extend to…
- Ezekiel 34:23
I will appoint over them one shepherd, My servant David, and he will feed them. He will feed them and be their shepherd.
- John 10:11–16
I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep.
- Revelation 7:17
Through
Proverbs 12:10A righteous man regards the life of his animal, but the tender mercies of the wicked are only cruelty.
it leads to
- Deuteronomy 25:4
Do not muzzle an ox while it is treading out the grain.
- Numbers 22:28–32
Then the LORD opened the donkey’s mouth, and she said to Balaam, “What have I done to you that you have beaten me these three times?”
- Genesis 33:13–14
But Jacob replied, “My lord knows that the children are frail, and I must care for sheep and cattle that are nursing their young. If they are driven hard for even a day, all…
- Deuteronomy 25:4
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; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.