Genesis 33:14
in Genesis 33Please let my lord go ahead of his servant. I will continue on slowly, at a comfortable pace for the livestock and children, until I come to my lord at Seir.”
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
Let my lord, I pray thee, pass over before his servant: and I will lead on gently, according to the pace of the cattle that are before me and according to the pace of the children, until I come unto my lord unto Seir.
KJV
Let my lord, I pray thee, pass over before his servant: and I will lead on softly, according as the cattle that goeth before me and the children be able to endure, until I come unto my lord unto Seir.
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This verse in Genesis 33
Commentary
6 notes on this verseUntil I come unto my lord unto Seir - It is very likely that Jacob was perfectly sincere in his expressed purpose of visiting Esau at Seir, but it is as likely that circumstances afterwards occurred that rendered it either improper or impracticable; and we find that Esau afterwards removed to Canaan, and he and Jacob dwelt there together for several years. See Gen 36:6.
This 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
at a comfortable pace for the livestock and children
The Hebrew for comfortable pace is by the foot of the livestock and by the foot of the children. Jacob sets the march by the slowest feet in his house. Seir lies far to the south in Edom, and verse 17 takes him to Succoth.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
Let my lord, I pray thee, pass over before his servant,....
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.
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
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.
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How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
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.
1 more on this passage, in their own words ▾
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.
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
20 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| יַעֲבָר־ | yaavor- | let him pass on | H5674 → | 556 times |
| נָ֥א | na' | please | H4994 → | 404 times |
| אֲדֹנִ֖י | ʾadoni | lord my | H113 → | 333 times |
| לִפְנֵ֣י | lifnei | <to> before | H6440 → | 2123 times |
| עַבְדּ֑וֹ | avdo | servant his | H5650 → | 799 times |
| וַאֲנִ֞י | vaani | and I | H589 → | 874 times |
| אֶתְנָהֲלָ֣ה | ʾetnahalah | I will journey on | H5095 → | |
| לְאִטִּ֗י | leiti | to gentleness my | H328 → | |
| לְרֶ֨גֶל | leregel | to [the] foot of | H7272 → | 247 times |
| הַמְּלָאכָ֤ה | hamelakhah | the property | H4399 → | 167 times |
| אֲשֶׁר־ | ʾasher- | which | H834 → | 5497 times |
| לְפָנַי֙ | lefanai | [is] <to> before me | H6440 → | 2123 times |
| וּלְרֶ֣גֶל | uleregel | and to [the] foot of | H7272 → | 247 times |
| הַיְלָדִ֔ים | hayladim | the children | H3206 → | 89 times |
| עַ֛ד | ʾad | until | H5704 → | 1261 times |
| אֲשֶׁר־ | ʾasher- | that | H834 → | 5497 times |
| אָבֹ֥א | ʾavo' | I will come | H935 → | 2568 times |
| אֶל־ | ʾel- | to | H413 → | 5510 times |
| אֲדֹנִ֖י | ʾadoni | lord my | H113 → | 333 times |
| שֵׂעִֽירָה׃ | seirah | Seir towards | H8165 → | 39 times |
יַעֲבָר־let him pass on
yaavor-H5674 →556 times
נָ֥אplease
na'H4994 →404 times
אֲדֹנִ֖יlord my
ʾadoniH113 →333 times
לִפְנֵ֣י<to> before
lifneiH6440 →2123 times
עַבְדּ֑וֹservant his
avdoH5650 →799 times
וַאֲנִ֞יand I
vaaniH589 →874 times
אֶתְנָהֲלָ֣הI will journey on
ʾetnahalahH5095 →
לְאִטִּ֗יto gentleness my
leitiH328 →
לְרֶ֨גֶלto [the] foot of
leregelH7272 →247 times
הַמְּלָאכָ֤הthe property
hamelakhahH4399 →167 times
אֲשֶׁר־which
ʾasher-H834 →5497 times
לְפָנַי֙[is] <to> before me
lefanaiH6440 →2123 times
וּלְרֶ֣גֶלand to [the] foot of
uleregelH7272 →247 times
הַיְלָדִ֔יםthe children
hayladimH3206 →89 times
עַ֛דuntil
ʾadH5704 →1261 times
אֲשֶׁר־that
ʾasher-H834 →5497 times
אָבֹ֥אI will come
ʾavo'H935 →2568 times
אֶל־to
ʾel-H413 →5510 times
אֲדֹנִ֖יlord my
ʾadoniH113 →333 times
שֵׂעִֽירָה׃Seir towards
seirahH8165 →39 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
Romans 15:1We who are strong ought to bear with the shortcomings of the weak and not to please ourselves.
it leads to
- 1 Thessalonians 5:14
And we urge you, brothers, to admonish the unruly, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, and be patient with everyone.
- Romans 14:1
Accept him whose faith is weak, without passing judgment on his opinions.
- 1 Corinthians 9:22
To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all people so that by all possible means I might save some.
- Galatians 6:1–2
Brothers, if someone is caught in a trespass, you who are spiritual should restore him with a spirit of gentleness. But watch yourself, or you also may be tempted.
- 1 Thessalonians 5:14
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.
- Revelation 7:17
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies1
About Genesis
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); Keil and Delitzsch, Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.