Genesis 33:15
in Genesis 33“Let me leave some of my people with you,” Esau said. But Jacob replied, “Why do that? Let me find favor in the sight of my lord.”
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And Esau said, Let me now leave with thee some of the folk that are with me. And he said, What needeth it? let me find favor in the sight of my lord.
KJV
And Esau said, Let me now leave with thee some of the folk that are with me. And he said, What needeth it? let me find grace in the sight of my lord.
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This verse in Genesis 33
Commentary
4 notes on this verseHe is under the Divine protection. Those are sufficiently guarded that have God for their guard, and are under a convoy of his hosts, as Jacob was. Jacob adds, only let me find grace in the sight of my Lord - Having thy favour I have all I need, all I desire from thee.
This site's exposition
Let me leave some of my people with you
on Genesis 33:15-16
Esau offers an escort out of his own four hundred, and Jacob wants none of them. Wesley reads the refusal as the answer of a man who already has a guard, the two camps of angels he met at Genesis 32:1 and 2. Esau starts back to Seir that same day. The brothers stand together once more in the book, at their father's grave in Genesis 35:29.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
And Esau said, let me now leave with thee some of the folk that are with me,.... To show him the way, and guard him on the road, and he appear the more honourable when he entered into Seir: and he said, what needeth it?
(1.) Jacob is humble, and needs it not for state; he desires not to make a fair show in the flesh, by encumbering himself with a needless retinue. Note, It is the vanity of pomp and grandeur that they are attended with a great deal of which it may be said, What needeth it?
How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
On the verses either side of this one
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.
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
16 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 |
| עֵשָׂ֔ו | ʾesav | Esau | H6215 → | 97 times |
| אַצִּֽיגָה־ | ʾatzigah- | let me place | H3322 → | 16 times |
| נָּ֣א | na' | please | H4994 → | 404 times |
| עִמְּךָ֔ | ʾimekha | with you | H5973 → | 1050 times |
| מִן־ | min- | some of | H4480 → | 1188 times |
| הָעָ֖ם | haam | the people | H5971 → | 1873 times |
| אֲשֶׁ֣ר | ʾasher | which | H834 → | 5497 times |
| אִתִּ֑י | ʾiti | [is] with me | H854 → | 929 times |
| וַיֹּ֙אמֶר֙ | vaiyomer | and he said | H559 → | 5305 times |
| לָ֣מָּה | lamah | <to> why? | H4100 → | 752 times |
| זֶּ֔ה | zeh | this | H2088 → | 1180 times |
| אֶמְצָא־ | ʾemtza'- | let me find | H4672 → | 455 times |
| חֵ֖ן | chen | favor | H2580 → | 69 times |
| בְּעֵינֵ֥י | beeinei | in [the] eyes of | H5869 → | 887 times |
| אֲדֹנִֽי׃ | ʾadoni | lord my | H113 → | 333 times |
וַיֹּ֣אמֶרand he said
vaiyomerH559 →5305 times
עֵשָׂ֔וEsau
ʾesavH6215 →97 times
אַצִּֽיגָה־let me place
ʾatzigah-H3322 →16 times
נָּ֣אplease
na'H4994 →404 times
עִמְּךָ֔with you
ʾimekhaH5973 →1050 times
מִן־some of
min-H4480 →1188 times
הָעָ֖םthe people
haamH5971 →1873 times
אֲשֶׁ֣רwhich
ʾasherH834 →5497 times
אִתִּ֑י[is] with me
ʾitiH854 →929 times
וַיֹּ֙אמֶר֙and he said
vaiyomerH559 →5305 times
לָ֣מָּה<to> why?
lamahH4100 →752 times
זֶּ֔הthis
zehH2088 →1180 times
אֶמְצָא־let me find
ʾemtza'-H4672 →455 times
חֵ֖ןfavor
chenH2580 →69 times
בְּעֵינֵ֥יin [the] eyes of
beeineiH5869 →887 times
אֲדֹנִֽי׃lord my
ʾadoniH113 →333 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
Ruth 2:13“My lord,” she said, “may I continue to find favor in your eyes, for you have comforted and spoken kindly to your maidservant, though I am not like one of your servant girls.”
it leads to
- 1 Samuel 1:18
“May your maidservant find favor with you,” said Hannah. Then she went on her way, and she began eating again, and her face was no longer downcast.
- Philippians 2:3
Do nothing out of selfish ambition or empty pride, but in humility consider others more important than yourselves.
- Genesis 34:3
And his soul was drawn to Dinah, the daughter of Jacob. He loved the young girl and spoke to her tenderly.
- Genesis 33:8
“What do you mean by sending this whole company to meet me?” asked Esau. “To find favor in your sight, my lord,” Jacob answered.
- Genesis 33:10
But 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…
- 1 Samuel 1:18
Through
2 Samuel 16:4So the king said to Ziba, “All that belongs to Mephibosheth is now yours!” “I humbly bow before you,” said Ziba. “May I find favor in your eyes, my lord the king!”
it leads to
- Proverbs 18:13
He who answers a matter before he hears it—this is folly and disgrace to him.
- Proverbs 18:17
The first to state his case seems right until another comes and cross-examines him.
- Proverbs 18:13
Through
1 Samuel 25:8Ask your young men, and they will tell you. So let my young men find favor with you, for we have come on the day of a feast. Please give whatever you can afford…
it leads to
- Esther 9:19
This is why the rural Jews, who live in the villages, observe the fourteenth day of the month of Adar as a day of joy and feasting. It is a holiday for sending gifts…
- Esther 9:19
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies1
About Genesis
Who and where
2 names in this verse with a page on the site.
This page draws on 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.