3
Then Jacobוַ יַעֲקֹבsentיִּשְׁלַחmessengersמַלְאָכִיםahead of himלְפָנָיוto Esauאֶל עֵשָׂוhis brother,אָחִיוto the landאַרְצָהof Seir,שֵׂעִירthe countryשְׂדֵהof Edom.אֱדוֹם
Genesis 32:3
Study it in the app“Then Jacob sent messengers ahead of him to Esau his brother, to the land of Seir, the country of Edom.”
With the Hebrew beneath
Genesis 32:3, word by word
- Then Jacobיַעֲקֹבyaakov
Jacob
Jacob, the younger son of Isaac and Rebekah, twin brother of Esau and father of the twelve tribes. In Hebrew "Yaakov" sounds like "heel" and "supplant" (Genesis 25:26; 27:36). God later gave him the name Israel; the name also stands for his descendants, the people of Israel.
Where else “yaakov” appears- sentיִּשְׁלַחyishlach
send
To send someone or something.
Where else “yishlach” appears- messengersמַלְאָכִיםmalachim
messenger
Someone sent on an errand.
Where else “malachim” appears- ahead of himפָנָיfanay
before
Literally "to the face of": in sight of someone, or on account of something.
Where else “fanay” appears- to Esauעֵשָׂוesav
Esau
Esau, the elder son of Isaac and Rebekah, twin brother of Jacob; also called Edom, father of the Edomites. The name also stands for his descendants.
Where else “esav” appears- his brotherאָחִיachi
brother
A son of the same father or the same mother.
Where else “achi” appears- to the landאַרְצָartsa
land
A region or nation, above all Israel's.
Where else “artsa” appears- of Seirשֵׂעִירseir
Seir
Seir, the hill country south of the Dead Sea, later the land of Edom; also its first inhabitants, and a mountain in Judah.
Where else “seir” appears- the countryשְׂדֵהsede
field
The open country: "the beasts of the field".
Where else “sede” appears- of Edomאֱדוֹםedom
Edom
See it on the mapWhere else “edom” appears
Translation note
“Messengers” is the same Hebrew word as “angels” in 32:1.
Places in this verse
Edom
Today: southern Jordan and the southern Negev
A mountain region south of the Dead Sea, in what is now southwest Jordan.
The Edomites came from Esau, Jacob's brother (Gen 36:1). Edom would not let Israel pass through its land (Num 20:14-21).
The context
2Jacob said when he saw them, “This is the camp of Elohim!” So he called the name of that place Mahanaim.
3 · This verse (above)
4He commanded them, saying, “Thus you shall say to my lord Esau: ‘Thus says your servant Jacob: With Laban I have resided as an alien and stayed until now.
To study Genesis 32 in a group
1. What it says
What did Jacob do before meeting Esau, and what happened to him at the Jabbok (vv. 7-24)?
2. What it means
What is the meaning of Jacob receiving the name Israel (v. 28)?
3. How I live it
What fear can you bring honestly to Elohim in prayer today?