Genesis 33:19

“He bought the piece of the field where he had pitched his tent from the hand of the sons of Hamor, the father of Shechem, for a hundred qesitah.”
Genesis 33:19 · direct translation from the Hebrew

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With the Hebrew beneath

He boughtוַיִּקֶןthe pieceאֶת חֶלְקַתof the fieldהַשָּׂדֶהwhereאֲשֶׁר שָׁםhe had pitchedנָטָהhis tentאָהֳלוֹfrom the handמִיַּדof the sonsבְּנֵיof Hamor,חֲמוֹרthe fatherאֲבִיof Shechem,שְׁכֶםfor a hundredבְּמֵאָהqesitah.קְשִׂיטָה

Allusion · Acts 7:16

Go to Acts 7:16

Both texts speak of a purchase from the sons of Hamor in Shechem. Acts says that Abraham made it; Genesis 33:19 says that Jacob made it, and Genesis 23 tells that Abraham bought the cave of Machpelah from Ephron.

They share words that are rare in the original, without a quotation.

חֲמוֹרjamorH2544ἙμμὼρHemmōrG1697“Hamor”
שְׁכֶםshejemH7927ΣυχὲμSychemG4966“Shechem”
יִּקֶןyikenH7069ὠνήσατοōnēsatoG5608“acquire, buy”

Genesis 33:19, word by word

He boughtיִּקֶןyiken

buy

To give silver in order to become the owner of something.

Where else “yiken” appears

the pieceחֶלְקַתchelkat

plot

A plot of land belonging to someone.

Where else “chelkat” appears

of the fieldשָּׂדֶהsade

farmland

Land that is farmed.

Where else “sade” appears

he had pitchedנָטָהnata

stretch out

To reach out the hand, or set up a tent.

Where else “nata” appears

his tentאָהֳלahol

tent

A home of cloth or skins on poles, where herdsmen lived; also one's home.

Where else “ahol” appears

from the handיַּדyad

hand

The part of the body with which one takes, gives and works; also what one does.

Where else “yad” appears

of the sonsבְּנֵיbene

son

The male born of a father and mother; in the plural, also sons and daughters.

Where else “bene” appears

of Hamorחֲמוֹרchamor

Hamor

Hamor, the Hivite ruler of the city of Shechem and father of Shechem.

Where else “chamor” appears

the fatherאֲבִיavi

father

The man who begets a child and heads his household.

Where else “avi” appears

of Shechemשְׁכֶםshechem

Shechem

See it on the map Where else “shechem” appears

for a hundredמֵאָהmea

hundred

The amount of one hundred; with other numbers it forms two hundred, three hundred and the rest.

Where else “mea” appears

qesitahקְשִׂיטָהkesita

kesitah

Kesitah: a unit of value or weight whose equivalent is unknown.

Where else “kesita” appears

Translation note

The qesitah was a unit of value or of weight whose equivalent is unknown (also Joshua 24:32 and Job 42:11).

Places in this verse

Approximate location. A “?” means it is not known for sure where it was.

Shechem
Today: Tell Balata ruins, near Nablus, West Bank
A city in the hills of central Israel, between Mount Ebal and Mount Gerizim, about 30 miles (50 km) north of Jerusalem.
Abram came there when he entered Canaan, and God promised him the land (Gen 12:6-7). Joshua gathered all Israel there to renew the covenant (Josh 24:1).
Genesis 12:6 Genesis 34:2 Joshua 24:1 1 Kings 12:1

The context

18Jacob came safely to the city of Shechem, which is in the land of Canaan, when he came from Paddan-aram, and he camped in front of the city.

19 · This verse (above)

20He set up there an altar and called it “El, the Elohim of Israel.”

Read all of Genesis 33

To study Genesis 33 in a group

1. What it says
How did Esau receive Jacob when they met (v. 4)?
2. What it means
What does this meeting show compared with what Jacob had feared (vv. 4, 10)?
3. How I live it
With whom could you take a step toward reconciliation today?

How to use it