3
He himselfוְהוּאpassed onעָבַרahead of themלִפְנֵיהֶםand bowed downוַיִּשְׁתַּחוּto the groundאַרְצָהsevenשֶׁבַעtimes,פְּעָמִיםuntilעַדhe came nearגִּשְׁתּוֹtoעַדhis brother.אָחִיו
Genesis 33:3
Study it in the app“He himself passed on ahead of them and bowed down to the ground seven times, until he came near to his brother.”
Jacob bows before Esau, and Esau runs to embrace himConflict and Reconciliation
With the Hebrew beneath
Genesis 33:3, word by word
- passed onעָבַרavar
pass
To get over a river, or go through a land.
Where else “avar” appears- ahead of themפְנֵיfene
before
Literally "to the face of": in sight of someone, or on account of something.
Where else “fene” appears- and bowed downיִּשְׁתַּחוּyishtachu
bow down
To bow to the ground before someone in respect.
Where else “yishtachu” appears- to the groundאַרְצָartsa
ground
What is underfoot: bowing down to touch it.
Where else “artsa” appears- sevenשֶׁבַעsheva
seven
Seven, the number of fullness; also "seven times".
Where else “sheva” appears- timesפְּעָמִיםpeamim
time
Each of the occasions on which something happens or is repeated.
Where else “peamim” appears- he came nearגִּשְׁתּgisht
come near
To go until one is near someone or something.
Where else “gisht” appears- his brotherאָחִיachi
brother
A son of the same father or the same mother.
Where else “achi” appears
The context
2He put the slave women and their children first, Leah and her children after them, and Rachel and Joseph last.
3 · This verse (above)
4But Esau ran to meet him, embraced him, fell on his neck, and kissed him; and they wept.
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?