4
But Esauוַ עֵשָׂוranיָּרָץto meet him,לִקְרָאתוֹembraced him,וַיְחַבְּקֵהוּfellוַיִּפֹּלon his neck,עַל צַוָּארָוand kissed him;וַׄיִּׄשָּׁׄקֵׄהׄוּׄand they wept.וַיִּבְכּוּ
Genesis 33:4
Study it in the app“But Esau ran to meet him, embraced him, fell on his neck, and kissed him; and they wept.”
Jacob bows before Esau, and Esau runs to embrace himConflict and Reconciliation
With the Hebrew beneath
Genesis 33:4, word by word
- But 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- ranיָּרָץyarats
run
To move quickly on foot, at a run.
Where else “yarats” appears- to meet himקְרָאתkerat
meet
To go out to greet someone who arrives, in order to receive him.
Where else “kerat” appears- embraced himיְחַבְּקֵyechabke
embrace
Embrace.
Where else “yechabke” appears- fellיִּפֹּלyipol
fall prostrate
To fall facedown, or embrace someone.
Where else “yipol” appears- on his neckצַוָּארָtsavara
neck
The neck.
Where else “tsavara” appears- and kissed himיִּׄשָּׁׄקֵׄyishake
kiss
To kiss someone on the mouth or cheek, to greet, to say farewell or to show affection.
Where else “yishake” appears- and they weptיִּבְכּוּyivku
weep
Weep, cry; mourn for someone.
Where else “yivku” appears
The context
3He himself passed on ahead of them and bowed down to the ground seven times, until he came near to his brother.
4 · This verse (above)
5He lifted his eyes and saw the women and the children, and said, “Who are these with you?” He said, “The children with whom Elohim has favored your servant.”
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?