A Help for the Understanding of the Holy Scriptures, Genesis · Chapter 33
CHAP. XXXIII.
Verſ. 3. ANd he paſſed over before them.]
This proceeded not onelyonly from his fatherlike affection, but alſo from his faith, expoſing himſelf to danger rather then his children, in whom he expected the promiſes ſhould be accompliſhed.
And bowed himſelf to the ground ſeven times.]
That is, many times: 1. Sam▪ … 5▪ ſo that the barren hath born ſeven, &c.
Verſ. 8. What meanest thou by all this drove which I met?]
The ſervants had told Eſau the reaſon of this before; but yet he asks now the reaſon of Jacob, that he may take an occaſion courteouſly to refuſe them.
Verſ. 10. For therefore I have ſeen thy face, &c.]
That is, for becauſe I have ſeen thy face; and a like ſpeech we have Gen. 18. 5. For therefore are you come to your ſervant, &c. for as there Lot gives that as a reaſon why he deſired them to eat ſomething, to wit, becauſe they were come to him, & being there he would not have them go away till they refreſhed themſelves; ſo here Jacob gives this as a reaſon why he deſired that Eſau would accept his preſents, to wit, becauſe he had ſeen his face as the face of God, &c. implying that ſince Eſau had been ſo kind and loving to him, it was fit he ſhould ſhevv his thankfulneſſe in thoſe preſents he had ſent. As for that expreſſion vvhichwhich Jacob here uſeth, I have ſeen thy face as though I had ſeen the face of God, either it is ſpoken hyperbolically, to expreſſe hovv vvonderfully comfortable that kind meeting of Eſau had been to him; or elſe in this phraſe he acknovvledgeth that this reconciliation of his brother vvas Gods vvork, and ſo ſaies, that the light of Gods countenance vvas evident in the cheerfull countenance of his brother.
Verſ. 11. Take I pray thee my bleſſing.]
That is, the gift vvhichwhich by the bleſſing of God I am enabled to give, and do give vvith a vvilling heart: 1. Sam. 25. 27. And now this bleſſing which thy handmaid hath brought unto my Lord, let it even be given unto the young men, &c.
Verſ. 17. And Jacob journyed to Succoth, and built him an houſe, &c.]
To vvit, after he had according to his promiſe, verſ. 14. viſited his brother in Seir, and ſtayed there avvhile. Some conceive that hovvever he intended at firſt to have follovved his brother to Seir, yet aftervvards through fear of the vvorſt, or by ſpeciall direction from God, he changed his mind, and vvent another vvay, and ſo came to Succoth: But indeed it is no vvay probable that being nevvly reconciled to his brother, he vvould again provoke him anevv to diſpleaſure, by ſuch a manifeſt contempt and diſregard of him, and by ſuch a palpable breach of his promiſe to him, but that he did indeed go to Seir, as he had told Eſau he vvould. Beſides, though by his building a houſe and making booths in this place (which vvas thence aftervvard called Succoth▪ that is, Booths) it is clear that Jacob reſolved to dvvell there; yet queſtionleſſe, hovvever he might leave his carriages there, he vvent preſently to his fathers houſe (and perhaps his brother Eſau vvith him) and then aftervvard returned to Succoth again. There is indeed no mention made of his coming to his father till chap. 35. 27. And Jacob came unto Mamre unto his father, &c. But the ſtory of the ſlaughter of the Shechemites, related in the 34. chap. vvas ſo long after Jacobs coming into the Land of Canaan, to vvit, vvhen his ſonnes vvere grovvn luſty and ſtrong men, vvho vvere very young at their coming into Canaan, that it cannot be thought that Jacob in all that time vvent not home to his fathers houſe.
Verſ. 19. And he bought a parcell of a field, &c.]
This vvas that portion of land vvhichwhich Jacob vvhen he lay upon his deathbed in Egypt gave unto his ſonne Joſeph, Gen. 48. 22. Moreover I have given thee one portion above thy brethren: for that was near unto Shechem, Joſh. 24. 32. And the bones of Joſeph, which the children of Iſrael brought up out of Egypt, buried they in Shechem, in a parcel of ground which Jacob bought of the ſonnes of Hamor the father of Shechem, &c. and conſequently it was here that Chriſt had a conference with the woman of Samaria, and converted her and her neighbours: for Shechem it is that is there called Sychar, a city of Samaria, John 4. 5.