Jacob sent messengers ahead of him to his brother Esau in the land of Seir, the country of Edom.
Parallel translations
- WEB Jacob sent messengers in front of him to Esau, his brother, to the land of Seir, the field of Edom.
- KJV And Jacob sent messengers before him to Esau his brother unto the land of Seir, the country of Edom.
- NKJV Then Jacob sent messengers before him to Esau his brother in the land of Seir, the country of Edom.
- NASB Then Jacob sent messengers ahead of himself to his brother Esau in the land of Seir, the country of Edom.
- NLT Then Jacob sent messengers ahead to his brother, Esau, who was living in the region of Seir in the land of Edom.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
Jacob sends messengers ahead to Esau in Edom to prepare for their meeting. He takes initiative to seek reconciliation with the brother he wronged.
Overview
Knowing he must face Esau, from whom he had stolen the blessing, Jacob acts wisely and humbly to make peace. He sends envoys to Seir, the land Esau now inhabits, signaling his desire for goodwill. Jacob's effort at reconciliation reflects the peacemaking that Scripture commends to those at odds.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 12
- Josh 24:4and to Isaac I gave Jacob and Esau. I gave Esau Mount Seir to possess, but Jacob and his sons went down to Egypt.
- Gen 25:30He said to Jacob, “Let me eat some of that red stew, for I am famished.” (That is why he was also called Edom.)
- Deut 2:5Do not provoke them, for I will not give you any of their land, not even a footprint, because I have given Mount Seir to Esau as his possession.
- Gen 14:6and the Horites in the area of Mount Seir, as far as El-paran, which is near the desert.
- Gen 33:14Please let my lord go ahead of his servant. I will continue on slowly, at a comfortable pace for the livestock and children, until I come to my lord at Seir.”
- Luke 14:31–32Or what king on his way to war with another king will not first sit down and consider whether he can engage with ten thousand men the one coming against him with twenty thousand?
- Gen 27:41–42Esau held a grudge against Jacob because of the blessing his father had given him. And Esau said in his heart, “The days of mourning for my father are at hand; then I will kill my brother Jacob.”
- Gen 33:16So that day Esau started on his way back to Seir,
- Deut 2:22just as He had done for the descendants of Esau who lived in Seir, when He destroyed the Horites from before them. They drove them out and have lived in their place to this day.
- Gen 36:6–9Later, Esau took his wives and sons and daughters and all the people of his household, along with his livestock, all his other animals, and all the property he had acquired in Canaan, and he moved to a land far away from his brother Jacob.
- Luke 9:52He sent messengers on ahead, who went into a village of the Samaritans to make arrangements for Him.
- Mal 3:1“Behold, I will send My messenger, who will prepare the way before Me. Then the Lord whom you seek will suddenly come to His temple—the Messenger of the covenant, in whom you delight—see, He is coming,” says the LORD of Hosts.
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Christ at the center
From the first promise that the seed of the woman would crush the serpent (3:15), through Abraham's blessing to all nations and Judah's coming ruler, Genesis sows every seed that flowers in Christ — the true offspring, the better Adam, the ram caught for Isaac.
How Genesis 32:3 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
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