And Jacob sent messengers before him to Esau his brother unto 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.
- BSB Jacob sent messengers ahead of him to his brother Esau in 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 I gave unto Isaac Jacob and Esau: and I gave unto Esau mount Seir, to possess it; but Jacob and his children went down into Egypt.
- Gen 25:30And Esau said to Jacob, Feed me, I pray thee, with that same red pottage; for I am faint: therefore was his name called Edom.
- Deut 2:5Meddle not with them; for I will not give you of their land, no, not so much as a foot breadth; because I have given mount Seir unto Esau for a possession.
- Gen 14:6And the Horites in their mount Seir, unto Elparan, which is by the wilderness.
- Gen 33:14Let my lord, I pray thee, pass over before his servant: and I will lead on softly, according as the cattle that goeth before me and the children be able to endure, until I come unto my lord unto Seir.
- Luke 14:31–32Or what king, going to make war against another king, sitteth not down first, and consulteth whether he be able with ten thousand to meet him that cometh against him with twenty thousand?
- Gen 27:41–42And Esau hated Jacob because of the blessing wherewith his father blessed him: and Esau said in his heart, The days of mourning for my father are at hand; then will I slay my brother Jacob.
- Gen 33:16So Esau returned that day on his way unto Seir.
- Deut 2:22As he did to the children of Esau, which dwelt in Seir, when he destroyed the Horims from before them; and they succeeded them, and dwelt in their stead even unto this day:
- Gen 36:6–9And Esau took his wives, and his sons, and his daughters, and all the persons of his house, and his cattle, and all his beasts, and all his substance, which he had got in the land of Canaan; and went into the country from the face of his brother Jacob.
- Luke 9:52And sent messengers before his face: and they went, and entered into a village of the Samaritans, to make ready for him.
- Mal 3:1Behold, I will send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me: and the LORD, whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to his temple, even the messenger of the covenant, whom ye delight in: behold, he shall come, saith the LORD of hosts.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
Resources, by level
Commentaries & study tools
Free animated overview and word-study videos for this book.
Sermons and teaching on this passage from across YouTube.
Clear, readable, conservative exposition — the best free place to start on any passage.
Matthew Henry, Barnes, Gill, the Pulpit Commentary, Ellicott, Cambridge, and more — stacked on one page for this exact verse.
The beloved Puritan exposition of this whole book — warm, devotional, and verse by verse (free, CCEL).
Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.
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
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.