Please 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.”
Parallel translations
- WEB Please let my lord pass over before his servant, and I will lead on gently, according to the pace of the livestock that are before me and according to the pace of the children, until I come to my lord to Seir.”
- KJV Let 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.
- NKJV Please let my lord go on ahead before his servant. I will lead on slowly at a pace which the livestock that go before me, and the children, are able to endure, until I come to my lord in Seir.”
- NASB Please let my lord pass on ahead of his servant, and I will proceed at my leisure, at the pace of the cattle that are ahead of me and at the pace of the children, until I come to my lord at Seir.”
- NLT Please, my lord, go ahead of your servant. We will follow slowly, at a pace that is comfortable for the livestock and the children. I will meet you at Seir.”
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 asks Esau to go ahead while he leads on gently at the pace of the children and flocks, promising to come to Seir. He proposes a courteous, considerate parting of ways.
Overview
Jacob requests to travel at a slower pace suited to his household, saying he will follow to Seir. Whether Jacob fully intended to go to Seir is debated, since he later settles elsewhere; some see prudent caution, others a polite excuse. Either way, his words reflect his desire to part on peaceful terms with his brother.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 11
- Isa 40:11He tends His flock like a shepherd; He gathers the lambs in His arms and carries them close to His heart. He gently leads the nursing ewes.
- Gen 32:3Jacob sent messengers ahead of him to his brother Esau in the land of Seir, the country of Edom.
- Rom 15:1We who are strong ought to bear with the shortcomings of the weak and not to please ourselves.
- Ezek 35:2–3“Son of man, set your face against Mount Seir and prophesy against it,
- Judg 5:4O LORD, when You went out from Seir, when You marched from the land of Edom, the earth trembled, the heavens poured out rain, and the clouds poured down water.
- Deut 2:1Then we turned back and headed for the wilderness by way of the Red Sea, as the LORD had instructed me, and for many days we wandered around Mount Seir.
- 2 Chr 20:10And now, here are the men of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir, whom You did not let Israel invade when they came out of the land of Egypt; but Israel turned away from them and did not destroy them.
- Mark 4:33With many such parables Jesus spoke the word to them, to the extent that they could understand.
- Ezek 25:8This is what the Lord GOD says: ‘Because Moab and Seir said, “Look, the house of Judah is like all the other nations,”
- 1 Cor 9:19–22Though I am free of obligation to anyone, I make myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible.
- 1 Cor 3:2I gave you milk, not solid food, for you were not yet ready for solid food. In fact, you are still not ready,
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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 33:14 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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