Then the servants came near with their children, and they bowed themselves.
Parallel translations
- KJV Then the handmaidens came near, they and their children, and they bowed themselves.
- BSB Then the maidservants and their children approached and bowed down.
- NKJV Then the maidservants came near, they and their children, and bowed down.
- NASB Then the slave women came forward with their children, and they bowed down.
- NLT Then the servant wives came forward with their children and bowed before him.
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
The servants and their children come forward and bow before Esau. They show respect as part of Jacob's humble approach.
Overview
In keeping with Jacob's arrangement, the servant wives and their children pay homage to Esau. The orderly procession reinforces the message of submission and goodwill. The scene continues the peaceful reconciliation unfolding between the two brothers.
Cross-references & the web
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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 33:6 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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