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The Pulpit Commentary
The Pulpit Commentary on Genesis 33:5
And he (i.e. Esau) lifted up his eyes,—corresponding to the act of Jacob (Genesis 33:1), and expressive of surprise—and saw the women and the children; and said, Who art those with thee? (literally, to thee, i.e. whom t…
The Pulpit Commentary on Genesis 33:8
And he said, What meanest thou by all this drove—literally, What to thee all this camp (Mahaneh)—which I met?—i.e. yesterday, referring to the droves which had been sent on by Jacob as a present to my lord Esau (Genesis…
The Pulpit Commentary on Genesis 33:9
And Esau said, I have enough (literally, Here is to me abundance), my brother (it is impossible not to admire the generous and affectionate disposition of Esau); keep that thou hast unto thyself (literally, let be to th…
The Pulpit Commentary on Genesis 33:12
Worldly companionship. "And he said, Let us take our journey, and let us go, and I will go before thee." The offer probably made with kindly intention. No sign of bitterness in Esau's feelings; but ignorance of the nece…
The Pulpit Commentary on Genesis 33:12
And he (i.e. Esau) said (in further token of his amity), Let us take our journey, and let us go,—but whether he intended to accompany Jacob on his way (Keil, Kalisch, et alii) or invited Jacob to go with him to Mount Se…
The Pulpit Commentary on Genesis 33:13
And he said unto him, My lord knoweth that the children are tender (Joseph at this time being little over six years of age), and the flocks and herds with young (literally, giving milk; עַלוֹת, from עוּל, to give suck)…
The Pulpit Commentary on Genesis 33:14
Let my lord, I pray thee,—it is perhaps too much to explain Jacob's obsequious and deferential address to his brother (my lord) as the sign of a guilty conscience (Kalisch, Alford), when possibly politeness and humility…
The Pulpit Commentary on Genesis 33:15
And Esau said, Let me now leave (literally, set, or place) with thee (as an escort or guard) some of the folk—i.e. armed followers (vide Genesis 33:1)—that are with me. But of even this proposal Jacob appears to have be…
The Pulpit Commentary on Genesis 33:18
And Jacob (leaving Succoth) came to Shalem—the word שָׁלֵם, rendered by some expositors as here (LXX; Vulgate, Syriac, Luther, Calvin, Poole, Wordsworth), is better taken as an adverb signifying in peace or in safety (O…
The Pulpit Commentary on Genesis 33:19
And he bought a parcel of a field,—literally, the portion (from a root signifying to divide) of the field—where he had spread his tent,—and in which he afterwards sank a well (cf. John 4:6)—at the hand of the children o…
The Pulpit Commentary on Genesis 33:20
And he erected there an altar,—as Abram his ancestor had done (Genesis 12:7)—and called it—not invoked upon it, invocavit super illud (Vulgate), ἐτεκαλήσατο (LXX.), but named it (Dathe, Rosenmüller, Keil, &c.)—El-eloh…
The Pulpit Commentary on Genesis 35:1
And God—Elohim. The employment of this name for the Deity throughout the present chapter has been deemed conclusive evidence that, with Rome Jehovistic alterations, it belongs to the fundamental document (Tuch, Bleek, D…
The Pulpit Commentary on Genesis 35:1-15
EXPOSITION
The Pulpit Commentary on Genesis 35:1-15
Bethel revisited. I. JACOB'S JOURNEY TO BETHEL. 1. The occasion of the journey. The crime of his sons had made it necessary that Jacob should leave Shechem and its neighborhood; but it is doubtful if in the circumstance…
The Pulpit Commentary on Genesis 35:1-15
God with us. Jacob's settlement with his family at Bethel. This was a solemn renewal of the covenant to the patriarch at the end of his pilgrimage. It was the occasion for a new dedication of himself and his household b…
The Pulpit Commentary on Genesis 35:2
Jacob's preparation for acceptable worship. "Put away the strange gods that are among you, and be ye clean, and change your garments: and let us arise, and go up to Bethel." "When thou vowest a vow, defer not to pay it,…
The Pulpit Commentary on Genesis 35:4
And they gave mate Jacob all the strange gods—Rosenmüller thinks these must have been many, since the historian would not otherwise have used the term כֹּל—which were in their hand (i.e. which they possessed), and all t…
The Pulpit Commentary on Genesis 35:5
And they journeyed (from Shechem, after the work of reformation just described): and the terror of God—meaning not simply a great terror, as in Genesis 23:6; Genesis 30:8 (Dathe, Bush), but either a supernatural dread i…
The Pulpit Commentary on Genesis 35:6
So (literally, and) Jacob came to Luz (vide Genesis 28:19), which is in the land of Canaan (this clause is added to draw attention to the fact that Jacob had now accomplished his return to Canaan), that is, Bethel, he a…
The Pulpit Commentary on Genesis 35:7
And he built there an altar,—thus redeeming his vow (cf. Ecclesiastes 5:4)—and called the place El-beth-el:—i.e. God of Bethel. Not he called the place of God, or the place sacred to God, Bethel, nor he called the altar…
The Pulpit Commentary on Genesis 35:8
But Deborah—Bee (Gesenius, Furst) Rebekah's nurse (vide Genesis 24:59) died—at a very advanced age, having left Padan-aram for Canaan along with Rebekah, upwards of 150 years ago. That she is now found in Jacob's househ…
The Pulpit Commentary on Genesis 35:13
And God went up from him—showing this to have been a visible manifestation (cf. Genesis 17:22)—in the place where he talked with him.
The Pulpit Commentary on Genesis 35:14
And Jacob set up a pillar—the former pillar (Genesis 28:18) having probably fallen down and disappeared—in the place where he (God) talked with him (to commemorate the interview), even a pillar of stone. The setting up…
The Pulpit Commentary on Genesis 35:15
And Jacob called the name of the place where God spake with him, Bethel. This name was first given after the dream vision of the ladder (Genesis 28:19); already on this occasion it had been changed into El-beth-el (Gene…