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Genesis 33 Bible study: Esau ran to meet him
Jacob bowed seven times, and Esau ran, embraced him and wept. Jacob told his brother the children were God's gracious gift, and pressed on him a gift he called, in Hebrew, "my blessing", the very word Esau had used for what Jacob took from him. He settled at Shechem, bought land and built an altar called El Elohe Israel, literally "God, God of Israel".
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“Esau ran to meet him, embraced him, fell on his neck, kissed him, and they wept.”
Try it · Did you catch it?
“Jacob's ‘gift’ to Esau is the Hebrew word for ‘blessing.’”
Is that in Genesis 33, or not? Make your call.
What's really going on
Seven bows
Esau comes with four hundred men (33:1). Jacob sets his family in order, servants first and Rachel and Joseph last (33:1-2), then goes ahead of them all and "bowed himself to the ground seven times, until he came near to his brother" (33:3).
Where it leads to Jesus
Jacob's parcel of ground
Genesis 33:19leads toJohn 4:5-6
Jacob buys "the parcel of ground where he had spread his tent" at Shechem (33:19), and Joseph is later buried "in the parcel of ground which Jacob bought from the sons of Hamor" (Joshua 24:32). John says Jesus came "near the parcel of ground that Jacob gave to his son Joseph" and "sat down by the well" there (John 4:5-6), and there he told a woman of Samaria, "whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never thirst again" (John 4:14).
Honest questions
Questions people ask about Genesis 33
That was a taste
The rest of Genesis 33 is waiting in Favor
- Esau ran
- "Please take the gift"
- To Succoth and Shechem
- Ran, fell on his neck, and kissed him
- The parcel of ground at Shechem
- 10 questions as you read
- 5 more Hebrew words
- A short check at the end
- Your notes, saved as you go
Favor reads the Bible in order, so you'll reach Genesis 33 with everything before it in view. First week free, then $10 a month per person.
The Hebrew word behind it
חָנַןchanansay kha-NAN
"Shew favour, be gracious" (Brown-Driver-Briggs); Strong's says "properly, to bend or stoop in kindness to an inferior". The verb first appears in the Bible in Jacob's answer, "The children whom God has graciously given your servant" (33:5), and he uses it again, "God has dealt graciously with me" (33:11). (The related noun chen, "favor", is older: "Noah found favor in the LORD’s eyes", 6:8, and Jacob uses it here, "to find favor in the sight of my lord", 33:8.) Joseph later blesses Benjamin with the verb, "God be gracious to you, my son" (43:29), and the priestly blessing says, "The LORD make his face to shine on you, and be gracious to you" (Numbers 6:25).
For your group
Genesis 33 Bible study questions
- 1Jacob came bowing and afraid; Esau came running and weeping. What do you make of how the meeting went, compared to what Jacob feared?
- 2Both brothers say, "I have enough." What would it take for you to say that and mean it?
- 3Jacob said seeing Esau's face was like seeing the face of God. What might he have meant, after Peniel?
Leading a group? In Favor, everyone reads Genesis 33 during the week and answers these questions privately. Answers stay sealed until you meet, then appear together, and you can print the week's sheet.
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Questions
What is Favor?
Favor is a Bible study app that explains every chapter as you read: the Hebrew and Greek behind the words, the details most readers miss, and how each part of the Bible leads to Jesus. Read on your own, or start a Bible study with friends, family or your church.
How much does it cost?
Your first week is free. After that it's $10 a month per person, the same for everyone, including groups and churches. There are no tiers and nothing extra to unlock.
Can I read Genesis 33 straight away?
Favor takes the Bible as one story, in order, so you'll reach Genesis 33 with everything that leads up to it in view. Start from Genesis, or meet Jesus first in the Gospels. You can read the text of any chapter in Favor's Look up whenever you like.
Do I need a group?
No. Many people read on their own. If you'd like to read with others, start a Bible study and share one link. Everyone's answers stay private until you meet.
I've never really read the Bible. Is this for me?
Yes. Favor starts where you are and explains as it goes. The questions along the way aren't marked right or wrong: you answer, then see what the text shows.
Which Bible does Favor use?
The World English Bible, a modern, readable translation in the public domain. God's name appears as "the LORD", as in most English Bibles.
Is Favor tied to a church?
No. Favor is non-denominational. Where Christians read a passage differently, it shows the main views side by side and doesn't pick one.
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Scripture quotations are from the World English Bible, which is in the public domain. Hebrew and Greek words are checked against the original-language texts and public-domain lexicons. What we believe · Favor home