Genesis 32:18
16 He entrusted them to his servants in separate herds and told them, “Go on ahead of me, and keep some distance between the herds.”
17 He instructed the one in the lead, “When my brother Esau meets you and asks, ‘To whom do you belong, where are you going, and whose animals are these before you?’
then you are to say, ‘They belong to your servant Jacob. They are a gift, sent to my lord Esau. And behold, Jacob is behind us.’”
19 He also instructed the second, the third, and all those following behind the herds: “When you meet Esau, you are to say the same thing to him.
20 You are also to say, ‘Look, your servant Jacob is right behind us.’” For he thought, “I will appease Esau with the gift that is going before me. After that I can face him, and perhaps he will accept me.”
Here the Bible tells a story about someone else. Ask yourself what it can say to us today. Do read the surrounding verses too, because the context often says more than a single verse.
Compare
- BSB
- then you are to say, ‘They belong to your servant Jacob. They are a gift, sent to my lord Esau. And behold, Jacob is behind us.’”
- KJV
- Then thou shalt say, They be thy servant Jacob’s; it is a present sent unto my lord Esau: and, behold, also he is behind us.
- WEB
- Then you shall say, ‘They are your servant, Jacob’s. It is a present sent to my lord, Esau. Behold, he also is behind us.’”
- ASV
- then thou shalt say [They are] thy servant Jacob`s; it is a present sent unto my lord Esau: and, behold, he also is behind us.
- DARBY
- then thou shalt say, Thy servant Jacob's: it is a gift sent to my lord, to Esau. And behold, he also is behind us.
- BLB
- Then you shall say, ‘To your servant Jacob; it [is] a gift, sent to my lord, to Esau. And behold, he [is] also behind us.’”
- ÅB
- da skal du si: Din tjener Jakob; det er en gave han sender til min herre Esau, og snart kommer han selv etter.
- OTB
- skal du svare: ‘De tilhører din tjener Jakob. De er en gave sendt til min herre Esau, og han følger etter oss.’”
- B1930
- da skal du si: Din tjener Jakob; det er en gave han sender til min herre Esau, og snart kommer han selv efter.
Study notes (Tyndale)
Original text and word study
Cross references
Genesis 32:4–5
He instructed them, “You are to say to my master Esau, ‘Your servant Jacob says: I have been staying with Laban and have remained there until now.
Read in context