And he said, Let us take our journey, and let us go, and I will go before thee.
12. And he said ] Esau speaks. He assumes that Jacob will be glad to receive the protection of his armed men. Jacob declines, not wishing to incur the risk of friction arising from a collision between two large companies; and will not accept a kindness which might compromise his independence. It was wiser to separate, while they were still amicable. The natures remain the same; Esau’s thoughtless, Jacob’s calculating.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Or rather, beside thee, so as to keep thee company, or to keep pace with thee.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
12. And he said, Let us take ourjourneyEsau proposed to accompany Jacob and his family throughthe country, both as a mark of friendship and as an escort to guardthem. But the proposal was prudently declined. Jacob did not need anyworldly state or equipage. Notwithstanding the present cordiality,the brothers were so different in spirit, character, and habitstheone so much a man of the world, and the other a man of God, thatthere was great risk of something occurring to disturb the harmony.Jacob having alleged a very reasonable excuse for the tardiness ofhis movements, the brothers parted in peace.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
And he said, let us take our journey, and let us go,…. To Seir, where Esau lived, and whither he invited Jacob to stop a while, and refresh himself and his family:
and I will go before thee; to show him the way to his palace, and to protect him on the road from all dangers; or “besides thee” q, alongside of him, keeping equal pace with him, thereby showing great honour and respect, as well as in order to converse with him as they, travelled.
q “e regione tui”, Montanus, Fagius, Drusius; “a latere tuo”, Vatablus; “juxta te”, Cartwright.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
Lastly, Esau proposed to accompany Jacob on his journey. But Jacob politely declined not only his own company, but also the escort, which Esau afterwards offered him, of a portion of his attendants; the latter as being unnecessary, the former as likely to be injurious to his flocks. This did not spring from any feeling of distrust; and the ground assigned was no mere pretext. He needed no military guard, “for he knew that he was defended by the hosts of God;” and the reason given was a very good one: “ My lord knoweth that the children are tender, and the flocks and herds that are milking ( from , giving milk or suckling) are upon me ” ( ): i.e., because they are giving milk they are an object of especial anxiety to me; “ and if one should overdrive them a single day, all the sheep would die.” A caravan, with delicate children and cattle that required care, could not possibly keep pace with Esau and his horsemen, without taking harm. And Jacob could not expect his brother to accommodate himself to the rate at which he was travelling. For this reason he wished Esau to go on first; and he would drive gently behind, “ according to the foot of the cattle ( possessions = cattle), and according to the foot of the children, ” i.e., “according to the pace at which the cattle and the children could go” ( Luther). “ Till I come to my lord to Seir: ” these words are not to be understood as meaning that he intended to go direct to Seir; consequently they were not a wilful deception for the purpose of getting rid of Esau. Jacob’s destination was Canaan, and in Canaan probably Hebron, where his father Isaac still lived. From thence he may have thought of paying a visit to Esau in Seir. Whether he carried out this intention or not, we cannot tell; for we have not a record of all that Jacob did, but only of the principal events of his life. We afterwards find them both meeting together as friends at their father’s funeral (Gen 35:29). Again, the attitude of inferiority which Jacob assumed in his conversation with Esau, addressing him as lord, and speaking of himself as servant, was simply an act of courtesy suited to the circumstances, in which he paid to Esau the respect due to the head of a powerful band; since he could not conscientiously have maintained the attitude of a brother, when inwardly and spiritually, in spite of Esau’s friendly meeting, they were so completely separated the one from the other.
Fuente: Keil & Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament
Verses 12-15:
The language implies that Esau invited Jacob to accompany him to Mount Seir. He offered to escort Jacob and his household through the land with which he had become familiar. This would afford guidance to Jacob, but also it would give protection against any roving band of marauders who might look on Jacob’s caravan as a prize ripe for taking.
Jacob politely declined Esau’s offer of protection. He explained that his children were small and would be unable to keep pace with Esau’s band of warriors. Also, some of the animals were with young, and if they tried to keep pace with Esau and his men, many would die. Jacob would go on “softly,” or at a slow pace, as a pace which would be safe.
Esau offered to assign some of his soldiers to serve as an escort to Jacob’s caravan. Jacob wisely declined this offer, also. He was assured of Esau’s kindess, and that was sufficient for him. In fact, Jacob was depending upon the protection of Jehovah for his safety.
Fuente: Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary
12. Let us take our journey. Although Esau was inclined to benevolence, Jacob still distrusts him: not that he fears to be ensnared, or that he suspects perfidy to lie hidden under the garb of friendship; but that he cautiously avoids new occasions of offense: for a proud and ferocious man might easily be exasperated again by light causes. Now, though just reason for fear was not wanting to the holy man, yet I dare not deny that his anxiety was excessive. He suspected the liberality of Esau; but did he not know that a God was standing between them, who, as he was convinced by clear and undoubted experience, watched for his salvation? For, whence such an incredible change of mind in Esau, unless he had been divinely transformed from a wolf into a lamb? Let us then learn, from this example, to restrain our anxieties, lest when God has provided for us, we tremble, as in an affair of doubt.
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
‘And he said, “Let us take our journey, and let us go, and I will go before you.” ’
Esau is well meaning and offers his protection. He is unaware of his brother’s fears, although no doubt amused at his seeming subservience. But then, he thinks, that is Jacob. But his intentions are all good. They will go on together. He may well, however, have been secretly hoping that Jacob would not accept his offer. The laws of kinship demanded the offer. It was not necessarily intended to be accepted.
Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett
He who hath angels to convoy him, needs no other defense.
Fuente: Hawker’s Poor Man’s Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Gen 33:12 And he said, Let us take our journey, and let us go, and I will go before thee.
Ver. 12. Let us take our journey. ] The Hebrews note, that Esau speaks in few, Jacob more fully: because it is the guise of proud stately persons to speak briefly, and hardly to bring forth half their words. “The poor speaketh supplications,” saith Solomon; “but the rich answereth roughly”. Pro 18:23
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: Gen 33:12-14
12Then Esau said, “Let us take our journey and go, and I will go before you.” 13But he said to him, “My lord knows that the children are frail and that the flocks and herds which are nursing are a care to me. And if they are driven hard one day, all the flocks will die. 14Please let my lord pass on before his servant, and I will proceed at my leisure, according to the pace of the cattle that are before me and according to the pace of the children, until I come to my lord at Seir.”
Gen 33:13 One wonders if this was another way for Jacob to make Esau feel superior, as well as an excuse for not traveling with him back to Seir immediately. His children were not “weak” and the flocks had already traveled a long way. Is Jacob still a manipulative liar?
Fuente: You Can Understand the Bible: Study Guide Commentary Series by Bob Utley
Gen 33:12. Let us go, I will go before thee He offers himself to be Jacobs guide and companion, in token of a sincere reconciliation. We do not find that Jacob and Esau were ever before so loving with one another as they were now. God had made Esau, not only not an enemy, but a friend. He is become fond of Jacobs company, and invites him to go along with him to mount Seir. Let us never despair of any, nor distrust God, in whose hands all hearts are.