Genesis 32:4

He commanded them, saying, “This is what you shall tell my lord, Esau: ‘This is what your servant, Jacob, says. I have lived as a foreigner with Laban, and stayed until now.

World English Bible
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Other translations

WEBBE

He commanded them, saying, “This is what you shall tell my lord, Esau: ‘This is what your servant, Jacob, says. I have lived as a foreigner with Laban, and stayed until now.

BSB

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.

KJV

And he commanded them, saying, Thus shall ye speak unto my lord Esau; Thy servant Jacob saith thus, I have sojourned with Laban, and stayed there until now:

ASV

And he commanded them, saying, Thus shall ye say unto my lord Esau: Thus saith thy servant Jacob, I have sojourned with Laban, and stayed until now:

BBE

And he gave them orders to say these words to Esau: Your servant Jacob says, Till now I have been living with Laban:

Original Hebrew

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וַיְצַו vay·tzav and he commanded H6680 אֹתָם 'o·tam (marks the object) them H853 לֵאמֹר le·mor (to) saying H559 כֹּה koh thus H3541 תֹאמְרוּן tom·run you will say H559 לַאדֹנִי la·do·ni to lord my H113 לְעֵשָׂו le·'e·sav to Esau H6215 כֹּה koh thus H3541 אָמַר 'a·mar he says H559 עַבְדְּךָ 'av·de·kha servant your H5650 יַעֲקֹב ya·'a·ko Jacob H3290 עִם־ 'im- with H5973 לָבָן la·van Laban H3837 גַּרְתִּי gar·ti I have sojourned H1481 וָאֵחַר va·'e·char and I have delayed H309 עַד־ 'ad- until H5704 עָתָּה 'a·tah now H6258

Commentary

Matthew Henry · Verses 1–8

The angels of God appeared to Jacob, to encourage him with the assurance of the Divine protection. When God designs his people for great trials, he prepares them by great comforts. While Jacob, to whom the promise belonged, had been in hard service, Esau was become a prince. Jacob sent a message, showing that he did not insist upon the birth-right. Yielding pacifies great offences, Ec 10:4. We must not refuse to speak respectfully, even to those unjustly angry with us. Jacob received an account of Esau's warlike preparations against him, and was greatly afraid. A lively sense of danger, and quickening fear arising from it, may be found united with humble confidence in God's power and promise.

Read Matthew Henry on Genesis 32 →

Cross-references

21

People & places

IsraelEsauLaban

Cross-references: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge. Hebrew and Greek data from STEPBible.org (Tyndale House, Cambridge), CC BY 4.0. Library: sources.