Genesis 32:3
And he sent messengers before him to Esau his brother to the land of Seir to the country of Edom:
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- Vulgate (Clementine)
- Misit autem et nuntios ante se ad Esau fratrem suum in terram Seir, in regionem Edom :
- Septuagint (Swete)
- Ἀπέστειλεν δὲ Ἰακὼβ ἀγγέλους πρὸς Ἠσαὺ τὸν ἀδελφὸν αὐτοῦ εἰς γῆν Σηεὶρ εἰς χώραν Ἐδώμ,
- Hebrew (WLC) shown from Genesis 32:4
- וַיִּשְׁלַ֨ח יַעֲקֹ֤ב מַלְאָכִים֙ לְפָנָ֔יו אֶל עֵשָׂ֖ו אָחִ֑יו אַ֥רְצָה שֵׂעִ֖יר שְׂדֵ֥ה אֱדֽוֹם
Haydock's commentary
Edom; comprising the countries east, west, and south of the Dead sea. (Calmet)
Providentially, Esau had now left his father's house open to his brother; who, on this occasion, addresses him with the utmost civility, and speaks of the riches which he had obtained; in order that Esau might neither be ashamed of him, nor suspect that he would impoverish his father. (Menochius)
From Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary, 1859, in the transcription made by Todd Easton and kept online by John Paul Wohlschied at johnblood.gitlab.io/haydock.
The Fathers on this verse
St Ambrose On the Duties of the Clergy, Chapter XXI. We must guard against anger, before it arises; if it has already arisen we must check and calm it, and if we cannot do this either, at least we should keep our tongue from abuse, so that our passions may be like boys' quarrels. He relates what Archites said, and shows that David led the way in this matter, both in his actions and in his writings
91. Jacob dutifully gave way to his brother when angry, and to Rebecca; that is to say, taught by counsels of patience, he preferred to go away and live in foreign lands, rather than to arouse his brother’s anger; and then to return only when he thought his brother was appeased. Thus it was that he found such great grace with God. With what offers of willing service, with what gifts, did he reconcile his brother to himself again, so that he should not remember the blessing which had been taken away from him, but should only remember the reparation now offered?