Genesis 33:8
And Esau said: What are the droves that I met? He answered: That I might find favour before my lord.
Open Genesis 33:8 in the Motif Searcher, word by word across all five texts →Show on the spiral →The verse in its languages
- Vulgate (Clementine)
- Dixitque Esau : Quænam sunt istæ turmæ quas obviam habui ? Respondit : Ut invenirem gratiam coram domino meo.
- Septuagint (Swete)
- ⸂⸆⸃ καὶ εἶπεν Τί ταῦτά σοί ἐστιν, πᾶσαι αἱ παρεμβολαὶ αὗται αἷς ἀπήντηκα; ὁ δὲ εἶπεν Ἵνα εὕρῃ ὁ παῖς σου χάριν ἐν ὀφθαλμοῖς σου, κύριε.
- Hebrew (WLC)
- וַיֹּ֕אמֶר מִ֥י לְךָ֛ כָּל הַמַּחֲנֶ֥ה הַזֶּ֖ה אֲשֶׁ֣ר פָּגָ֑שְׁתִּי וַיֹּ֕אמֶר לִמְצֹא חֵ֖ן בְּעֵינֵ֥י אֲדֹנִֽי
Haydock's commentary
Favour. Esau had already heard from the servants. But he asks again, meaning to excuse himself from receiving them. (Haydock)
This civil and unexpected behaviour, filled the breast of Jacob with such gratitude and love, that he made use of an hyperbole, I have seen, &c. ...of God. Chaldean, "of a prince," Syriac, "of an angel," Elohim. See 2 Kings xix. 27; Esther xv. 16. (Calmet)
A little present. Hebrew monée, or mincha, calculated to shew the subjection of the giver. (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 XXV. A reason is given why this book did not open with a discussion of the above-mentioned virtues. It is also concisely pointed out that the same virtues existed in the ancient fathers
120. Is there greater wisdom than holy Jacob’s, who saw God face to face and won a blessing? Can there be higher justice than his in dividing with his brother what he had acquired, and offering it as a gift? What greater fortitude than his in striving with God? What moderation so true as his, who acted with such moderation as regards time and place, as to prefer to hide his daughter’s shame rather than to avenge himself? For being set in the midst of foes, he thought it better to gain their affections than to concentrate their hate on himself.