Bible Strands
Genesis 32:17
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?’
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — Jacob gives a verbal command to the lead servant regarding the approaching gift of livestock. He issues this instruction immediately after dividing the herd into separate groups to maintain distance ahead of his own position.
The words — The verb וַיְצַו (va-y-tzav) translates literally as "and he commanded," establishing Jacob's direct authority over the procession. The noun הָרִאשׁוֹן (ha-rishon) specifies the recipient as "the first," identifying the lead servant in the group.
The thread — This preparation continues in Genesis 32:18 with the exact diplomatic script the servants must deliver, and the sequence concludes in Genesis 33:3 when Jacob personally approaches and bows to the ground seven times.
Why it lands — The text records Jacob's attempt to control a feared encounter through strategic positioning and a rehearsed response. It asks the reader to observe the concrete mechanics of human preparation before the narrative shifts to the actual meeting.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Hebrew words
King James Version
And he commanded the foremost, saying, When Esau my brother meeteth thee, and asketh thee, saying, Whose art thou? and whither goest thou? and whose are these before thee?
Cross-references
- Genesis 33:3 But Jacob himself went on ahead and bowed to the ground seven times as he approached his brother.