Genesis 32:4
New International Version
He instructed them: “This is what you are to say to my lord Esau: ‘Your servant Jacob says, I have been staying with Laban and have remained there till now.

New Living Translation
He told them, “Give this message to my master Esau: ‘Humble greetings from your servant Jacob. Until now I have been living with Uncle Laban,

English Standard Version
instructing them, “Thus you shall say to my lord Esau: Thus says your servant Jacob, ‘I have sojourned with Laban and stayed until now.

Berean Standard Bible
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.

King James Bible
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:

New King James Version
And he commanded them, saying, “Speak thus to my lord Esau, ‘Thus your servant Jacob says: “I have dwelt with Laban and stayed there until now.

New American Standard Bible
He commanded them, saying, “This is what you shall say to my lord Esau: ‘Your servant Jacob says the following: “I have resided with Laban, and stayed until now;

NASB 1995
He also commanded them saying, “Thus you shall say to my lord Esau: ‘Thus says your servant Jacob, “I have sojourned with Laban, and stayed until now;

NASB 1977
He also commanded them saying, “Thus you shall say to my lord Esau: ‘Thus says your servant Jacob, “I have sojourned with Laban, and stayed until now;

Legacy Standard Bible
He also commanded them saying, “Thus you shall say to my lord, to Esau: ‘Thus says your servant Jacob, “I have sojourned with Laban and have been delayed until now;

Amplified Bible
He commanded them, saying, “This is what to say to my lord Esau: ‘Your servant Jacob says this, “I have been living temporarily with Laban, and have stayed there until now;

Christian Standard Bible
He commanded them, “You are to say to my lord Esau, ‘This is what your servant Jacob says. I have been staying with Laban and have been delayed until now.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
He commanded them, “You are to say to my lord Esau, ‘This is what your servant Jacob says. I have been staying with Laban and have been delayed until now.

American Standard Version
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:

Contemporary English Version
Jacob told them to say to Esau, "Master, I am your servant! I have lived with Laban all this time,

English Revised Version
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:

GOD'S WORD® Translation
He commanded them to give this message to Esau, "Sir, this is what Jacob has to say, 'I've been living with Laban and have stayed until now.

Good News Translation
He instructed them to say: "I, Jacob, your obedient servant, report to my master Esau that I have been staying with Laban and that I have delayed my return until now.

International Standard Version
He instructed them, "This is what you are to say to my master Esau: 'Your servant Jacob told me to tell you, "I've journeyed to stay with Laban and I've remained there until now.

Majority Standard Bible
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.

NET Bible
He commanded them, "This is what you must say to my lord Esau: 'This is what your servant Jacob says: I have been staying with Laban until now.

New Heart English Bible
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.

Webster's Bible Translation
And he commanded them, saying, Thus shall ye speak to my lord Esau: Thy servant Jacob saith thus, I have sojourned with Laban, and stayed there till now:

World English Bible
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.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
and commands them, saying, “Thus you say to my lord, to Esau, Thus said your servant Jacob: I have sojourned with Laban, and I linger until now;

Young's Literal Translation
and commandeth them, saying, 'Thus do ye say to my lord, to Esau: Thus said thy servant Jacob, With Laban I have sojourned, and I tarry until now;

Smith's Literal Translation
And he will command them, saying, Thus shall ye say to my lord to Esau, Thus thy servant Jacob said, With Laban I sojourned and lingered till now.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
And he commanded them, saying: Thus shall ye speak to my lord Esau: Thus saith thy brother Jacob: I have sojourned with Laban, and have been with him until this day.

Catholic Public Domain Version
And he instructed them, saying: “You shall speak in this way to my lord Esau: ‘Your brother Jacob says these things: “I have sojourned with Laban, and I have been with him until the present day.

New American Bible
ordering them: “Thus you shall say to my lord Esau: ‘Thus says your servant Jacob: I have been residing with Laban and have been delayed until now.

New Revised Standard Version
instructing them, “Thus you shall say to my lord Esau: Thus says your servant Jacob, ‘I have lived with Laban as an alien, and stayed until now;
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
And he commanded them, saying, Thus shall you speak to my lord Esau; Thus says your servant Jacob, I have sojourned with Laban, and stayed there until now;

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
And he commanded them and said to them, “Thus you will say to my Lord Esau: thus said your Servant Yaquuv: ‘I have dwelt and I stayed with Laban until today
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
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.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And he charged them, saying, Thus shall ye say to my lord Esau: Thus saith thy servant Jacob; I have sojourned with Laban and tarried until now.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Jacob's Fear of Esau
3Jacob sent messengers ahead of him to his brother Esau in the land of Seir, the country of Edom. 4He 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. 5I have oxen, donkeys, flocks, menservants, and maidservants. I have sent this message to inform my master, so that I may find favor in your sight.’ ”…

Cross References
Genesis 27:41
Esau held a grudge against Jacob because of the blessing his father had given him. And Esau said in his heart, “The days of mourning for my father are at hand; then I will kill my brother Jacob.”

Genesis 33:1-4
Now Jacob looked up and saw Esau coming toward him with four hundred men. So he divided the children among Leah, Rachel, and the two maidservants. / He put the maidservants and their children in front, Leah and her children next, and Rachel and Joseph at the rear. / But Jacob himself went on ahead and bowed to the ground seven times as he approached his brother. ...

Genesis 28:13-15
And there at the top the LORD was standing and saying, “I am the LORD, the God of your father Abraham and the God of Isaac. I will give you and your descendants the land on which you now lie. / Your descendants will be like the dust of the earth, and you will spread out to the west and east and north and south. All the families of the earth will be blessed through you and your offspring. / Look, I am with you, and I will watch over you wherever you go, and I will bring you back to this land. For I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you.”

Genesis 31:3
Then the LORD said to Jacob, “Go back to the land of your fathers and to your kindred, and I will be with you.”

Genesis 33:8-11
“What do you mean by sending this whole company to meet me?” asked Esau. “To find favor in your sight, my lord,” Jacob answered. / “I already have plenty, my brother,” Esau replied. “Keep what belongs to you.” / But Jacob insisted, “No, please! If I have found favor in your sight, then receive this gift from my hand. For indeed, I have seen your face, and it is like seeing the face of God, since you have received me favorably. ...

Genesis 27:36
So Esau declared, “Is he not rightly named Jacob? For he has cheated me twice. He took my birthright, and now he has taken my blessing.” Then he asked, “Haven’t you saved a blessing for me?”

Genesis 25:29-34
One day, while Jacob was cooking some stew, Esau came in from the field and was famished. / He said to Jacob, “Let me eat some of that red stew, for I am famished.” (That is why he was also called Edom.) / “First sell me your birthright,” Jacob replied. ...

Genesis 27:42-45
When the words of her older son Esau were relayed to Rebekah, she sent for her younger son Jacob and told him, “Look, your brother Esau is consoling himself by plotting to kill you. / So now, my son, obey my voice and flee at once to my brother Laban in Haran. / Stay with him for a while, until your brother’s fury subsides— ...

Genesis 33:12-17
Then Esau said, “Let us be on our way, and I will go ahead of you.” / But Jacob replied, “My lord knows that the children are frail, and I must care for sheep and cattle that are nursing their young. If they are driven hard for even a day, all the animals will die. / Please let my lord go ahead of his servant. I will continue on slowly, at a comfortable pace for the livestock and children, until I come to my lord at Seir.” ...

Genesis 31:55
Early the next morning, Laban got up and kissed his grandchildren and daughters and blessed them. Then he left to return home.

Genesis 33:18-20
After Jacob had come from Paddan-aram, he arrived safely at the city of Shechem in the land of Canaan, and he camped just outside the city. / And the plot of ground where he pitched his tent, he purchased from the sons of Hamor, Shechem’s father, for a hundred pieces of silver. / There he set up an altar and called it El-Elohe-Israel.

Hosea 12:3-4
In the womb he grasped his brother’s heel, and in his vigor he wrestled with God. / Yes, he struggled with the angel and prevailed; he wept and sought His favor; he found Him at Bethel and spoke with Him there—

Obadiah 1:10-12
Because of the violence against your brother Jacob, you will be covered with shame and cut off forever. / On the day you stood aloof while strangers carried off his wealth and foreigners entered his gate and cast lots for Jerusalem, you were just like one of them. / But you should not gloat in that day, your brother’s day of misfortune, nor rejoice over the people of Judah in the day of their destruction, nor boast proudly in the day of their distress.

Malachi 1:2-3
“I have loved you,” says the LORD. But you ask, “How have You loved us?” “Was not Esau Jacob’s brother?” declares the LORD. “Yet Jacob I have loved, / but Esau I have hated, and I have made his mountains a wasteland and left his inheritance to the desert jackals.”

Romans 9:10-13
Not only that, but Rebecca’s children were conceived by one man, our father Isaac. / Yet before the twins were born or had done anything good or bad, in order that God’s plan of election might stand, / not by works but by Him who calls, she was told, “The older will serve the younger.” ...


Treasury of Scripture

And he commanded them, saying, Thus shall you speak to my lord Esau; Your servant Jacob said thus, I have sojourned with Laban, and stayed there until now:

my lord.

Genesis 32:5,18
And I have oxen, and asses, flocks, and menservants, and womenservants: and I have sent to tell my lord, that I may find grace in thy sight…

Genesis 4:7
If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted? and if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door. And unto thee shall be his desire, and thou shalt rule over him.

Genesis 23:6
Hear us, my lord: thou art a mighty prince among us: in the choice of our sepulchres bury thy dead; none of us shall withhold from thee his sepulchre, but that thou mayest bury thy dead.

servant.

1 Kings 20:32
So they girded sackcloth on their loins, and put ropes on their heads, and came to the king of Israel, and said, Thy servant Benhadad saith, I pray thee, let me live. And he said, Is he yet alive? he is my brother.

Ecclesiastes 10:4
If the spirit of the ruler rise up against thee, leave not thy place; for yielding pacifieth great offences.

Jump to Previous
Commanded Commandeth Esau Foreigner Instructed Instructing Jacob Laban Master Orders Servant Sojourned Speak Speaks Staying Tarried Tarry Words
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Commanded Commandeth Esau Foreigner Instructed Instructing Jacob Laban Master Orders Servant Sojourned Speak Speaks Staying Tarried Tarry Words
Genesis 32
1. Jacob's vision at Mahanaim.
3. His message to Esau.
6. He is afraid of Esau's coming.
9. He prays for deliverance.
13. He sends a present to Esau, and passes the brook Jabbok.
24. He wrestles with an angel at Peniel, where he is called Israel.
31. He halts.














He instructed them
The Hebrew root for "instructed" is "tsavah," which means to command or charge. This word indicates a deliberate and authoritative action by Jacob, reflecting his leadership and strategic planning. In the context of the narrative, Jacob is preparing to meet Esau, his estranged brother, and is carefully orchestrating the message to ensure a peaceful reunion. This highlights Jacob's transformation from a deceiver to a man seeking reconciliation.

This is what you are to say
The phrase underscores the importance of communication and the power of words. In the ancient Near Eastern culture, messengers played a crucial role in diplomacy and negotiation. Jacob's careful choice of words reflects his desire to convey humility and respect, setting the stage for reconciliation. This teaches us the value of thoughtful communication in resolving conflicts.

to my lord Esau
The term "lord" is translated from the Hebrew "adon," which signifies respect and submission. By referring to Esau as "my lord," Jacob acknowledges Esau's status and authority, despite the past conflict. This act of humility is significant, as it demonstrates Jacob's willingness to mend their relationship and submit to Esau's potential authority, a stark contrast to their earlier rivalry.

Your servant Jacob says
The phrase "Your servant" is a translation of the Hebrew "eved," meaning servant or slave. Jacob's self-identification as Esau's servant is a profound gesture of humility and repentance. It reflects his acknowledgment of past wrongs and his desire to make amends. This humility is a key aspect of Christian teachings on reconciliation and forgiveness.

I have been staying with Laban
The Hebrew word for "staying" is "gur," which implies sojourning or dwelling temporarily. Jacob's time with Laban was marked by trials and growth, shaping him into a man ready to face his past. This period of sojourning symbolizes the transformative journey of faith, where God uses life's challenges to refine and prepare us for His purposes.

and have remained there until now
The phrase "remained there" suggests a sense of completion and readiness. Jacob's time with Laban has come to an end, and he is now prepared to confront his past and seek reconciliation with Esau. This reflects the biblical theme of God's timing and preparation, reminding us that God orchestrates our lives for His divine purposes, often using our past experiences to equip us for future challenges.

Verses 4, 5. - And he commanded them, saying, Thus shall ye speak unto my lord Esau; Thy servant Jacob saith thus; - the expression "my lord "may have been designed to intimate to Esau that he (Jacob) did not intend to assert that superiority or precedency which had been assigned him by Isaac s blessing (Genesis 27:29), at least so far as to claim a share in Isaac's wealth (Calvin, Bush, Gerlach), but was probably due chiefly to the extreme courtesy of the East (Gerlach), or to a desire to conciliate his brother (Keil), or to a feeling of personal contrition for his misbehavior towards Esau (Kalisch), and perhaps also to a secret apprehension of danger from Esau's approach (Alford, Inglis) - I have sojourned with Laban, and stayed - אֵחַרe fut. Kal. of אָחַרcurring only here, is a contraction for אֶךאחַר, like תֹּסֵק for תֹּאסֵק (Psalm 104:29; vide Gesenius, § 68, 2) - there until now: and I have (literally, there are to me, so that I stand in need of no further wealth from either thee or Isaac) oxen, and asses, flocks, and menservants, and women servants: - cf. 12:16 (Abraham); 26:13, 14 (Isaac) - and I have sent to tell my lord, that I may find grace in thy sight (cf. 33:8, 15; 39:4; and vide 6:8; 18:3).

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
He instructed them,
וַיְצַ֤ו (way·ṣaw)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Piel - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 6680: To lay charge (upon), give charge (to), command, order

“You are to say
לֵאמֹ֔ר (lê·mōr)
Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct
Strong's 559: To utter, say

to my master
לַֽאדֹנִ֖י (la·ḏō·nî)
Preposition-l | Noun - masculine singular construct | first person common singular
Strong's 113: Sovereign, controller

Esau,
לְעֵשָׂ֑ו (lə·‘ê·śāw)
Preposition-l | Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 6215: Esau -- oldest son of Isaac

‘Your servant
עַבְדְּךָ֣ (‘aḇ·də·ḵā)
Noun - masculine singular construct | second person masculine singular
Strong's 5650: Slave, servant

Jacob
יַעֲקֹ֔ב (ya·‘ă·qōḇ)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3290: Jacob -- a son of Isaac, also his desc

says:
תֹאמְר֔וּן (ṯō·mə·rūn)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine plural | Paragogic nun
Strong's 559: To utter, say

I have been staying
גַּ֔רְתִּי (gar·tî)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - first person common singular
Strong's 1481: To turn aside from the road, sojourn, to shrink, fear, to gather for, hostility

with
עִם־ (‘im-)
Preposition
Strong's 5973: With, equally with

Laban
לָבָ֣ן (lā·ḇān)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3837: Laban -- father-in-law of Jacob

and have remained there
וָאֵחַ֖ר (wā·’ê·ḥar)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - first person common singular
Strong's 309: To loiter, to procrastinate

until
עַד־ (‘aḏ-)
Preposition
Strong's 5704: As far as, even to, up to, until, while

now.
עָֽתָּה׃ (‘āt·tāh)
Adverb
Strong's 6258: At this time


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OT Law: Genesis 32:4 He commanded them saying This is what (Gen. Ge Gn)
Genesis 32:3
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