Genesis 33:12
New International Version
Then Esau said, “Let us be on our way; I’ll accompany you.”

New Living Translation
“Well,” Esau said, “let’s be going. I will lead the way.”

English Standard Version
Then Esau said, “Let us journey on our way, and I will go ahead of you.”

Berean Standard Bible
Then Esau said, “Let us be on our way, and I will go ahead of you.”

King James Bible
And he said, Let us take our journey, and let us go, and I will go before thee.

New King James Version
Then Esau said, “Let us take our journey; let us go, and I will go before you.”

New American Standard Bible
Then Esau said, “Let’s journey on and go, and I will go ahead of you.”

NASB 1995
Then Esau said, “Let us take our journey and go, and I will go before you.”

NASB 1977
Then Esau said, “Let us take our journey and go, and I will go before you.”

Legacy Standard Bible
Then Esau said, “Let us take our journey and go, and I will go before you.”

Amplified Bible
Then Esau said, “Let us get started on our journey and I will go in front of you [to lead the way].”

Christian Standard Bible
Then Esau said, “Let’s move on, and I’ll go ahead of you.”

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Then Esau said, “Let’s move on, and I’ll go ahead of you.”

American Standard Version
And he said, Let us take our journey, and let us go, and I will go before thee.

Contemporary English Version
"Let's get ready to travel," Esau said. "I'll go along with you."

English Revised Version
And he said, Let us take our journey, and let us go, and I will go before thee.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Then Esau said, "Let's get ready to go, and I'll go with you."

Good News Translation
Esau said, "Let's get ready and leave. I will go ahead of you."

International Standard Version
Then Esau suggested, "Let's set out and travel together, but let me go in front of you."

Majority Standard Bible
Then Esau said, “Let us be on our way, and I will go ahead of you.”

NET Bible
Then Esau said, "Let's be on our way! I will go in front of you."

New Heart English Bible
Esau said, "Let us take our journey, and let us go, and I will go ahead of you."

Webster's Bible Translation
And he said, Let us take our journey, and let us go, and I will go before thee.

World English Bible
Esau said, “Let’s take our journey, and let’s go, and I will go before you.”
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
and says, “Let us journey and go on, and I go on before you.”

Young's Literal Translation
and saith, 'Let us journey and go on, and I go on before thee.'

Smith's Literal Translation
And he will say, We will remove and go, and I will go before thee.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
And said: Let us go on together, and I will accompany thee in thy journey.

Catholic Public Domain Version
he said, “Let us go on together, and I will accompany you on your journey.”

New American Bible
Then Esau said, “Let us break camp and be on our way; I will travel in front of you.”

New Revised Standard Version
Then Esau said, “Let us journey on our way, and I will go alongside you.”
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
Then Esau said to him, Let us depart, and go, and I will go before you.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
Esau said to him, “We will pick up and we will go, and I shall go before you.”
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
And he said: 'Let us take our journey, and let us go, and I will go before thee.'

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And he said, Let us depart, and proceed right onward.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Jacob Meets Esau
11Please accept my gift that was brought to you, because God has been gracious to me and I have all I need.” So Jacob pressed him until he accepted. 12Then Esau said, “Let us be on our way, and I will go ahead of you.” 13But 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.…

Cross References
Genesis 32:3-5
Jacob sent messengers ahead of him to his brother Esau in the land of Seir, the country of Edom. / 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. / I 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.’”

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 28:15
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 27:41-45
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.” / 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. ...

Genesis 32:6-8
When the messengers returned to Jacob, they said, “We went to your brother Esau, and now he is coming to meet you—he and four hundred men with him.” / In great fear and distress, Jacob divided his people into two camps, as well as the flocks and herds and camels. / He thought, “If Esau comes and attacks one camp, then the other camp can escape.”

Genesis 32:11
Please deliver me from the hand of my brother Esau, for I am afraid that he may come and attack me and the mothers and children with me.

Genesis 32:28
Then the man said, “Your name will no longer be Jacob, but Israel, because you have struggled with God and with men, and you have prevailed.”

Genesis 33:4
Esau, however, ran to him and embraced him, threw his arms around his neck, and kissed him. And they both wept.

Genesis 33:10
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 33:14
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 34:1-2
Now Dinah, the daughter Leah had borne to Jacob, went out to visit the daughters of the land. / When Shechem son of Hamor the Hivite, the prince of the region, saw her, he took her and lay with her by force.

Exodus 23:20
Behold, I am sending an angel before you to protect you along the way and to bring you to the place I have prepared.

Numbers 20:14-21
From Kadesh, Moses sent messengers to tell the king of Edom, “This is what your brother Israel says: You know all the hardship that has befallen us, / how our fathers went down to Egypt, where we lived many years. The Egyptians mistreated us and our fathers, / and when we cried out to the LORD, He heard our voice, sent an angel, and brought us out of Egypt. Now look, we are in Kadesh, a city on the edge of your territory. ...

Deuteronomy 2:4-8
and command the people: ‘You will pass through the territory of your brothers, the descendants of Esau, who live in Seir. They will be afraid of you, so you must be very careful. / Do not provoke them, for I will not give you any of their land, not even a footprint, because I have given Mount Seir to Esau as his possession. / You are to pay them in silver for the food you eat and the water you drink.’” ...

1 Samuel 25:32-35
Then David said to Abigail, “Blessed be the LORD, the God of Israel, who sent you to meet me this day! / Blessed is your discernment, and blessed are you, because today you kept me from bloodshed and from avenging myself by my own hand. / Otherwise, as surely as the LORD, the God of Israel, lives, who has restrained me from harming you, if you had not come quickly to meet me, then surely no male belonging to Nabal would have been left alive by morning light.” ...


Treasury of Scripture

And he said, Let us take our journey, and let us go, and I will go before you.

Jump to Previous
Accompany Esau Front I'll Journey Together Way
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Accompany Esau Front I'll Journey Together Way
Genesis 33
1. Jacob and Esau's meeting; and Esau's departure.
17. Jacob comes to Succoth.
18. At Shechem he buys a field, and builds an altar, called El Elohe Israel.














Then Esau said
The phrase begins with Esau, the elder brother of Jacob, who had previously been wronged by Jacob's deceit. The Hebrew root for "said" is אָמַר (amar), which often implies a declaration or a significant statement. This moment is pivotal, as it reflects Esau's willingness to engage in dialogue and reconciliation. Historically, Esau's approach contrasts with the animosity expected from someone who had been deeply wronged, showcasing a transformation in his character and a move towards peace.

Let us be on our way
This invitation from Esau to Jacob signifies a desire to move forward, both physically and relationally. The Hebrew word for "way" is דֶּרֶךְ (derek), which can mean a road, journey, or manner of life. Esau's suggestion to journey together symbolizes a new path of reconciliation and unity. In the broader scriptural context, this reflects the biblical theme of forgiveness and the restoration of broken relationships, encouraging believers to pursue peace and unity.

and I will go ahead of you
Esau's offer to lead the way is significant. The Hebrew root for "go ahead" is נָחָה (nahah), which means to lead or guide. This act of leadership and protection is a gesture of goodwill and responsibility. Historically, the leader of a caravan would ensure the safety and direction of the group, indicating Esau's protective intentions towards Jacob and his family. This phrase underscores the transformation in Esau's heart, from a vengeful brother to a caring leader, embodying the biblical principle of servant leadership and the importance of guiding others with love and humility.

Verse 12. - And he (i.e. Esau) said (in further token of his amity), Let us take our journey, and let us go, - but whether he intended to accompany Jacob on his way (Keil, Kalisch, et alii) or invited Jacob to go with him to Mount Seir (Ainsworth, Clericus) is uncertain. On the first hypothesis it is difficult to explain how Esau came to be traveling in the same direction as his brother, while the adoption of the second will serve in some measure to elucidate Jacob's language in ver. 2. But whichever way the words of Esau are understood, they amounted to an offer to be an escort to Jacob through the desert regions with which his excursions had made him familiar, since he added, and I will go before thee - i.e. to lead the way.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
Then Esau said,
וַיֹּ֖אמֶר (way·yō·mer)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 559: To utter, say

“Let us be on our way,
נִסְעָ֣ה (nis·‘āh)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect Cohortative - first person common plural
Strong's 5265: To pull up, the tent-pins, start on a, journey

and I will go
וְאֵלְכָ֖ה (wə·’ê·lə·ḵāh)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive imperfect Cohortative - first person common singular
Strong's 1980: To go, come, walk

ahead of you.”
לְנֶגְדֶּֽךָ׃ (lə·neḡ·de·ḵā)
Preposition-l | second person masculine singular
Strong's 5048: A front, part opposite, a counterpart, mate, over against, before


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OT Law: Genesis 33:12 Esau said Let us take our journey (Gen. Ge Gn)
Genesis 33:11
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