Genesis 33:14

Gen 33:14 Let my lord, I pray thee, pass over before his servant: and I will lead on softly, according as the cattle that goeth before me and the children be able to endure, until I come unto my lord unto Seir.

Ver. 14. Until I come unto my lord, unto Seir.] Which yet he never meant, say some: it was but an officious lie, saith Tostatus. Others think that he did go to Seir, though it he not recorded. It is like he purposed to go, but was otherwise warned by God; as the wise men were, {Mat 2:12} or necessarily hindered, as St Paul was in many of his intended journeys.

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Gen 33:14. Until I come unto my lord, to mount Seir — As no mention is made of it, many writers think, that, for some reasons, Jacob never went to mount Seir to see Esau. Certainly it is very doubtful whether he ever did. It cannot be supposed however, that he would delay so long as the time mentioned in the twenty-fifth chapter before he went to see his father.

Joseph Benson's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1811–1818) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

He promised that which (as seemeth) his mind was not to perform.

Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain. Text via Bolls.life.

until I come unto my lord--It seems to have been Jacob's intention, passing round the Dead Sea, to visit his brother in Seir, and thus, without crossing the Jordan, go to Beer-sheba to Isaac; but he changed his plan, and whether the intention was carried out then or at a future period has not been recorded.

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Verse 14. Until I come unto my lord unto Seir.] It is very likely that Jacob was perfectly sincere in his expressed purpose of visiting Esau at Seir, but it is as likely that circumstances afterwards occurred that rendered it either improper or impracticable; and we find that Esau afterwards removed to Canaan, and he and Jacob dwelt there together for several years. See Ge 36:6.

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

(14) According as the cattle . . . —Rather, according to the pace—Heb., foot—of the cattle that is before me, and according to the pace of the children. Joseph was only six or seven years old; and Leah’s two younger sons, and probably Zilpah’s, were too tender to endure much fatigue.

Unto Seir.—This implies a purpose of visiting Esau in his new acquisition, not carried out probably because Esau did not as yet settle there, but returned to Hebron to his father.

A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

14. softly] Lit. “according to my gentleness,” i.e. at a quiet and leisurely rate.

according to the pace of the cattle] Lit. “of the property” in herds and flocks (m’lâ’cah, as in Exo_22:7; Exo_22:10; 1Sa_15:9).

unto Seir] Jacob here implies that he was intending to visit his brother in Seir. He has no intention of settling there, and at the most he expresses a courteous hope of a temporary sojourn.

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Let my lord, I pray thee, pass over before his servant,.... He desired in a very respectable manner that he would not keep his pace in complaisance to him, but proceed on in his journey, and go on with his men, and he with his family and flocks would follow after as fast as he could, and their circumstances would admit of:

and I will lead on softly; slowly, gently, easily, step by step:

according as the cattle that goeth before me, and the children be able to endure; or "according to the foot" (s) of them; of the cattle, whom he calls the "work" (t), because his business lay in the care of them, and these were the chief of his substance; and of the children, as the feet of each of them were able to travel; or because of them, for the sake of them, as Aben Ezra, consulting their strength, he proposed to move on gently, like both a wise, careful, and tender father of his family, and shepherd of his flock:

until I come unto my lord unto Seir; whither, no doubt, he intended to come when he parted with Esau; but for reasons which after appeared to him he declined it: or more probably he did go thither then, or quickly after; though the Scripture makes no mention of it, he might go with some of his servants directly, and send his family, flocks, and herds, under the care of other servants, forward on their journey, and quickly come up to them again; for that he should tell a lie is not likely, nor does he seem to be under any temptation to it: and besides, it would have been dangerous to have disobliged his brother when on his borders, who could easily have come upon him again with four hundred men, and picked a quarrel with him for breach of promise, and destroyed him and his at once.

(s) "ad pedem", Pagninus, Montanus, Vatablus, Drusius, Cartwright. (t) "operis", Montanus, Munster, Fagius, Drusius, Cartwright, Schmidt.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

In Seir; not immediately, but as soon as it might be convenient. This time perhaps never arrived. (St. Augustine, q. 106.)

George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).

We do not read that Jacob did according to this promise or insinuation go to Seir; either therefore he changed his first intentions for some weighty reasons, or upon warning from God; or he used this only as a pretence, which we should not too easily believe of so good a man, especially after such dangers and deliverances; or rather he did perform this promise, though the Scripture be silent of it, as it is of many other historical passages, and as it is here concerning Jacob’s visiting of his father Isaac, which is not mentioned till ten years after this time; and yet it is utterly incredible that Jacob should be so near to his dear and worthy father for so long a time together, and not once give him a visit.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

14. I will lead on softly — That is, I will proceed gently.

According as the cattle — Hebrews, according to the foot of the work; that is, the possessions acquired by my work. The English version, though not literal, gives the real meaning.

Until I come… unto Seir — These words naturally give the impression that Jacob promises to move steadily along until he should reach Mt. Seir; but as soon as Esau departs, he proceeds to Shechem, and never went to Seir at all. But a little reflection will show the impropriety of construing his action thus. Esau was probably not yet settled in Mount Seir, (see note on Gen_32:3,) but, during this interview, had told Jacob of his acquisitions and of his purpose to remove thither; and Jacob’s promise to visit him there was necessarily indefinite as to time. The brothers met again at the burial of their father Isaac. Gen_35:29.

Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Let my lord, I pray thee, it is perhaps too much to explain Jacob"s obsequious and deferential address to his brother (my lord) as the sign of a guilty conscience (Kalisch, Alford), when possibly politeness and humility will sufficepass over not cross the Jordan (Afford), since Esau was not journeying to Canaan; but simply pass on, as in ver. 3before his servant: and I will lead on softly (literally, I will go on at my slow pace), according as the cattle that goeth before me and the children be able to endure, literally, according to the foot, i.e. the pace, of the property (here, cattle), and according to the foot of the children; i.e. as fast as flocks and children can be made with safety to traveluntil I come unto my lord unto Seir. It is apparent that Jacob at first intended to accept Esau"s invitation to visit him at Seir, either immediately (Clericus, Kalisch), or, as is more probable, afterwards (Keil, Murphy, "Speaker"s Commentary"), though, if afterwards, the historian has preserved no record of any such journey, while, if presently such was his intention, he must have been providentially led, from some cause not mentioned, to alter his determination (Bush, Inglis, Clarke), unless we either think that he really went to Seir, though it is not here stated (Patrick), or entertain the, in the circumstances, almost incredible hypothesis that Jacob practiced a deception on his generous brother in order to get rid of him, by promising what he never meant to fulfill, viz., to visit him at Mount Seir (Calvin), or leave it doubtful whether it is the old Jacob or the new Israel who speaks (Lange).

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

יעבר נא אדני LET MY LORD, I PRAY THEE, PASS — do not prolong the time of your journey: pass on at your usual speed even though you thereby get far away from me.

אתנהלה is the same as אתנהל I WILL LEAD ON. The ה at the end of the word is redundant as in (8:21) ארדה “I will go down”, and in (Psalms 85:9) אשמעה “I will hear”.

לאטי SLOWLY — the word means “my slowness", לאט having the meaning of ease, gentleness. Examples are: (Isaiah 8:6) “that go (לאט) softly”; (2 Samuel 18:6) “Deal (לאט) gently for my sake with the young man.” In לאטי the ל is a root-letter and not a prefix, so that the meaning is, “I will lead on at my slow rate”.

לרגל המלאכה ACCORDING TO THE PACE OF THE DROVE — according to the requirements made by the pace of the feet of the cattle which is incumbent on me to drive.

ולרגל הילדים AND ACCORDING TO THE PACE OF THE CHILDREN — according to the speed (רגל) which they are able to keep up.

עד אשר אבא אל אדני שעירה UNTIL I COME UNTO MY LORD UNTO SEIR — He mentioned a much longer journey, for he really intended to go only as far as Succoth (Avodah Zarah 25b). He said, “If he means to do me harm let him wait to do so until I reach his abode at Seir.” Therefore he did not go to Seir. But when will he go? In the days of the Messiah, as it is said (Obadiah 1:21) “And saviours shall go up on Mount Zion to judge the mount of Esau”. There are many Midrashic explanations of this section.

Rashi on the Tanakh — English translations: “The Judaica Press complete Tanach with Rashi, translated by A. J. Rosenberg” (CC BY 4.0); “Pentateuch with Rashi's commentary by M. Rosenbaum and A.M. Silbermann, 1929-1934” (public domain); “The Metsudah Tanach series, Lakewood, N.J” (CC BY 4.0); and “The Book of Joshua, Metsudah Publications, 1997” (CC BY 4.0). Text via Sefaria.

UNTIL I COME UNTO MY LORD UNTO SE’IR. In returning to his land Jacob could have gone by way of the land of Se’ir. Now Esau told him, And I will go before thee, meaning that he will not be separated from him until Jacob returns to his father in order to honor him when he comes into his land. But Jacob said, “I will proceed slowly and let my lord return to the city of his rule, and if I will return by way of his city, he will honor me and go with me as he desires.” This was not a vow on the part of Jacob that he will come to him, for Esau did not need him. Our Rabbis have further said that Jacob had no intention of returning by way of Se’ir, and his desire was to remove himself from him as much as possible, but he mentioned until I come … unto Se’ir in order to extend the length of his journey [so that if Esau meant to do him harm he would wait until Jacob reached his abode at Se’ir]. This also was wise counsel. The Rabbis have yet another Midrash, which states that Jacob will fulfill his word in the days of the Messiah, as it is said, And saviours shall come up on mount Zion to judge the mount of Esau. Scripture is saying that the saviors [i.e., the judges of Israel] who are on Mount Zion shall come up to judge the mount of Esau.

Ramban (Nachmanides) on the Tanakh — English translation: “Commentary on the Torah by Ramban (Nachmanides). Translated and annotated by Charles B. Chavel. New York, Shilo Pub. House, 1971-1976” (CC BY 4.0). Text via Sefaria.

יעבר נא...לרגל המלאכה, the cattle is referred to as מלאכה, because cattle are the instruments by means of which most basic agricultural work is performed. We find a similar usage of the word מלאכה in Samuel I 15,9 וכל המלאכה נמבזה ונמס, “and all the inferior cattle (those they killed).”

Radak on the Tanakh — English translations: “Sefaria Community Translation” (CC0 1.0 (public-domain dedication)); “Eliyahu Munk, HaChut Hameshulash” (CC BY 4.0); “Rabbi Mike Feuer, Jerusalem Anthology” (CC BY 4.0); and “R. David Kimhi on the first book of Psalms, Translated by R.G. Finch, London, 1919” (public domain). Text via Sefaria.