1 And Jacob lifted up his eyes, and looked, and, behold, Esau was coming, and with him four hundred men. And he divided the children unto Leah, and unto Rachel, and unto the two handmaids.
2 And he put the handmaids and their children foremost, and Leah and her children after, and Rachel and Joseph hindermost.
3 And he himself passed over before them, and bowed himself to the ground seven times, until he came near to his brother.
4 And Esau ran to meet him, and embraced him, and fell on his neck, and kissed him : and they wept.
5 And he lifted up his eyes, and saw the women and the children ; and said, Who are these with thee ? And he said, The children whom God hath graciously given thy servant.
6 Then the handmaids came near, they and their children, and they bowed themselves.
7 And Leah also and her children came near, and bowed themselves : and after came Joseph near and Rachel, and they bowed themselves.
Note · Genèse 33.1–7
Le frère craint devient celui qui accueille
La disposition de la famille révèle encore les préférences de Jacob. Ésaü répond cependant par un geste d’affection. Le lecteur découvre que l’homme redouté ne se résume pas à la colère qu’il avait exprimée auparavant. Une histoire conflictuelle ne détermine pas nécessairement tous les actes à venir.
8 And he said, What meanest thou by all this company which I met ? And he said, To find favor in the sight of my lord.
9 And Esau said, I have enough, my brother ; let that which thou hast be thine.
10 And Jacob said, Nay, I pray thee, if now I have found favor in thy sight, then receive my present at my hand ; forasmuch as I have seen thy face, as one seeth the face of God, and thou wast pleased with me.
11 Take, I pray thee, my gift that is brought to thee ; because God hath dealt graciously with me, and because I have enough. And he urged him, and he took it.
Note · Genèse 33.8–11
Donner et accepter
Jacob insiste pour qu’Ésaü reçoive son présent. Son langage de grâce et de bénédiction donne au don une portée relationnelle. L’accueil du présent ne constitue toutefois pas un achat du pardon : la réconciliation a déjà été manifestée par le geste d’Ésaü avant cette discussion.
12 And he said, Let us take our journey, and let us go, and I will go before thee.
13 And he said unto him, My lord knoweth that the children are tender, and that the flocks and herds with me have their young : and if they overdrive them one day, all the flocks will die.
14 Let my lord, I pray thee, pass over before his servant : and I will lead on gently, according to the pace of the cattle that are before me and according to the pace of the children, until I come unto my lord unto Seir.
15 And Esau said, Let me now leave with thee some of the folk that are with me. And he said, What needeth it ? let me find favor in the sight of my lord.
16 So Esau returned that day on his way unto Seir.
17 And Jacob journeyed to Succoth, and built him a house, and made booths for his cattle : therefore the name of the place is called Succoth.
Note · Genèse 33.12–17
Des routes désormais distinctes
Jacob invoque le rythme des enfants et des troupeaux pour ne pas suivre la marche d’Ésaü. Il s’établit ensuite ailleurs. Le narrateur ne développe pas tous ses motifs. Cette réserve invite à ne pas idéaliser trop vite chaque parole prononcée au cours d’une réconciliation encore fragile.
18 And Jacob came in peace to the city of Shechem, which is in the land of Canaan, when he came from Paddan-aram ; and encamped before the city.
19 And he bought the parcel of ground, where he had spread his tent, at the hand of the children of Hamor, Shechem’s father, for a hundred pieces of money.
20 And he erected there an altar, and called it El-Elohe-Israel.
Note · Genèse 33.18–20
Une installation et une reconnaissance
L’acquisition d’un terrain et l’autel donnent une forme concrète à l’arrivée de Jacob. La relation à Dieu accompagne une installation obtenue par achat. Le chapitre suivant montrera que vivre sur place ne garantit pas encore des rapports justes entre la famille de Jacob et ses voisins.
