Genèse 33

¹ 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.

² He put the maidservants and their children in front, Leah and her children next, and Rachel and Joseph at the rear.

³ But Jacob himself went on ahead and bowed to the ground seven times as he approached his brother.

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

⁵ When Esau looked up and saw the women and children, he asked, “Who are these with you?” Jacob answered, “These are the children God has graciously given your servant.”

⁶ Then the maidservants and their children approached and bowed down.

⁷ Leah and her children also approached and bowed down, and then Joseph and Rachel approached and bowed down.

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 “What do you mean by sending this whole company to meet me?” asked Esau. “To find favor in your sight, my lord,” Jacob answered.

⁹ “I already have plenty, my brother,” Esau replied. “Keep what belongs to you.”

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.

¹¹ Please 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.

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

¹³ 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.

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.”

¹⁵ “Let me leave some of my people with you,” Esau said. But Jacob replied, “Why do that? Let me find favor in the sight of my lord.”

¹⁶ So that day Esau started on his way back to Seir,

¹⁷ but Jacob went on to Succoth, where he built a house for himself and shelters for his livestock; that is why the place was 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 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.

¹⁹ 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.

²⁰ There he set up 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.