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 slave women.

² He put the slaves and their children first, Leah and her children next, and Rachel and Joseph last.

³ He himself went on ahead and bowed to the ground seven times until he approached his brother.

⁴ But Esau ran to meet him, hugged him, threw his arms around him, and kissed him. Then they wept.

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

⁶ Then the slaves and their children approached him 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 So Esau said, “What do you mean by this whole procession I met?”
“To find favor with you, my lord,” he answered.

⁹ “I have enough, my brother,” Esau replied. “Keep what you have.”

¹⁰ But Jacob said, “No, please! If I have found favor with you, take this gift from me. For indeed, I have seen your face, and it is like seeing God’s face, since you have accepted me.

¹¹ Please take my present that was brought to you, because God has been gracious to me and I have everything I need.” So Jacob urged 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’s move on, and I’ll go ahead of you.”

¹³ Jacob replied, “My lord knows that the children are weak, and I have nursing flocks and herds. If they are driven hard for one day, the whole herd will die.

¹⁴ Let my lord go ahead of his servant. I will continue on slowly, at a pace suited to the livestock and the children, until I come to my lord at Seir.”

¹⁵ Esau said, “Let me leave some of my people with you.”
But he replied, “Why do that? Please indulge me, my lord.”

¹⁶ That day Esau started on his way back to Seir,

¹⁷ but Jacob went to Succoth. 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 came from Paddan-aram, he arrived safely at Shechem in the land of Canaan and camped in front of the city.

¹⁹ He purchased a section of the field where he had pitched his tent from the sons of Hamor, Shechem’s father, for a hundred pieces of silver.

²⁰ And he set up an altar there and called it God, the God of 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.