Genesis Chapter 33 verse 3 Holy Bible
And he himself passed over before them, and bowed himself to the ground seven times, until he came near to his brother.
read chapter 33 in ASV
And he himself, going before them, went down on his face to the earth seven times till he came near his brother.
read chapter 33 in BBE
And he passed on before them, and bowed to the earth seven times, until he came near to his brother.
read chapter 33 in DARBY
And he passed over before them, and bowed himself to the ground seven times, until he came near to his brother.
read chapter 33 in KJV
And he passed on before them, and bowed himself to the ground seven times, till he came near to his brother.
read chapter 33 in WBT
He himself passed over in front of them, and bowed himself to the ground seven times, until he came near to his brother.
read chapter 33 in WEB
And he himself passed over before them, and boweth himself to the earth seven times, until his drawing nigh unto his brother,
read chapter 33 in YLT
Pulpit Commentary
Pulpit CommentaryVerses 3, 4. - And he (the introduction of the pronoun giving emphasis to the statement) passed over before them (i.e. passed on in front of them, thus chivalrously putting himself in the place of danger), and bowed himself to the ground - not completely prostrating the body, as Abraham did in Genesis 19:1, but bending forward till the upper part of it became parallel with the ground, a mode of expressing deep reverence and respect, which may be seen to life in Oriental countries at the present day (Roberts, 'Oriental Illustrations,' p. 41) - seven times (not in immediate succession, but bowing and advancing), until he came near to his brother. The conduct of Jacob was dictated neither by artful hypocrisy nor by unmanly timidity; but by true politeness and a sincere desire to conciliate. And as such it was accepted by Esau, who ran to meet him, and, his better feelings kindling at the sight of his long-absent brother, embraced him, and fell on his neck, and kissed him - as Joseph afterwards did to Benjamin (Genesis 45:14, 15), though the puncta extraordinaria of the Masorites over the word "kissed" seem to indicate either that in their judgment Esau was incapable of such fraternal affection (Delitzsch, Kalisch), or that the word was suspicious, Origen appearing not to have found it in his codices (Rosenmüller, Keil), unless indeed the conjecture be correct that the word was marked to draw attention to the power of God's grace in changing Esau's heart (Ainsworth). And they wept - the LXX. adding both. "All this is beautiful, natural, Oriental" ('Land and Book,' p. 372).
Ellicott's Commentary
Ellicott's Commentary for English ReadersXXXIII.(3) He passed over before them.--While providing some small chance of escape for his wives and children, arranged according to their rank, Jacob manfully went first and placed himself entirely in Esau's power. He endeavoured, nevertheless, by his sevenfold obeisance in acknowledgment of Esau's superiority, to propitiate him; for the cause of the quarrel had been Jacob's usurpation of Esau's right of precedence as the first born. This bowing in the East is made by bending the body forward with the arms crossed, and the right hand held over the heart.
