Genesis 33:20 - Printer Friendly

ESV: There he erected an altar and called it El-Elohe-Israel.

NIV: There he set up an altar and called it El Elohe Israel.

NASB: Then he erected there an altar and called it El-Elohe-Israel.

CSB: And he set up an altar there and called it God, the God of Israel.

NLT: And there he built an altar and named it El-Elohe-Israel.

KJV: And he erected there an altar, and called it EleloheIsrael.

NKJV: Then he erected an altar there and called it El Elohe Israel.

Jacob has arrived at Sechem after leaving his brother, Esau (Genesis 33:4). Despite telling Esau he would follow him to Seir (Genesis 33:14), Jacob and his caravan travelled in the opposite direction, eventually buying land outside of the city (Genesis 33:19). As his grandfather Abraham had done (Genesis 12:7–8), Jacob now builds an altar to the Lord at Shechem. The difference now is that Jacob builds it on land he owns. Jacob names the altar El-Elohe-Israel, or "El, the God of Israel," using the name given to him by God.

In other words, Jacob is openly declaring that God is his God and, by implication, the God of his descendants after him.

Genesis 33:12–20 records Jacob's large company settling near the city of Shechem. Esau asks Jacob to travel back to Seir with him, but Jacob asks to come along later. Instead of following Esau, Jacob takes his caravan through Succoth. They eventually arrive near Shechem. There, Jacob buys land and settles in. In the next chapter, this will become the site of one of the ugliest episodes in Israel's young history.

All the preparations to meet Esau have been made. Jacob has both the promise of the Lord's protection and a plan. Now the moment comes. Jacob approaches, repeatedly bowing low, until Esau finally runs to embrace and kiss his brother. They weep together. Esau meets Jacob's family. Though he initially refuses Jacob's enormous gift, Jacob urges him to take it as a sign of Esau's favor for him. Jacob soon buys land and sets up camp outside the city of Shechem, building an altar to the Lord there.

Jacob has just left a miraculous encounter with God, which left him with a new name and a limp (Genesis 32). When finally faced with meeting Esau, he is pleasantly surprised. Esau runs to Jacob to hug and kiss him. They weep together. After meeting Jacob's family, Esau tries to refuse Jacob's enormous gift. Jacob insists, saying that seeing Esau's face is as seeing the face of God. Jacob, refuses to travel back to Seir and instead journeys to Shechem. This sets up a tragic instance of assault and revenge, involving Jacob's daughter, Dinah.

The book of Genesis establishes fundamental truths about God. Among these are His role as the Creator, His holiness, His hatred of sin, His love for mankind, and His willingness to provide for our redemption. We learn not only where mankind has come from, but why the world is in its present form. The book also presents the establishment of Israel, God's chosen people. Many of the principles given in other parts of Scripture depend on the basic ideas presented here in the book of Genesis. Within the framework of the Bible, Genesis explains the bare-bones history of the universe leading up to the captivity of Israel in Egypt, setting the stage for the book of Exodus.

Accessed 5/5/2024 10:59:45 PM