Genesis 33:14 - Exposition

Let my lord, I pray thee ,—it is perhaps too much to explain Jacob's obsequious and deferential address to his brother (my lord) as the sign of a guilty conscience (Kalisch, Alford), when possibly politeness and humility will suffice— pass over —not cross the Jordan (Afford), since Esau was not journeying to Canaan; but simply pass on, as in Genesis 33:3 — before his servant: and I will lead on softly (literally, I will go on at my slow pace ), according as the cattle that goeth before me and the children be able to endure ,—literally, according to the foot , i . e . the pace, of the property (here, cattle), and according to the foot of the children; i.e. as fast as flocks and children can be made with safety to travel— until I come unto my lord unto Seir . It is apparent that Jacob at first intended to accept Esau's invitation to visit him at Seir, either immediately (Clericus, Kalisch), or, as is more probable, afterwards (Keil, Murphy, 'Speaker's Commentary'), though, if afterwards, the historian has preserved no record of any such journey, while, if presently such was his intention, he must have been providentially led, from some cause not mentioned, to alter his determination (Bush, Inglis, Clarke), unless we either think that he really went to Seir, though it is not here stated (Patrick), or entertain the, in the circumstances, almost incredible hypothesis that Jacob practiced a deception on his generous brother in order to get rid of him, by promising what he never meant to fulfill, viz; to visit him at Mount Seir (Calvin), or leave it doubtful whether it is the old Jacob or the new Israel who speaks (Lange).