The Meaning of Genesis 33:14 Explained

Genesis 33:14

KJV: Let my lord, I pray thee, pass over before his servant: and I will lead on softly, according as the cattle that goeth before me and the children be able to endure, until I come unto my lord unto Seir.

YLT: Let my lord, I pray thee, pass over before his servant, and I -- I lead on gently, according to the foot of the work which is before me, and to the foot of the children, until that I come unto my lord, to Seir.'

Darby: Let my lord, I pray thee, pass on before his servant, and I will drive on at my ease according to the pace of the cattle that is before me, and according to the pace of the children, until I come to my lord, to Seir.

ASV: Let my lord, I pray thee, pass over before his servant: and I will lead on gently, according to the pace of the cattle that are before me and according to the pace of the children, until I come unto my lord unto Seir.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Let my lord,  I pray thee, pass over  before  his servant:  and I will lead on  softly,  according as  the cattle  that goeth before me  and the children  be able to endure,  until I come  unto my lord  unto Seir. 

What does Genesis 33:14 Mean?

Context Summary

Genesis 33:1-17 - Jacob And Esau Reconciled
Many things, like this meeting with Esau, are worse in anticipation than in actuality. The brothers were on the same old terms as before that filching of Isaac's blessing. The holy transactions of the previous night had induced this change in the atmosphere. If our ways please the Lord, He will make our enemies to be at peace with us. We must win power with God, by yielding to Him, before we can have power with our Esaus and prevail. When you fear man's wrath, do not run hither and thither for defense; be still and fear not. Commit your way to the Lord and read Psalms 37:1-40. When the enemy comes in like a flood, the Lord shall lift up a standard against him. Surely Jacob needed not to fear, or make these lame excuses and promises. He never intended to go to Esau, to Seir. As soon as the last ranks of his brother's men were lost in the desert haze, he turned to go in the contrary direction. This duplicity was not worthy of the heir of the promises; but too many of us would have done the same, even on the morrow of the Jabbok-wrestle. [source]

Chapter Summary: Genesis 33

1  Jacob and Esau's meeting; and Esau's departure
17  Jacob comes to Succoth
18  At Shechem he buys a field, and builds an altar, called El Elohe Israel

What do the individual words in Genesis 33:14 mean?

Let go on ahead please my lord before his servant and I will lead on slowly at a pace which the livestock that go before me and are able to endure [and] the sons until I come to my lord in Seir
יַעֲבָר־ נָ֥א אֲדֹנִ֖י לִפְנֵ֣י עַבְדּ֑וֹ וַאֲנִ֞י אֶֽתְנָהֲלָ֣ה לְאִטִּ֗י לְרֶ֨גֶל הַמְּלָאכָ֤ה אֲשֶׁר־ לְפָנַי֙ וּלְרֶ֣גֶל הַיְלָדִ֔ים עַ֛ד אָבֹ֥א אֶל־ אֲדֹנִ֖י שֵׂעִֽירָה

יַעֲבָר־  Let  go  on  ahead 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: עָבַר 
Sense: to pass over or by or through, alienate, bring, carry, do away, take, take away, transgress.
נָ֥א  please 
Parse: Interjection
Root: נָא  
Sense: I (we) pray, now, please.
אֲדֹנִ֖י  my  lord 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, first person common singular
Root: אָדֹון  
Sense: firm, strong, lord, master.
לִפְנֵ֣י  before 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, common plural construct
Root: לִפְנֵי 
Sense: face.
עַבְדּ֑וֹ  his  servant 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: עֶבֶד  
Sense: slave, servant.
וַאֲנִ֞י  and  I 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Pronoun, first person common singular
Root: אֲנִי  
Sense: I (first pers.
אֶֽתְנָהֲלָ֣ה  will  lead  on 
Parse: Verb, Hitpael, Imperfect Cohortative, first person common singular
Root: נָהַל  
Sense: to lead, give rest, lead with care, guide to a watering place or station, cause to rest, bring to a station or place of rest, guide, refresh.
לְאִטִּ֗י  slowly 
Parse: Preposition-l, Adverb, first person common singular
Root: אַט 
Sense: gentleness, softness.
לְרֶ֨גֶל  at  a  pace  which 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, feminine singular construct
Root: רֶגֶל  
Sense: foot.
הַמְּלָאכָ֤ה  the  livestock 
Parse: Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: מְלָאכָה  
Sense: occupation, work, business.
אֲשֶׁר־  that 
Parse: Pronoun, relative
Root: אֲשֶׁר 
Sense: (relative part.).
לְפָנַי֙  go  before  me 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, masculine plural construct, first person common singular
Root: לִפְנֵי 
Sense: face.
וּלְרֶ֣גֶל  and  are  able  to  endure 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition-l, Noun, feminine singular construct
Root: רֶגֶל  
Sense: foot.
הַיְלָדִ֔ים  [and]  the  sons 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine plural
Root: יֶלֶד  
Sense: child, son, boy, offspring, youth.
עַ֛ד  until 
Parse: Preposition
Root: עַד  
Sense: as far as, even to, until, up to, while, as far as.
אָבֹ֥א  I  come 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, first person common singular
Root: בֹּוא 
Sense: to go in, enter, come, go, come in.
אֲדֹנִ֖י  my  lord 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, first person common singular
Root: אָדֹון  
Sense: firm, strong, lord, master.
שֵׂעִֽירָה  in  Seir 
Parse: Proper Noun, feminine singular, third person feminine singular
Root: שֵׂעִיר 
Sense: patriarch of the Horites, the inhabitants of Edom before the descendants of Esau, the Edomites.