Saadia · Bereshit 33
Tafsir Reader
Tap any Judeo-Arabic word for a starter gloss. Hover any phrase to see its matching Hebrew, Judeo-Arabic, and English light up together. Toggle the Arabic-script form, the Hebrew translation, or the English off if you'd rather read without crutches.
New here? Read Saadia's own preface to this book.
- Bereshit 33:1
וַיִּשָּׂא יַעֲקֹב עֵינָיו וַיַּרְא וְהִנֵּה עֵשָׂו בָּא וְעִמּוֹ אַרְבַּע מֵאוֹת אִישׁ וַיַּחַץ אֶת-הַיְלָדִים עַל-לֵאָה וְעַל-רָחֵל וְעַל שְׁתֵּי הַשְּׁפָחוֹת
. . . . .
Then Jacob lifted up his eyes, and looked — and behold, Esau was coming, and four hundred men with him. And he divided the children between Leah and Rachel and the two maidservants.
- Bereshit 33:2
וַיָּשֶׂם אֶת-הַשְּׁפָחוֹת וְאֶת-יַלְדֵיהֶן רִאשֹׁנָה וְאֶת-לֵאָה וִילָדֶיהָ אַחֲרֹנִים וְאֶת-רָחֵל וְאֶת-יוֹסֵף אַחֲרֹנִים
. .
And he set the maidservants and their children first, and Leah and her children after them, and Rachel and Joseph after that.
- Bereshit 33:3
וְהוּא עָבַר לִפְנֵיהֶם וַיִּשְׁתַּחוּ אַרְצָה שֶׁבַע פְּעָמִים עַד-גִּשְׁתּוֹ עַד-אָחִיו
. . .
And he went on ahead of them; and he bowed down upon the earth seven times, until he drew near to his brother.
- Bereshit 33:4
וַיָּרָץ עֵשָׂו לִקְרָאתוֹ וַיְחַבְּקֵהוּ וַיִּפֹּל עַל-צַוָּארָו וַיִּשָּׁקֵהוּ וַיִּבְכּוּ
. .
And Esau ran to meet him, and embraced him; and he fell upon his neck and kissed him; and they wept.
- Bereshit 33:5
וַיִּשָּׂא אֶת-עֵינָיו וַיַּרְא אֶת-הַנָּשִׁים וְאֶת-הַיְלָדִים וַיֹּאמֶר מִי-אֵלֶּה לָּךְ וַיֹּאמַר--הַיְלָדִים אֲשֶׁר-חָנַן אֱלֹהִים אֶת-עַבְדֶּךָ
. . . .
And he lifted up his eyes, and saw the women and the children, and said: 'Who are these with you?' And he said: 'The children whom God has granted your servant.'
- Bereshit 33:6
וַתִּגַּשְׁןָ הַשְּׁפָחוֹת הֵנָּה וְיַלְדֵיהֶן וַתִּשְׁתַּחֲוֶיןָ
.
Then the maidservants drew near, with their children, and bowed down.
- Bereshit 33:7
וַתִּגַּשׁ גַּם-לֵאָה וִילָדֶיהָ וַיִּשְׁתַּחֲווּ וְאַחַר נִגַּשׁ יוֹסֵף וְרָחֵל--וַיִּשְׁתַּחֲווּ
. . .
And Leah too drew near, with her children, and bowed down; and after that, Joseph drew near, and Rachel, and they bowed down.
- Bereshit 33:8
וַיֹּאמֶר מִי לְךָ כָּל-הַמַּחֲנֶה הַזֶּה אֲשֶׁר פָּגָשְׁתִּי וַיֹּאמֶר לִמְצֹא-חֵן בְּעֵינֵי אֲדֹנִי
. . .
And he said: 'What is the meaning of all this camp which I met?' He said: 'To find favor with my lord.'
- Bereshit 33:9
וַיֹּאמֶר עֵשָׂו יֶשׁ-לִי רָב אָחִי יְהִי לְךָ אֲשֶׁר-לָךְ
.
Esau said: 'I have abundance — more than that. Keep what is yours, my brother.'
- Bereshit 33:10
וַיֹּאמֶר יַעֲקֹב אַל-נָא אִם-נָא מָצָאתִי חֵן בְּעֵינֶיךָ וְלָקַחְתָּ מִנְחָתִי מִיָּדִי כִּי עַל-כֵּן רָאִיתִי פָנֶיךָ כִּרְאֹת פְּנֵי אֱלֹהִים--וַתִּרְצֵנִי
. . . .
Jacob said: 'No, my lord — if I have found favor with you, accept my gift from my hand; for I have seen your face as one sees the face of a dignitary; and you have been pleased with me.
- Bereshit 33:11
קַח-נָא אֶת-בִּרְכָתִי אֲשֶׁר הֻבָאת לָךְ כִּי-חַנַּנִי אֱלֹהִים וְכִי יֶשׁ-לִי-כֹל וַיִּפְצַר-בּוֹ וַיִּקָּח
. .
Accept my gift which has been brought to you; for God has been gracious to me, and I have abundance.' And he urged him, until he accepted it.
- Bereshit 33:12
וַיֹּאמֶר נִסְעָה וְנֵלֵכָה וְאֵלְכָה לְנֶגְדֶּךָ
. .
He said to him: 'Let us journey on and go; and I shall travel with you.'
- Bereshit 33:13
וַיֹּאמֶר אֵלָיו אֲדֹנִי יֹדֵעַ כִּי-הַיְלָדִים רַכִּים וְהַצֹּאן וְהַבָּקָר עָלוֹת עָלָי וּדְפָקוּם יוֹם אֶחָד וָמֵתוּ כָּל-הַצֹּאן
. . . .
He said to him: 'My lord knows that the children are tender, and that the sheep and cattle are nursing with me; if they are driven hard one day, much of them shall die.
- Bereshit 33:14
יַעֲבָר-נָא אֲדֹנִי לִפְנֵי עַבְדּוֹ וַאֲנִי אֶתְנָהֲלָה לְאִטִּי לְרֶגֶל הַמְּלָאכָה אֲשֶׁר-לְפָנַי וּלְרֶגֶל הַיְלָדִים עַד אֲשֶׁר-אָבֹא אֶל-אֲדֹנִי שֵׂעִירָה
. . .
Let my lord pass on ahead of his servant; and I shall lead them slowly, on account of the property which is with me and on account of the children, until I come to my lord at al-Sharah (Seir).'
- Bereshit 33:15
וַיֹּאמֶר עֵשָׂו--אַצִּיגָה-נָּא עִמְּךָ מִן-הָעָם אֲשֶׁר אִתִּי וַיֹּאמֶר לָמָּה זֶּה אֶמְצָא-חֵן בְּעֵינֵי אֲדֹנִי
. .
He said: 'Then let me leave with you some of the people who are with me.' He said: 'Why? — let me but find this favor with my lord.'
- Bereshit 33:16
וַיָּשָׁב בַּיּוֹם הַהוּא עֵשָׂו לְדַרְכּוֹ שֵׂעִירָה
.
And Esau returned that day on his way to al-Sharah.
- Bereshit 33:17
וְיַעֲקֹב נָסַע סֻכֹּתָה וַיִּבֶן לוֹ בָּיִת וּלְמִקְנֵהוּ עָשָׂה סֻכֹּת עַל-כֵּן קָרָא שֵׁם-הַמָּקוֹם סֻכּוֹת
. . .
And Jacob journeyed to Sukkot; and he built himself a house, and made booths for his cattle; therefore he named that place Sukkot.
- Bereshit 33:18
וַיָּבֹא יַעֲקֹב שָׁלֵם עִיר שְׁכֶם אֲשֶׁר בְּאֶרֶץ כְּנַעַן בְּבֹאוֹ מִפַּדַּן אֲרָם וַיִּחַן אֶת-פְּנֵי הָעִיר
. . .
And Jacob came in safety to the town of Nablus (Shechem), which is in the land of Canaan, on his coming from Paddan-Aram; and he encamped over against the town.
- Bereshit 33:19
וַיִּקֶן אֶת-חֶלְקַת הַשָּׂדֶה אֲשֶׁר נָטָה-שָׁם אָהֳלוֹ מִיַּד בְּנֵי-חֲמוֹר אֲבִי שְׁכֶם--בְּמֵאָה קְשִׂיטָה
. . .
And he bought the field which adjoined the property where he had pitched his tent, from the hand of the sons of Hamor, the father of Shechem, for a hundred ewes.
- Bereshit 33:20
וַיַּצֶּב-שָׁם מִזְבֵּחַ וַיִּקְרָא-לוֹ--אֵל אֱלֹהֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל
. .
Then he built an altar; and he called upon it by the name of the Power, the God of Israel.
English is a working draft — author revising