Day 14: Genesis 33-35

Today's morning devotion is Genesis 33-35, which starts with Jacob's emotional reunion with Esau. Genesis 34 tells a rather tragic tale of love and death. Genesis 35 documents Jacob becoming Israel and taking his people to Bethel.

A blessing is a gift

I just wanted to remember an observation that, at least in the case of worldly interactions, the word "blessing" can simply be used to refer to a gift from one to another.

Esau said, “What do you mean by all this company that I met?” Jacob answered, “To find favor in the sight of my lord.” But Esau said, “I have enough, my brother; keep what you have for yourself.” Jacob said, “No, please, if I have found favor in your sight, then accept my present from my hand. For I have seen your face, which is like seeing the face of God, and you have accepted me. Please accept my blessing that is brought to you, because God has dealt graciously with me, and because I have enough.” Thus he urged him, and he took it. (Genesis 33:8-11 ESV)

But then... why call it a "blessing" instead of a "gift"?

Did Jacob deceive Esau once again?

Jacob tells Esau that he would follow Esau to Seir, but my reading of the text implies that Jacob never actually went to Seir, perhaps because he still deep down feared for his safety.

Then Esau said, “Let us journey on our way, and I will go ahead of you.” But Jacob said to him, “My lord knows that the children are frail, and that the nursing flocks and herds are a care to me. If they are driven hard for one day, all the flocks will die. Let my lord pass on ahead of his servant, and I will lead on slowly, at the pace of the livestock that are ahead of me and at the pace of the children, until I come to my lord in Seir.” (Genesis 33:12-14 ESV)

Even though Jacob implies strongly that he would arrive in Seir, the text seems to imply that Jacob skipped that stop on his journey.

So Esau returned that day on his way to Seir. But Jacob journeyed to Succoth, and built himself a house and made booths for his livestock. Therefore the name of the place is called Succoth. And Jacob came safely to the city of Shechem, which is in the land of Canaan, on his way from Paddan-aram, and he camped before the city. (Genesis 33:16-18 ESV)

Looking up maps of Seir, Succoth and Shechem, it appears that Esau traveled south and Jacob knowingly went north instead. So, my conclusion is that Jacob did indeed falsely imply to Esau that Jacob would be following behind Esau. Why would you lie again, Jacob?

But regardless, it seems that there were no hard feelings between the two brothers, as they came together uneventfully in grief to bury their father.

And Isaac breathed his last, and he died and was gathered to his people, old and full of days. And his sons Esau and Jacob buried him. (Genesis 35:29 ESV)

Does "humiliation" mean rape?

When the text reads that Shechem humiliated Dinah, does this mean that Shechem raped Dinah?

And when Shechem the son of Hamor the Hivite, the prince of the land, saw her, he seized her and lay with her and humiliated her. (Genesis 34:2 ESV)

A search on Google turned up a page titled "Dinah" in the Jewish Women's Archive. The conclusion put forth by the page is that Dinah was not raped, and that the story serves to highlight Simeon and Levi's unwillingness to intermarry with outsiders.

Earrings are impure?

This may be an idle musing, but I wonder whether earrings were considered impure. Jacob gives three immediate, explicit commands his people, upon hearing God's instruction to go to Bethel.

So Jacob said to his household and to all who were with him, “Put away the foreign gods that are among you and purify yourselves and change your garments. (Genesis 35:2 ESV)

The documented response indicated two reactions from Jacob's people.

So they gave to Jacob all the foreign gods that they had, and the rings that were in their ears. Jacob hid them under the terebinth tree that was near Shechem. (Genesis 35:4 ESV)

Giving Jacob the foreign gods is easy enough to understand. But why call out the submission of earrings separately in another clause? Giving Jacob earrings does not match the concept of changing garments, since to change clothes implies that the person would hold on the old clothes. So, then, is giving Jacob earrings a permanent act of purification? In which case earrings themselves are by nature tainted or impure?

Israel knowing Reuben's escapade

I'm just curious why the Bible mentions Reuben's affair with Bilbah, explicitly noting that Israel came to know that the affair happened.

While Israel lived in that land, Reuben went and lay with Bilhah his father's concubine. And Israel heard of it. Now the sons of Jacob were twelve. (Genesis 35:22 ESV)

Will this piece of information be used later in the Bible?