Welcome to my Hebrew reading & language series.

Genesis 32:14-19

We saw Jacob praying last week because he was afraid of what will happen when he meets his burly sibling again. There is so much more to lose now than when he had left. Back then, he could have been killed by an angry brother but now, his wives and kids were all at risk.

So this week, he is sending presents ahead in droves. If you use the word 'droves' today, it is likely because people read that word in The Bible before you were born. Each drove was to meet Esau and tell him about Jacob who will come to him soon. Each one brought gifts and each was separated by some time so that Esau would be appeased by the presents. Jacob's strategy also put only his servants at risk. Will it work?

This is a long chapter and for good reason.

I have a bit of trouble making my series flow when the numbers are off. I keep telling myself to follow the number written on the Hebrew which is what I read. So this post ends before verse twenty in Hebrew but is stopping before verse nineteen in the English interpretation. Other than that, the ESV is doing justice to the Hebrew except for the word Lord, which is neither respectful nor His actual Name. I prefer Ha Shem, if you cannot say the name. At least Ha Shem is better than a word that also represents husband or worse Ba'al, who was a false god.

Today's reading

English

So he stayed there that night, and from what he had with him he took a present for his brother Esau, two hundred female goats and twenty male goats, two hundred ewes and twenty rams, thirty milking camels and their calves, forty cows and ten bulls, twenty female donkeys and ten male donkeys. These he handed over to his servants, every drove by itself, and said to his servants, "Pass on ahead of me and put a space between drove and drove." He instructed the first, "When Esau my brother meets you and asks you, 'To whom do you belong? Where are you going? And whose are these ahead of you?' then you shall say, 'They belong to your servant Jacob. They are a present sent to my lord Esau. And moreover, he is behind us.'"

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Hebrew

The story continues next week as droves continue...

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Info on each letter starting at the beginning

If you are just starting, my lessons are all here starting at Alef, adding vowels (the dots and lines) as we go. I explain the meaning of each letter and its numerical value. Just go to my blog and scroll to the bottom or click here

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Thanks for reading.

Shabbat Shalom

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Note: I used the words chosen people last week and someone got lost and could not read further. Some of the things that they people were chosen for are not elegant, privileged, or in any way desirable. A father disciplined his child and not the children of his neighbors. The Jews have been enslaved, banished, exiled, and even gassed due to their having been chosen. They did, however, produce a lowly but faithful woman who mothered God in flesh.

He will be back for every person of the human race and his adversary is already back, accepting every member of the same race, forking it if you will. Whose chosen are you?