Biblical Hebrew Forum

[JimStinehart AT aol.com]

Karl:
 
1.  You wrote:  “There are errors in your analysis: the meeting was held 
not in the
 Transjordan, rather west of the Jordan….”
 
No, the text tells us that the meeting between Jacob and Esau occurred at 
Penuel in the Transjordan, immediately after Jacob crossed the Jabbok River.  
The Jabbok River is exclusively in the Transjordan, and does not exist “
west of the Jordan”.
 
“The same night he [Jacob] arose and took his two wives, his two female 
servants, and his eleven children, and crossed the ford of the Jabbok. …Jacob 
called the name of the place Peniel….The sun rose upon him as he passed 
Penuel, limping because of his hip.  And Jacob lifted up his eyes and looked, 
and 
behold, Esau was coming, and four hundred men with him.” Genesis 32: 22, 30 
– Genesis 33: 1.  [We should ignore the medieval chapter division at the 
end of chapter 32 of Genesis.  The text is continuous, as I have shown it 
above.]
 
2.  You wrote:  “…and the flocks were not exhausted because Jacob had been 
taking his time and his excuse was that he should continue to do so.”
 
Au contraire, the text makes clear that Jacob had fled with lightning speed 
from Harran in far-off Nahrima on the upper Euphrates River all the long 
way to northern Gilead (where Laban and Jacob then have a final parting of 
the 
ways).
 
“When it was told Laban on the third day that Jacob had fled, he took his 
kinsmen with him and pursued him for seven days and followed close after him 
into the hill country of Gilead.”  Genesis 31: 22-23
 
That is moving incredibly fast with a large flock of sheep and goats, with 
Jacob somehow managing to get from Harran to Gilead in a mere 10 days.  The 
flock would definitely be exhausted at that point, big time.  Then as soon 
as the awkward meeting with Laban is finished, the Esau matter arises:
 
“Early in the morning Laban arose and kissed his grandchildren and his 
daughters and blessed them. Then Laban departed and returned home.  Jacob 
went 
on his way, and the angels of God met him.  And when Jacob saw them he said, 
"This is God’s camp!" So he called the name of that place Mahanaim.  And 
Jacob sent messengers before him to Esau his brother in the land of Seir….”  
Genesis 31: 55 – Genesis 32: 3.  [Once again, it’s continuous text, ignoring 
the medieval chapter divisions.]
 
So Jacob speaks truthfully when he explicitly says:
 
“‘[T]he nursing flocks and herds are a care to me. If they are driven hard 
for one day, all the flocks will die.’”  Genesis 32: 13
 
3.  You wrote:  “Further, the language used by Jacob in the Hebrew
 indicates that this was an offer made by Jacob that was not followed up on,
 as Jacob never made it to Seir.”
 
Yes, it’s true that Jacob never went to Seir.  But the whole point, Karl, 
is that in order for this story to be credible, Esau must have reasonably 
believed that Jacob would go to Seir on Jacob’s way to Canaan.  That can only 
be historical Seir/Shar/Jazer in Gilead, and cannot possibly be Mt. Seir 
south of the Dead Sea.
 
Karl, you seem to be denying, again and again, the plain meaning of the 
Hebrew text.  Why are you doing that?  The Biblical text makes perfect sense, 
with no forced readings being needed at all, once it is realized that in 
chapters 31, 32, 33 and 14 of Genesis, the Seir that is referenced there is 
historical Seir/Shar/Jazer in Gilead.  The geography is fully historical, and 
makes perfect sense on all levels, including working perfectly in the text of 
chapters 31-33 and 14 of Genesis.
 
 
Jim Stinehart
Evanston, Illinois