Genesis 32:16

32:16 He entrusted them to ¹  his servants, who divided them into herds. ²  He told his servants, “Pass over before me, and keep some distance between one herd and the next.”

Genesis 32:20

32:20 You must also say, ‘In fact your servant Jacob is behind us.’” ³  Jacob thought, ⁴  “I will first appease him ⁵  by sending a gift ahead of me. ⁶  After that I will meet him. ⁷  Perhaps he will accept me.” ⁸ 

¹ tn Heb “and he put them in the hand of.”

² tn Heb “a herd, a herd, by itself,” or “each herd by itself.” The distributive sense is expressed by repetition.

³ tn Heb “and look, your servant Jacob [is] behind us.”

⁴ tn Heb “for he said.” The referent (Jacob) has been specified in the translation for clarity. The Hebrew word מַקֵל (maqel), traditionally represents Jacob’s thought or reasoning, and is therefore translated “thought.”

⁵ tn Heb “I will appease his face.” The cohortative here expresses Jacob’s resolve. In the Book of Leviticus the Hebrew verb translated “appease” has the idea of removing anger due to sin or guilt, a nuance that fits this passage very well. Jacob wanted to buy Esau off with a gift of more than five hundred and fifty animals.

⁶ tn Heb “with a gift going before me.”

⁷ tn Heb “I will see his face.”

⁸ tn Heb “Perhaps he will lift up my face.” In this context the idiom refers to acceptance.