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Unless otherwise identified, English translations are from Tanakh by permission of the Jewish Publication Society.

Torah Talk for Vayishlach 5777 Gen 32:4-36:43 (end) Gen. 33:12 And [Esau] said, “Let us start on our journey, and I will proceed at your pace.” 13 But he said to him, “My lord knows that the children are frail and that the flocks and herds, which are nursing, are a care to me; if they are driven hard a single day, all the flocks will die. 14 Let my lord go on ahead of his servant, while I travel slowly, at the pace of the cattle before me and at the pace of the children, until I come to my lord in Seir.” Gen. 33:15 Then Esau said, “Let me assign to you some of the men who are with me.” But he said, “Oh no, my lord is too kind to me!” 16 So Esau started back that day on his way to Seir. 17 But Jacob journeyed on to Succoth, and built a house for himself and made stalls for his cattle; that is why the place was called Succoth.a [a Meaning “stalls,” “huts,” “booths.”] Jon Levenson, “Genesis” (Jewish Study Bible) 14: Jacob never comes to his brother in Seir, but instead journeys to Succoth. He once again succeeds in securing his independence from the larger family, thus maintaining the distinctive identity of his lineage against the threat of assimilation into the surrounding nations. Nahum Sarna, Genesis (JPS Torah Commentary) 14. Seir Jacob encourages Esau to think that his destination is Seir so as to get him to return home as soon as possible. On Seir, see the Comments to 14:6, 25:25, and 32:4. 16. So Esau started back He now fades from the scene of recorded history, reappearing briefly for Isaac’s funeral (35:29). Esau’s genealogies are given in chapter 36. 17. Succoth No sooner has Esau departed southward for Seir than Jacob turns northward, recrossing the Jabbok. Judges 8:5,8 show that Succoth was quite near Penuel, but much closer to the Jordan. Jacob obviously wishes to position himself on the east-west road that connected Canaan with the major north-south artery that led from Damascus. Gen. 32:4 Jacob sent messengers ahead to his brother Esau in the land of Seir, the country of Edom. [Sarna: This presupposes that Esau-Edom had by this time migrated east of the Jordan and had either dispossessed the Horites from Seir or was in the process of so doing.] 2Sam. 19:32 Barzillai the Gileadite had come down from Rogelin and passed on to the Jordan with the king, to see him off at the Jordan. 33 Barzillai was very old, eighty years of age; and he had provided the king with food during his stay at Mahanaim, for he was a very wealthy man. 34 The king said to Barzillai, “Cross over with me, and I will provide for you in Jerusalem at my side.” 35 But Barzillai said to the king, “How many years are left to me that I should go up with Your Majesty to Jerusalem? 36 I am now eighty years old. Can I tell the difference between good and bad? Can your servant taste what he eats and drinks? Can I still listen to the singing of men and women? Why then should your servant continue to be a burden to my lord the king? 37 Your servant could barely cross the Jordan with your Majesty! Why should Your Majesty reward me so generously? 38 Let your servant go back, and let me die in my own town, near the graves of my father and mother. But here is your servant Chimham; let him cross with my lord the king, and do for him as you see fit.”

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Unless otherwise identified, English translations are from Tanakh by permission of the Jewish Publication Society.

Rainey & Notley, The Sacred Bridge Edom . The final region of the land is southern Transjordan, viz. Mount Seir or Edom (Gen 36:21; Ezek 35:15). There is some evidence that Edom/Seir also applied to the high country south of the Negeb (e.g. 1 Chr 4:42–43), but in monarchial times the red sandstone mountains south of the Zered are usually meant. Some of the peaks reach as high as 5,696 feet (1,736 m). The territory of Edom proper, though 75 miles (120 km) long, is only about 12.5 miles (20 km) wide. There is room in the mountain range for a single line of towns. The embayment behind Feinân (biblical Punon) divides the area into two halves. The Old Testament capital was Sela (Arabic Sila{) while the Nabatean and Roman capital moved to Rekem, known in Greek sources as Petra (and not to be identified with Sela, or with Kadesh-barnea). The people of Edom were in constant rivalry with Judah for control of the Arabah south of the Dead Sea, and Elath/Ezion-geber changed hands several times between them. To the south of Edom was the territory of Midian and to the east was Kedar, whose king gained control of the entire area across to Gaza and Egypt during the Persian period.

Jordan River. The Jordan flows in a tortuous course through the deep Rift Valley down to the Dead Sea. In a straight line it covers about 65 miles (105 km) and descends from 656 feet (200 m) below sea level to nearly 1,310 feet (400 m) below. The first part of its course is through steep clay banks until it reaches the confluence of the Jabbok from the east and the Wa®dˆä el-Far{ah on the west. At this point, denoted by the town of Adam (Josh 3:16), modern ed-Damieh, the riverbed cut through a more open plain. The valley was part of the biblical Arabah (Deut 1:7; 2 Sam 2:29, 4:7; et passim); it served as the boundary of Canaan (Num 34:12; Ezek 47:18). Along the eastern edge of the valley were rich water sources that encouraged the rise of towns in the Canaanite period, e.g. Peh Ωel (Pella), Succoth, etc., while the western side was more arid except for the Beth-shean Valley and the Jericho region, which was a tropical paradise (War 4.8.3).