Genesis 33:15

And Esau said, Let me now leave with thee some of the folk that are with me. And he said, What needeth it? let me find grace in the sight of my lord.

The verse belongs to the Genesis 32-33 account of Jacob's return to Palestine, when his life reached a crisis and he became Israel. It comes right after his victory gained through faith in wrestling at the Brook Jabbok at Peniel with the Angel of Jehovah, where his name was changed from Jacob the supplanter to Israel the prevailer with God. It belongs to his perplexed and agonizing advance to meet his brother Esau with God's angelic host present with him. From that point his life was more peaceful as he came in peace on his way toward Shechem and back again toward Bethel.

The meeting shows God's protection and deliverance of Jacob from Esau without Jacob using the sword, for God protected him and brought about the safe meeting. God did this by His intervention changing Esau's purpose, demonstrating His power to change men's hearts. In the verse Esau offers to leave some of the folk that are with him for Jacob, proposing to leave some of his people with him. Jacob gracefully declines the proposition, indicating he needs no escort and asking only to find grace in his lord's sight and seeking Esau's favor.

Jacob politely declines Esau's offer of men for protection because his company needed to travel slowly and was already guarded by heavenly angels. In this advance Jacob does his part to compensate his offended brother with property, humbles his heart before God pleading only mercy and grace, and dedicates himself and his household to God. His attitude toward Esau reflects his changed mind about his former course concerning the birthright.

The humbled meeting stands joined to the change of his name from Jacob the supplanter to Israel the prevailer with God, showing that true Israel are prevailers by faith. His character was greatly modified and refined by the blessing received from the angel in the night of terrible conflict, so that ever after he was reverenced by all who knew him. The verse shows the peaceful parting of Jacob and Esau after their reconciliation. Their later separation was no longer caused by enmity, jealousy, and hatred but because of their possessions and because Jacob knew their religious faith was so unlike that it would be better to live apart.

Jacob was now wealthy, and he returned to Esau the blessing of possession so recklessly sold for a mess of pottage. Esau's former expectation of revenge upon Jacob for stealing his father's blessing was gone and his feelings greatly changed. At their father's death-bed the brothers met and united their grief.

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