Genesis 32:14 — Word Study
WLCעִזִּ֣ים מָאתַ֔יִם וּתְיָשִׁ֖ים עֶשְׂרִ֑ים רְחֵלִ֥ים מָאתַ֖יִם וְאֵילִ֥ים עֶשְׂרִֽים׃
BSAto lodgelûwn thereshâm nightlayil he/she/ithûwʼ to takelâqach frommin Lebobôwʼ handyâd offeringminchâh EsauʻÊsâv brotherʼâch
| Greek | English | Parsing |
|---|---|---|
| עִזִּ֣ים | female goats | Noun common, masculine plural absolute |
| מָאתַ֔יִם | two hundred | |
| וּתְיָשִׁ֖ים | and male goats | Conjunction, noun common masculine plural absolute |
| עֶשְׂרִ֑ים | twenty | |
| רְחֵלִ֥ים | ewes | Noun common, masculine plural absolute |
| מָאתַ֖יִם | two hundred | |
| וְאֵילִ֥ים | and rams | Conjunction, noun common masculine plural absolute |
| עֶשְׂרִֽים׃ | twenty |
Every word in the verse. Click a row to open it in the panel on the left.
| BSB | 200 female goats, 20 male goats, 200 ewes, 20 rams, |
| KJV | Two hundred she goats, and twenty he goats, two hundred ewes, and twenty rams, |
| ASV | two hundred she-goats and twenty he-goats, two hundred ewes and twenty rams, |
| YLT | she-goats two hundred, and he-goats twenty, ewes two hundred, and rams twenty, |
| WEB | two hundred female goats and twenty male goats, two hundred ewes and twenty rams, |
| BBE | Two hundred she-goats and twenty he-goats, two hundred females and twenty males from the sheep, |
All translations agree on the livestock mentioned in this verse.
The sentence is a straightforward listing of the animals Jacob prepared as a gift.
6 commentators on this verse
Gill, Jamieson, Trapp, Ellicott & more — read them ›
clause
The sentence as the grammar sees it Open the tree ›
Every word here is used elsewhere in the Old Testament.
Bars are logarithmic — אֵת, the commonest word in the Hebrew Bible, stands about 11,000 times, so a linear scale would leave everything else invisible. Click a row to open that word.
Deep Study — Genesis 32:14
Sections marked generated are written from the data on this page rather than by a named author. Everything else — the lexicon entries, the cross references, the manuscript readings, the counts — is quoted from its source unchanged.
Context — Jacob's Gift to Esaugenerated
Genesis 32:14 is part of a narrative where Jacob is preparing to meet his brother Esau after many years apart. He selects a generous gift from his possessions, which includes a variety of livestock, aiming to soften Esau's heart after their previous conflicts. This preparation reflects Jacob's concern for their relationship and his hope for reconciliation.
Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Genesis 30:43 | Thus Jacob became exceedingly prosperous. He owned large flocks, maidservants and menservants, and camels and donkeys. |
| 2 | Genesis 31:9–16 | Thus God has taken away your father’s livestock and given them to me. |
| 3 | Deuteronomy 8:18 | But remember that it is the LORD your God who gives you the power to gain wealth, in order to confirm His covenant that He swore to your fathers even to this day. |
| 4 | 1 Samuel 25:2 | Now there was a man in Maon whose business was in Carmel. He was a very wealthy man with a thousand goats and three thousand sheep, which he was shearing in Carmel. |
| 5 | Job 1:3 | and he owned 7,000 sheep, 3,000 camels, 500 yoke of oxen, 500 female donkeys, and a very large number of servants. Job was the greatest man of all the people of the East. |
The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 6 references, hung on the phrase they belong to
The Key Word — עִזִּ֣ים, 'i.Zimgenerated
The word עִזִּים ('i.Zim) is a noun in the masculine plural form, meaning 'female goats.' It is derived from the root that signifies strength, and in biblical contexts, it often refers to she-goats or kids. The term emphasizes the importance of livestock in pastoral societies, particularly in the context of offerings and gifts.
In this verse, Jacob specifies the number of female goats he is presenting, highlighting the significance of these animals as a valuable part of his wealth and as a means to express his goodwill towards Esau.
How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated
This study reads the verse in the Berean Standard Bible, so the BSB is the wording every comparison below is made against.
Sentence Structuregenerated
The main clause of the verse lists the items in Jacob's gift, with the finite verb implied in the context of his actions. The structure emphasizes the quantity and type of livestock he is offering, which is important for understanding the nature of his gift.
The Hebrew word order places the numbers before the nouns, which highlights the specific quantities of each type of animal, making it clear how generous Jacob's offering is.
Septuagint Backgroundgenerated
The Septuagint translates עִזִּים as καὶ, indicating a straightforward rendering without additional interpretation. This choice aligns with the direct nature of the original Hebrew.
The Greek translation does not introduce any new nuances but maintains the focus on the livestock, similar to the Hebrew text.
In plain words — the whole versegenerated
Genesis 32:14 describes how Jacob prepared a large gift for his brother Esau, including 200 female goats, 20 male goats, 200 ewes, and 20 rams. This gift was intended to show Jacob's goodwill and desire to reconcile after their past conflicts.
Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated
Jacob wanted to appease Esau and show his respect, hoping to mend their relationship after years of separation.
The animals represent Jacob's wealth and serve as a gesture of goodwill, as livestock were valuable in ancient times.
This moment illustrates Jacob's fear of Esau's anger and his desire to make amends, setting the stage for their eventual reunion.
Jacob's careful planning and generous offering highlight the importance of humility and effort in repairing relationships.
Reflection Questionsgenerated
- How do I approach reconciliation in my own relationships?
- What sacrifices am I willing to make to mend a broken relationship?
- In what ways can I show generosity to those I may have wronged?
- How does understanding the cultural significance of gifts enhance my reading of this passage?
Commentators on this verse — 6 expositors, verse by verse
Each of these wrote on Genesis 32:14 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.
John Gill1697–1771Gill's Exposition of the Entire BibleTwo hundred she goats, and twenty he goats, two hundred ewes, and twenty rams.
Read John Gill on Genesis 32 →Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's CommentaryAnd he lodged there that same night; and took of that which came to his hand a present for Esau his brother; He lodged there that same night.
Read Robert Jamieson on Genesis 32 →John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New TestamentsGenesis 32:14 Two hundred she goats, and twenty he goats, two hundred ewes, and twenty rams,Ver. 14. Two hundred she-goats, &c.] A very great present for a private person to send. Five hundred and fifty beasts, of sundry sorts, for store. He spares no cost, that he may buy his peace, and enjoy his birthright. Heaven, he knew (whereof Canaan was a type and pledge), would pay for all. Get but a patriarch’ s eye to see heaven afar off, and we shall be soon ready to buy it at any rate. The pearl of price cannot be a dear bargain, though we part with all to purchase it. Moses was forty years old, and therefore no baby, when "he preferred the reproach of Christ," the worst thing about him…
Read John Trapp on Genesis 32 →Charles John Ellicott1819–1905Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers(14, 15) Goats—ewes—camels—kine—asses.—As the kinds of cattle are arranged according to their value, it is remarkable that kine should be prized above camels; for the milk of cows was regarded as of little worth. This high estimation of them, therefore, must have arisen from an increased regard for agriculture, the ploughing being done in the East by oxen. Asses of course come last, as being the animal used by chieftains for riding, and therefore prized as matters of luxury. (See Genesis 12:16; Judges 5:10.) Jacob selected “milch camels” because their milk forms a valuable part of the daily food of the Arabs.
Read Charles John Ellicott on Genesis 32 →AdamClarkeAdam Clarke's Commentary on the BibleVerse 14. Two hundred she-goats, c.] This was a princely present, and such as was sufficient to have compensated Esau for any kind of temporal loss he might have sustained in being deprived of his birthright and blessing. The thirty milch camels were particularly valuable, for milch camels among the Arabs constitute a principal part of their riches, the creature being every way so serviceable that the providence of God appears peculiarly kind and wise in providing such a beast for those countries where no other animal could be of equal service. "The she-camel gives milk continually, not ceasing till great with young the milk of which," as Pliny has remarked, "when mixed with three parts of…
Read AdamClarke on Genesis 32 →CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges14. two hundred, &c.] The numbers here given enable us to form some idea of the great size of Jacob’s caravan. The animals are apparently mentioned in the order of their value, beginning with the least valuable. Jacob hopes by the arrival of a succession of gifts to break down Esau’s bitter grudge against him. For “a brother offended,” cf. Proverbs 18:19.
Read Cambridge on Genesis 32 →The verse in English, compared — 17 translations, and where they part company
Every translation on this page is a decision someone had to make and commit to. Read down a column and you see one translator's judgement; read across a row and you see the range the Greek actually allows. The BSB is the wording the rest of this page is measured against, so it is listed first.
Modern formal
200 female goats, 20 male goats, 200 ewes, 20 rams,
two hundred female goats and twenty male goats, two hundred ewes and twenty rams,
200 female goats, 20 male goats, 200 ewes, 20 rams,
two hundred female goats and twenty male goats, two hundred ewes and twenty rams,
Tyndale line
Two hundred she goats, and twenty he goats, two hundred ewes, and twenty rams,
two hundred she-goats and twenty he-goats, two hundred ewes and twenty rams,
two hundred she-goats and twenty he-goats, two hundred ewes and twenty rams,
Two hundred she-goats, and twenty he-goats, two hundred ewes and twenty rams,
Two hundreth shee goates and twenty hee goates, two hundreth ewes and twentie rammes:
Strictly literal
two hundred she-goats, and twenty he-goats; two hundred ewes, and twenty rams;
she-goats two hundred, and he-goats twenty, ewes two hundred, and rams twenty,
female goats two hundred, and male goats twenty, ewes two hundred, and rams twenty,
Two hundred she-goats, and twenty he-goats, two hundred ewes, and twenty rams.
two hundred female goats and twenty male goats, two hundred ewes and twenty rams,
From the Latin
Two hundred she goats, twenty he goats, two hundred ewes, and twenty rams,
Simplified
200 female goats, 20 male goats; 200 ewes, 20 rams;
Two hundred she-goats and twenty he-goats, two hundred females and twenty males from the sheep,
Counted from the translations carried on this site, not from a survey of every English Bible. A rendering shared by many versions is usually inherited rather than independently arrived at — the Tyndale line in particular runs through most of them.
The sentence as the grammar sees it — from the MACULA Hebrew treebank
This is not our own analysis: it is the scholarly syntax tree for the verse, showing how the clause actually holds together.
Boxes are the grammarian's groupings — clause, noun phrase, prepositional phrase.
The four witnesses to this verse — Masoretic, Septuagint, Samaritan, Qumran
The Masoretic Text is supported by the Samaritan Pentateuch, which agrees word for word with the Hebrew. The Septuagint matches six of the eight words, though its word order is different, showing a close relationship to the original text.
עִזִּ֣ים מָאתַ֔יִם וּתְיָשִׁ֖ים עֶשְׂרִ֑ים רְחֵלִ֥ים מָאתַ֖יִם וְאֵילִ֥ים עֶשְׂרִֽים׃
6 of the 8 words are matched. This is the word-by-word correspondence, not the Septuagint's own sentence — its word order and its articles are its own.
וילן שׁם בלילה ההוא ויקח מן הבא בידו מנחה לעשׂו אחיו
Agrees with the Masoretic Text here, word for word.
Four traditions, not one. “On the leather” means the letters physically survive on the scroll, as against letters an editor has supplied to fill a hole in it — a restoration is a scholar’s reading, not a reading of the manuscript. Words in [square brackets] are supplied; the notes count them apart from what survives.
The map of this verse — what each word keeps company with
This is a map of two things, both counted rather than judged. Company kept: which words stand within three words of each of these, anywhere in the Hebrew Bible — the thicker the line, the more often the pair meet compared with chance. Built from: the words a word is made out of, taken from its own Strong’s entry. It is not a map of meaning: nothing here claims two words mean the same thing. Click any circle to see the numbers behind it.
Lexicons — every word in Genesis 32:14
One dossier per word, with every reference work grouped by kind — Hebrew lexicons, morphology, Bible dictionaries, topical chains and the English of the translators themselves. The verse sits at the head of each block with the word under study lit, so you never lose your place. The panel above gives the short answer; this is the long one, and it is the part of the page worth indexing.
Every entry below is the lexicographer's own text. On the Hebrew: Brown-Driver-Briggs entire and its gloss set, Strong's Hebrew Dictionary, and Tyndale House's Translators Brief lexicon. Where a cell says a work has no entry, that work genuinely has none for this word.
עֵז (ez) refers to a she-goat or female goat, and can also denote a kid. It is derived from a root meaning strength, and in the plural form, it can refer to goats in general or goat's hair. The word appears in various contexts in the Old Testament.
עֵז 74 n.f. she-goat
base
H5795 עֵז she-goat
5795 `ez aze
from 5810; a she-goat (as strong), but masculine in plural
(which also is used ellipt. for goat's hair):--(she) goat,
kid.
see HEBREW for 05810
עֵז (ez) — goat.
female goat, she-goat, goat, kid
Aramaic equivalent: ez (עֵז "goat" H5796)
HNcmpa — Noun common · masculine plural absoluteHNcmpa
מֵאָה (me'ah) means 'hundred' in Hebrew. It can refer to a simple number, a component of a larger number, or a fraction representing one one-hundredth. The entries consistently describe its use as a numeral without significant disagreement.
מֵאָה 583 n.f. hundred
as simple number
as part of larger number
a hundredth part
base
H3967 מֵאָה hundred . as simple number
. as part of larger number
. a hundredth part
3967 me'ah may-aw'
or metyah {may-yaw'}; properly, a primitive numeral; a
hundred; also as a multiplicative and a
fraction:--hundred((-fold), -th), + sixscore.
מֵאָה (me.ah) — hundred.
1) hundred
1a) as simple number
1b) as part of larger number
1c) as a fraction-one one-hundredth (1/100)
Aramaic equivalent: me.ah (מְאָה "hundred" H3969)
HAcfda — HAcfda
hun'-dred (me'-ah; hekaton).
See NUMBER.
תַּ֫יִשׁ (tayish) refers to a male goat or he-goat. The word is derived from an unused root meaning to butt, emphasizing the animal's behavior. It is consistently defined across lexicons, with no significant disagreement noted.
[תַּ֫יִשׁ] n.m. he-goat
base
H8495 [תַּ֫יִשׁ] he-goat
8495 tayish tah'-yeesh
from an unused root meaning to butt; a buck or he-goat (as
given to butting):--he goat.
תַּ֫יִשׁ (ta.yish) — male goat.
he-goat
HC/Ncmpa — Conjunction · noun common masculine plural absoluteHC/Ncmpa
עֶשְׂרִים (esriym) means 'twenty' and can also refer to the ordinal 'twentieth.' It is derived from the root word for 'ten' and has an Aramaic equivalent, עֶשְׂרִין (es.rin). The entries consistently define the term without significant disagreement.
עֶשְׂרִים (a) twenty
base
H6242 עֶשְׂרִים (a) twenty
6242 `esriym es-reem'
from 6235; twenty; also (ordinal) twentieth:--(six-)score,
twenty(-ieth).
see HEBREW for 06235
עֶשְׂרִים (es.rim) — twenty.
twenty, twentieth
Aramaic equivalent: es.rin (עֶשְׂרִין "twenty" H6243)
HAcmpa — HAcmpa
twen'-ti.
See NUMBER.
רָחֵל (rachel) means 'ewe' and refers specifically to female sheep, which are often seen as the predominant members of a flock. The term is derived from an unused root meaning to journey, highlighting the idea of a good traveler. The entries consistently focus on its meaning related to sheep.
H7353 רָחֵל ewe
7353 rachel raw-kale'
from an unused root meaning to journey; a ewe (the females
being the predominant element of a flock) (as a good
traveller):--ewe, sheep.
רָחֵל (ra.chel) — ewe.
ewe
HNcmpa — Noun common · masculine plural absoluteHNcmpa
מֵאָה (me'ah) means 'hundred' in Hebrew. It can refer to a simple number, a component of a larger number, or a fraction representing one one-hundredth. The entries consistently describe its use as a numeral without significant disagreement.
מֵאָה 583 n.f. hundred
as simple number
as part of larger number
a hundredth part
base
H3967 מֵאָה hundred . as simple number
. as part of larger number
. a hundredth part
3967 me'ah may-aw'
or metyah {may-yaw'}; properly, a primitive numeral; a
hundred; also as a multiplicative and a
fraction:--hundred((-fold), -th), + sixscore.
מֵאָה (me.ah) — hundred.
1) hundred
1a) as simple number
1b) as part of larger number
1c) as a fraction-one one-hundredth (1/100)
Aramaic equivalent: me.ah (מְאָה "hundred" H3969)
HAcfda — HAcfda
hun'-dred (me'-ah; hekaton).
See NUMBER.
אַ֫יִל (ayil) encompasses several meanings, including 'ram,' 'projecting pillar or pilaster,' 'leader or chief,' and 'terebinth.' It is derived from a root meaning strength, suggesting a connection to might and support. The term appears in various contexts, reflecting its diverse applications in the Old Testament.
אַ֫יִל 156 n.m. ram (as leader of flock)
base
אַ֫יִל n.[m.] projecting pillar or pilaster
base
[אַ֫יִל ?] n.m. leader, chief
base
[אַ֫יִל ?] n.m. terebinth
base
H352a אַ֫יִל ram H352b אַ֫יִל projecting pillar or pilaster H352c אַ֫יִל leader, chief H352d אַ֫יִל terebinth
352 'ayil ah'-yil
from the same as 193; properly, strength; hence, anything
strong; specifically a chief (politically); also a ram (from
his strength); a pilaster (as a strong support); an oak or
other strong tree:--mighty (man), lintel, oak, post, ram,
tree.
see HEBREW for 0193
אַ֫יִל (a.yil) — ram.
1) ram
1a) ram (as food)
1b) ram (as sacrifice)
1c) ram (skin dyed red, for tabernacle)
אַ֫יִל (a.yil) — pillar.
pillar, door post, jambs, pilaster
אַ֫יִל (a.yil) — leader.
strong man, leader, chief
אַ֫יִל (a.yil) — terebinth.
mighty tree, terebinth
Aramaic equivalent: i.lan (אִילָן "tree" H0363)
HC/Ncmpa — Conjunction · noun common masculine plural absoluteHC/Ncmpa
עֶשְׂרִים (esriym) means 'twenty' and can also refer to the ordinal 'twentieth.' It is derived from the root word for 'ten' and has an Aramaic equivalent, עֶשְׂרִין (es.rin). The entries consistently define the term without significant disagreement.
עֶשְׂרִים (a) twenty
base
H6242 עֶשְׂרִים (a) twenty
6242 `esriym es-reem'
from 6235; twenty; also (ordinal) twentieth:--(six-)score,
twenty(-ieth).
see HEBREW for 06235
עֶשְׂרִים (es.rim) — twenty.
twenty, twentieth
Aramaic equivalent: es.rin (עֶשְׂרִין "twenty" H6243)
HAcmpa — HAcmpa
twen'-ti.
See NUMBER.