Holly Bible - KJV with Concise Commentaries by Z Selam - HTML preview
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5 And he lifted up his eyes, and saw the women and the children, and
said, who are those with thee? And he said, the children which God hath graciously given thy servant.
About Jacob's retinue, Ge 33:5-7. Eleven or twelve little ones, the eldest of them not fourteen years old, followed Jacob closely: Who are these? Says Esau. Jacob had sent him an account of the increase of his estate (Ge 32:5), but made no mention of his children; perhaps because he would not expose them to his rage if he should meet him as an enemy, or would please him with the unexpected sight if he should meet him as a friend: Esau therefore had reason to ask, Who are those with thee? to which common question Jacob returns a serious answer, such as became his character: They are the children which God hath graciously given thy servant. It had been a sufficient answer to the question, and fit enough to be given to profane Esau, if he had only said, "They are my children;" but then Jacob would not have spoken like himself, like a man whose eyes were ever towards the Lord. Note, It becomes us not only to do common actions, but to speak of them, after a godly sort, 3Jo 1:6. Jacob speaks of his children,
1. As God's gifts; they are a heritage of the Lord, Ps 128:2, and Ps 112:9.Ps 107:41.
2. As choice gifts; he hath graciously given them. Though they were many, and now much his care, and as yet but slenderly provided for, yet he accounts them great blessings. His wives and children, hereupon, come up in order, and pay their duty to Esau, as he had done before them (Ge 33:6, 7); for it becomes the family to show respect to those to whom the master of the family shows respect.
6 Then the handmaidens came near, they and their children, and
they bowed themselves.
7 And Leah also with her children came near, and bowed themselves:
and after came Joseph near and Rachel, and they bowed themselves.