King James Version

Genesis 32:17

And he commanded the foremost, saying, When Esau my brother meeteth thee, and asketh thee, saying, Whose art thou? and whither goest thou? and whose are these before thee?

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Hebrew

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In the Hebrew text this line is Genesis 32:18.

וַיְצַ֥וvaytsavand appointצָוָהconjunction, verb, piel, sequential imperfect, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “and appoint”, the next action in the storyH6680(intensively) to constitute, enjoinappoint, (for-) bid, (give a) charge, (give a, give in, send with) command(-er, -ment), send a messenger, put, (set) in order.אֶתetobject markerאֵתparticle, direct object marker — “object marker”H853properly, self (but generally used to point out more definitely the object of a verb or preposition, even or namely)(as such unrepresented in English).הָרִאשׁ֖וֹןharishonthe firstרִאשׁוֹןdefinite article, adjective, ordinal, masculine, singular, absolute — “the first”, the ordinary formH7223first, in place, time or rank (as adjective or noun)ancestor, (that were) before(-time), beginning, eldest, first, fore(-father) (-most), former (thing), of old time, past.לֵאמֹ֑רlemorto sayאָמַרpreposition, verb, qal, infinitive construct — “to say”, the to-form of the verbH559to say (used with great latitude)answer, appoint, avouch, bid, boast self, call, certify, challenge, charge, [phrase] (at the, give) command(-ment), commune, consider, declare, demand, [idiom] desire, determine, [idiom] expressly, [idiom] indeed, [idiom] intend, name, [id…כִּ֣יkiassuredכִּיconjunction — “assured”H3588(by implication) very widely used as a relative conjunction or adverb (as below); often largely modified by other particles annexedand, + (forasmuch, inasmuch, where-) as, assured(-ly), + but, certainly, doubtless, + else, even, + except, for, how, (because, in, so, than) that, + nevertheless, now, rightly, seeing, since, surely, then, therefore, + (al-) though, + til…יִֽפְגָּשְׁךָ֞yifgashekhameetפָּגַשׁverb, qal, imperfect, 3rd person, masculine, singular, suffix, pronominal, 2nd person, masculine, singular — “meet”, an unfinished actionH6298to come in contact with, whether by accident or violence; figuratively, to concurmeet (with, together).עֵשָׂ֣וesavEsauעֵשָׂוnoun, proper name — “Esau”H6215Esav, a son of Isaac, including his posterityEsau.אָחִ֗יachibrother ; kindredאָחnoun, common, masculine, singular, construct, suffix, pronominal, 1st person, common, singular — “brother ; kindred”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH251a brother (used in the widest sense of literal relationship and metaphorical affinity or resemblance (like father))another, brother(-ly); kindred, like, other. Compare also the proper names beginning with 'Ah-' or 'Ahi-'.וִשְׁאֵֽלְךָ֙vishelekhaand demandשָׁאַלconjunction, verb, qal, sequential perfect, 3rd person, masculine, singular, suffix, pronominal, 2nd person, masculine, singular — “and demand”, a completed action in a sequenceH7592to inquire; by implication, to request; by extension, to demandask (counsel, on), beg, borrow, lay to charge, consult, demand, desire, [idiom] earnestly, enquire, [phrase] greet, obtain leave, lend, pray, request, require, [phrase] salute, [idiom] straitly, [idiom] surely, wish.לֵאמֹ֔רlemorto sayאָמַרpreposition, verb, qal, infinitive construct — “to say”, the to-form of the verbH559to say (used with great latitude)answer, appoint, avouch, bid, boast self, call, certify, challenge, charge, [phrase] (at the, give) command(-ment), commune, consider, declare, demand, [idiom] desire, determine, [idiom] expressly, [idiom] indeed, [idiom] intend, name, [id…לְמִיlemito whoמִיpreposition, particle, interrogative — “to who”H4310who? (occasionally, by a peculiar idiom, of things); also (indefinitely) whoever; often used in oblique construction with prefix or suffixany (man), [idiom] he, [idiom] him, [phrase] O that! what, which, who(-m, -se, -soever), [phrase] would to God.אַ֨תָּה֙atahtheeאַתָּהpronoun, personal, 2nd person, masculine, singular — “thee”H859thou and thee, or (plural) ye and youthee, thou, ye, you.וְאָ֣נָהveanahand whereאָןconjunction, particle, interrogative — “and where”H575where?; hence, whither?, when?; also hither and thither[phrase] any (no) whither, now, where, whither(-soever).תֵלֵ֔ךְtelekhecarryיָלַךְverb, qal, imperfect, 2nd person, masculine, singular — “carry”, an unfinished actionH3212to walk (literally or figuratively); causatively, to carry (in various senses)[idiom] again, away, bear, bring, carry (away), come (away), depart, flow, [phrase] follow(-ing), get (away, hence, him), (cause to, made) go (away, -ing, -ne, one's way, out), grow, lead (forth), let down, march, prosper, [phrase] pursue,…וּלְמִ֖יulemiand to whoמִיconjunction, preposition, particle, interrogative — “and to who”H4310who? (occasionally, by a peculiar idiom, of things); also (indefinitely) whoever; often used in oblique construction with prefix or suffixany (man), [idiom] he, [idiom] him, [phrase] O that! what, which, who(-m, -se, -soever), [phrase] would to God.אֵ֥לֶּהelehtheseאֵלֶּהpronoun, demonstrative, common, plural — “these”H428these or thosean-(the) other; one sort, so, some, such, them, these (same), they, this, those, thus, which, who(-m).לְפָנֶֽיךָlefaneykhato a- foreפָּנִיםpreposition, noun, common, both genders, plural, construct, suffix, pronominal, 2nd person, masculine, singular — “to a- fore”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH6440the face (as the part that turns); used in a great variety of applications (literally and figuratively); also (with prepositional prefix) as a preposition (before, etc.)[phrase] accept, a-(be-) fore(-time), against, anger, [idiom] as (long as), at, [phrase] battle, [phrase] because (of), [phrase] beseech, countenance, edge, [phrase] employ, endure, [phrase] enquire, face, favour, fear of, for, forefront(-…

Jewish translation (JPS 1917)

(32-18) And he commanded the foremost, saying: 'When Esau my brother meeteth thee, and asketh thee, saying: Whose art thou? and whither goest thou? and whose are these before thee?

Compare Public-Domain Translations

The King James Version remains the text of this page and the canonical URL.

American Standard Version (1901)

And he commanded the foremost, saying, When Esau my brother meeteth thee, and asketh thee, saying, Whose art thou? and whither goest thou? and whose are these before thee?

Young’s Literal Translation

And he commandeth the first, saying, 'When Esau my brother meeteth thee, and hath asked thee, saying, Whose [art] thou? and whither goest thou? and whose [are] these before thee?

World English Bible

He commanded the foremost, saying, “When Esau, my brother, meets you, and asks you, saying, ‘Whose are you? Where are you going? Whose are these before you?’

Darby Translation

And he commanded the foremost, saying, When Esau my brother meets thee, and asks thee, saying, Whose art thou, and where goest thou, and whose are these before thee?

Douay-Rheims

And he commanded the first, saying: If thou meet my brother Esau, and he ask thee: Whose art thou? or whither goest thou? or whose are these before thee?

Jewish Publication Society (1917)

(32-18) And he commanded the foremost, saying: 'When Esau my brother meeteth thee, and asketh thee, saying: Whose art thou? and whither goest thou? and whose are these before thee?

Brenton’s Septuagint (1851), English

And he charged the first, saying, If Esau my brother meet thee, and he ask thee, saying, Whose art thou? and whither wouldest thou go, and whose are these possessions advancing before thee?

Septuagint (Brenton’s Greek, 1851)

Καὶ ἐνετείλατο τῷ πρώτῳ, λέγων, ἐάν σοι συναντήσῃ Ἡσαῦ ὁ ἀδελφός μου, καὶ ἐρωτᾷ σε, λέγων, τίνος εἶ; καὶ ποῦ πορεύῃ; καὶ τίνος ταῦτα τὰ προπορευόμενά σου;