Genesis 33 · Verse 18

Genesis 33:18

And Jacob came to Shalem, a city of Shechem, which is in the land of Canaan, when he came from Padan–aram; and pitched his tent before the city.
Genesis 33:18, King James Version

Genesis 33:18 in other translations

BSBAfter Jacob had come from Paddan-aram, he arrived safely at the city of Shechem in the land of Canaan, and he camped just outside the city.
WEBJacob came in peace to the city of Shechem, which is in the land of Canaan, when he came from Paddan Aram; and encamped before the city.
ASVAnd Jacob came in peace to the city of Shechem, which is in the land of Canaan, when he came from Paddan-aram; and encamped before the city.
YLTAnd Jacob cometh in to Shalem, a city of Shechem, which is in the land of Canaan, in his coming from Padan-Aram, and encampeth before the city,
DARBYAnd Jacob came safely to the city Shechem, which is in the land of Canaan, when he came from Padan-Aram; and he encamped before the city.
BBESo Jacob came safely from Paddan-aram to the town of Shechem in the land of Canaan, and put up his tents near the town.
WebsterAnd Jacob came to Shalem, a city of Shechem, which is in the land of Canaan, when he came from Padan-aram; and pitched his tent before the city.

What does Genesis 33:18 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
18. Shalem--that is, "peace"; and the meaning may be that Jacob came into Canaan, arriving safe and sound at the city Shechem--a tribute to Him who had promised such a return (compare Ge 28:15). But most writers take Shalem as a proper name--a city of Shechem, and the site is marked by one of the little villages about two miles to the northeast. A little farther in the valley below Shechem "he bought a parcel of a field," thus being the first of the patriarchs who became a proprietor of land in Canaan.

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 18 And Jacob came to Shalem, a city of Shechem - The word שלם shalem, in the Samaritan שלום shalom, should be translated here in peace, or in safety. After resting some time at Succoth, which was necessary for the safety of his flocks and the comfort of his family, he got safely to a city of Shechem, in health of body, without any loss of his cattle or servants, his wives and children being also in safety. Coverdale and Matthews translate this word as above, and with them agree the Chaldee and the Arabic: it is not likely to have been the name of a city, as it is nowhere else to be found. Shechem is called in Act 7:16, Sychem, and in Joh 4:5, Sychar; in the Arabic it is called Nablous, and to the present day Neapolis. It was near to Samaria; and the place where the wretched remains of the sect of the Samaritans were lately found, from whom Dr. Huntington received a perfect copy of the Samaritan Pentateuch.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Genesis 33:17-20

Jacob did not content himself with words of thanks for God's favour to him, but gave real thanks. Also he kept up religion, and the worship of God in his family. Where we have a tent, God must have an altar. Jacob dedicated this altar to the honour of El-elohe-Israel, God, the God of Israel; to the honour of God, the only living and true God; and to the honour of the God of Israel, as a God in covenant with him…

Read the full comment on Genesis 33:17-20 →

Genesis 33:18 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

וַיָּבֹא֩vai.ya.Vo'and he cameH935
יַעֲקֹ֨בya.'a.KoJacobH3290
שָׁלֵ֜םsha.LemsafeH8003
עִ֣יר'ir[the] city ofH5892
שְׁכֶ֗םshe.KhemShechemH7927
אֲשֶׁר֙'a.SherwhichH834
בְּאֶ֣רֶץbe.'E.retz[is] in [the] land ofH776
כְּנַ֔עַןke.Na.'anCanaanH3667
בְּבֹא֖וֹbe.vo.'Owhen came heH935
מִפַּדַּ֣ןmi.pa.Danfrom PaddanH6307
אֲרָ֑ם'a.RamAramH758
וַיִּ֖חַןvai.Yi.chanand he campedH2583
אֶת\־'et-withH854
פְּנֵ֥יpe.Nei[the] face ofH6440
הָעִֽיר\׃ha.'Irthe cityH5892

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Genesis 33:18

  • Judges 9:1

    And Abimelech the son of Jerubbaal went to Shechem unto his mother’s brethren, and communed with them, and with all the family of the house of his mother’s father, saying,

  • Joshua 24:1

    And Joshua gathered all the tribes of Israel to Shechem, and called for the elders of Israel, and for their heads, and for their judges, and for their officers; and they presented themselves before God.

  • Acts 7:16

    And were carried over into Sychem, and laid in the sepulchre that Abraham bought for a sum of money of the sons of Emmor the father of Sychem.

  • John 4:5

    Then cometh he to a city of Samaria, which is called Sychar, near to the parcel of ground that Jacob gave to his son Joseph.

  • Genesis 25:20

    And Isaac was forty years old when he took Rebekah to wife, the daughter of Bethuel the Syrian of Padan–aram, the sister to Laban the Syrian.

  • Genesis 46:15

    These be the sons of Leah, which she bare unto Jacob in Padan–aram, with his daughter Dinah: all the souls of his sons and his daughters were thirty and three.

  • Genesis 28:2

    Arise, go to Padan–aram, to the house of Bethuel thy mother’s father; and take thee a wife from thence of the daughters of Laban thy mother’s brother.

  • John 3:23

    And John also was baptizing in Ænon near to Salim, because there was much water there: and they came, and were baptized.

  • Genesis 28:6-7

    When Esau saw that Isaac had blessed Jacob, and sent him away to Padan–aram, to take him a wife from thence; and that as he blessed him he gave him a charge, saying, Thou shalt not take a wife of the daughters of Canaan; And that Jacob obeyed his father and his mother, and was gone to Padan–aram;

  • Genesis 35:9

    And God appeared unto Jacob again, when he came out of Padan–aram, and blessed him.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Shalem.The word {Shalem,} in the Samaritan {Shalom,} should probably be rendered "in peace," or "in safety;" as it is translated by the Chaldee, Arabic, Coverdale, and Matthewes.
Joh 3:23; 4:5; Ac 7:16
a city of Shechem.Or, rather, "the city Shechem," which was situated in a narrow valley, abounding with springs, between Mounts Ebal and Gerizim, having the former on the north, and the latter on the south; 10 miles from Shiloh, and 34 from Jerusalem. It became the capital of Samaria, after the ruin of the city of that name.
Jos 24:1; Jud 9:1; Joh 4:5
Sychar.
Ac 7:16
Sychem. Padan-aram.
25:20; 28:6,7; 35:9; 46:15

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • Genesis 33:17

    And Jacob journeyed to Succoth, and built him an house, and made booths for his cattle: therefore the name of the place is called Succoth.

  • Genesis 33:18

    And Jacob came to Shalem, a city of Shechem, which is in the land of Canaan, when he came from Padan–aram; and pitched his tent before the city.

  • Genesis 33:19

    And he bought a parcel of a field, where he had spread his tent, at the hand of the children of Hamor, Shechem’s father, for an hundred pieces of money.

Read all of Genesis 33

Genesis 33:18 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Y vino Jacob sano á la ciudad de Sichêm, que está en la tierra de Canaán, cuando venía de Padan-aram; y acampó delante de la ciudad.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Et Jacob arriva en paix à la ville de Sichem, qui est dans le pays de Canaan, comme il venait de Paddan-Aram; et il campa en face de la ville.
German
Elberfelder 1871		Und Jakob kam wohlbehalten nach der Stadt Sichem, die im Lande Kanaan ist, als er aus Paddan-Aram kam, und lagerte vor der Stadt.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Transivitque in Salem urbem Sichimorum, quæ est in terra Chanaan, postquam reversus est de Mesopotamia Syriæ: et habitavit juxta oppidum.