KJV ORIGINAL
And the messengers returned to Jacob, saying, We came to thy brother Esau, and also he cometh to meet thee, and four hundred men with him.
Close to the original. Clear modern English.
✦ MADE SIMPLE
The messengers came back to Jacob and said, 'We went to your brother Esau, and he's coming to meet you with four hundred men.'
⚡ THE BOTTOM LINE
The messengers told Jacob that his brother Esau was coming to meet him with a large group of four hundred men, which likely filled Jacob with fear about what Esau's intentions might be.
📚 Historical Context
This occurs as Jacob was returning to his homeland after twenty years away, having fled from his brother Esau's anger over the stolen blessing. Jacob had sent messengers ahead to try to make peace with Esau, hoping to avoid conflict. The mention of four hundred men would have been alarming, as this was the size of a small army in that time period.
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