Knowing The Word in Genesis 33:12-20, Succoth and Shechem

12 Then Esau said, “Let us journey on our way, and I will go ahead of you.” 13 But Jacob said to him, “My lord knows that the children are frail, and that the nursing flocks and herds are a care to me. If they are driven hard for one day, all the flocks will die. 14 Let my lord pass on ahead of his servant, and I will lead on slowly, at the pace of the livestock that are ahead of me and at the pace of the children, until I come to my lord in Seir.” [Jacob is returning to Canaan, and Seir is not part of Canaan, so he demurs.]

15 So Esau said, “Let me leave with you some of the people who are with me.” But he said, “What need is there? Let me find favor in the sight of my lord.” 16 So Esau returned that day on his way to Seir. 17 But Jacob journeyed to Succoth [in the eastern Jordan valley, modern Jordan], and built himself a house and made booths for his livestock. Therefore the name of the place is called Succoth [meaning “shelters”].

18 And Jacob came safely to the city of Shechem, which is in the land of Canaan, on his way from Paddan-aram, and he camped before the city. 19 And from the sons of Hamor, Shechem's father, he bought for a hundred pieces of money the piece of land on which he had pitched his tent [as Abraham had bought land]. 20 There he erected an altar [a place of worship] and called it El-Elohe-Israel [God, the God of Israel].