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.
English Standard Version (ESV)
What's easy to miss here is that Jacob isn't just buying land; he's purchasing peace and security. He buys the spot where his tent was pitched, a small, temporary dwelling, for a considerable sum, showing he sought stability and a right to his space from the local inhabitants, not just a temporary stopover. This act, while seemingly practical, anticipates the future, as this very land would later become the burial site for Joseph's bones.
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.
English Standard Version (ESV)
After a tense reconciliation with his brother Esau and settling his family in Succoth, Jacob finally arrives near the city of Shechem. He pitches his tent on land outside the city, and in a move that signals a more permanent settlement, he purchases the ground where his tent is pitched from the local inhabitants. This act of buying land, even a small parcel, stands in contrast to the nomadic lifestyle of his forefathers, Abraham and Isaac.
Jacob, the heir to a promised land, buys a small piece of ground. Why purchase land he's destined to inherit?
A Temporary Purchase
In Genesis 33:19, Jacob buys a field in the land of Canaan. This might seem strange because God had promised the entire land to Abraham and his descendants.
What exactly did Jacob pay for this piece of land? The original text uses a word that's puzzled scholars for centuries.
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A Valuable Transaction
The verse mentions Jacob paid "an hundred pieces of money." The original Hebrew word, kesitah, is unique and debated.
Jacob's purchase of land in Shechem, though seemingly small, parallels Abraham's purchase of Machpelah. It highlights the patriarchs' practiced method of acquiring property in Canaan, even for temporary use, and foreshadows the future burial of Joseph's bones there.
c. 1800 BC
Abraham purchases Machpelah
Abraham purchased the cave of Machpelah for a burial site, establishing a precedent for patriarchs acquiring land in Canaan.
c. 1730 BC
Isaac buys land near Gerar
Isaac acquired land in the vicinity of Gerar during his sojourn there, further demonstrating the patriarchs' interactions with local landowners.
c. 1710 BC
Jacob flees to Haran
Jacob fled from his brother Esau and journeyed to Padan-aram (Haran), where he lived and worked for Laban for many years.
c. 1660 BC
Jacob's return journey begins
After years in Haran, Jacob began his return journey to Canaan, anticipating a difficult reunion with Esau.
c. 1659 BC
Jacob wrestles with God
Jacob wrestled with a divine being at Peniel, resulting in a change of his name to Israel and a physical reminder of his struggle.
c. 1659 BC
Jacob meets Esau
Jacob and Esau had a tense but ultimately peaceful reunion, where Esau graciously accepted Jacob's gifts and proposed a joint journey.
c. 1659 BC— this verse
Jacob travels to Succoth and then Shechem
Jacob's family and possessions moved to Succoth, and then on to Shechem, where Jacob established a temporary dwelling.
Like Abraham's purchase of the cave of Machpelah, Jacob's acquisition of land highlights the patriarchs' status as sojourners, even as they made strategic purchases for practical needs.
Joshua 24:32This passage directly links back to Jacob's purchase, revealing that the land he bought was specifically used as the burial place for Joseph's bones, fulfilling a promise and showing the long-term significance of this land.
Acts 7:16Stephen's speech in the New Testament references this event, mentioning that Jacob 'bought a field for a sum of money' from the descendants of Hamor, confirming the historical account and its importance in the lineage.
John 4:5-6Jesus himself sat by the well in Samaria, on the very field Jacob had purchased, demonstrating how this piece of land became a significant geographical and spiritual location in the New Testament era.
calvinGenesis 33:1-20: "And Jacob lifted up his eyes, and looked, and, behold, Esau came, and with him four hundred men. And he divided the children unto Leah, and unto Rachel, and unto the two handmaids."
And Jacob lifted up his eyes, and looked, and, behold, Esau came, and with him four hundred men. And he divided the children unto Leah, and unto Rachel, and unto the two handmaids.
Levavit autem Iahacob oculos suos, et vidit, et ecce Esau veniebat, et cum eo erant quadringenti viri: et divis…
cambridgeGenesis 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."
19 . the parcel of ground ] or “the portion of the field.” Lat. partem agri . For “parcel,” Fr. “parcelle,” from Lat. particula , see Joshua 24:32 ; Ruth 4:3 . Cf. “Many a thousand, Which now mistrust no parcel of my fear” (Shakespeare, 3 Hen. VI , Genesis 33:6 ). his tent ] Jacob has resumed dwelling in tents, see Genesis 33:1…
What's easy to miss here is that Jacob isn't just buying land; he's purchasing peace and security. He buys the spot where his tent was pitched, a small, temporary dwelling, for a considerable sum, showing he sought stability and a right to his space from the local inhabitants, not just a temporary stopover. This act, while seemingly practical, anticipates the future, as this very land would later become the burial site for Joseph's bones.
After a tense reconciliation with his brother Esau and settling his family in Succoth, Jacob finally arrives near the city of Shechem. He pitches his tent on land outside the city, and in a move that signals a more permanent settlement, he purchases the ground where his tent is pitched from the local inhabitants. This act of buying land, even a small parcel, stands in contrast to the nomadic lifestyle of his forefathers, Abraham and Isaac.
After a tense reconciliation with his brother Esau and settling his family in Succoth, Jacob finally arrives near the city of Shechem. He pitches his tent on land outside the city, and in a move that signals a more permanent settlement, he purchases the ground where his tent is pitched from the local inhabitants. This act of buying land, even a small parcel, stands in contrast to the nomadic lifestyle of his forefathers, Abraham and Isaac.
"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." — What's easy to miss here is that Jacob isn't just buying land; he's purchasing peace and security. He buys the spot where his tent was pitched, a small, temporary dwelling, for a considerable sum, sh…
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Last reviewed October 2026