· Translation: KJV

Genesis 33:17Jacob traveled to Succoth, built himself a house, and made shelters for his livestock. Therefore the name of the place is called Succoth.

The setting

Jordan Valley near the Jabbok River, around 1900 BC. Jacob builds the first permanent structures after 20 years of tent living in Mesopotamia...

The emotion here: satisfied relief at recording Jacob's wise decision to build rather than keep wandering

The original word

sukkoth (סֻכֹּת) — temporary shelters or booths, giving the place its name

Why it matters

Succoth became an important city in later Israelite history, mentioned during Gideon's time

Read with care

What most readers miss in Genesis 33:17

Jacob builds a house for his family but only shelters for livestock - showing his priorities

Common misconceptionPeople think Jacob was being disobedient by not going straight to Canaan, but he was being practical in caring for his large household

Bible Genome reading

Genesis 33:17 — Bible Genome reading

SpeakerNarrator
EraPatriarchal
Primary emotionstarting
Literary typenarrative

Emotional genome

Comfort power40%
Quotability25%
Memorability35%
Crisis relevance25%
Standalone35%
Themes:settlementprovisionestablishment

In context

No verse stands alone.

Read the conversation around it.

Open Genesis 33

Genesis 33:17 comes from the book of Genesis, written during the Patriarchal period. The setting is wilderness. These words are attributed to Narrator. The dominant emotion in this verse is starting, with a comfort power of 40% and a tone that is reflective. It belongs to the narrative genre of biblical literature. Key themes include settlement, provision, establishment. Notable phrases: built himself a house; made shelters; Succoth.

Your reflection

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