Genesis 32
Jacob prepares to meet Esau 1
Jacob's prayer for deliverance 9
Gifts prepared for Esau 13
Jacob's perseverance and victory in trouble 22
The covenant 27
Text
Comments
.1 ¶ And Jacob went on his way, and the angels of God met him.
 2  And when Jacob saw them, he said, This is God's host: and he called the name of that place Mahanaim.
.3 ¶ And Jacob sent messengers before him to Esau his brother unto the land of Seir., the country of Edom.
4  And he commanded them, saying, Thus shall ye speak unto my lord Esau; Thy servant Jacob saith thus, I have sojourned with Laban, and stayed there until now:
 5  And I have oxen, and asses, flocks, and menservants, and womenservants: and I have sent to tell my lord, that I may find grace in thy sight.
 6  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.
.7  Then Jacob was greatly afraid and distressed: and he divided the people that was with him, and the flocks, and herds, and the camels, into two bands;
 8  And said, If Esau come to the one company, and smite it, then the other company which is left shall escape.
  2 - God's host In verse 1 we see that they were angels. Their captain would be Michael who is Christ and the I AM of the Exodus jos0515.
  2 - Mananaim The name means "double camp" or "double host." As in a military advance, we may see one group of angels going before him and one behind. Compare is5808. Jacob had been shown angels on a ladder as he fled from his home ge2812. Now he was again assured of divine protection. A city was built on the place jos1326, jos2138, 2sa0208.
.9 ¶ And Jacob said, O God of my father Abraham, and God of my father Isaac, the LORD which saidst unto me, Return unto thy country, and to thy kindred, and I will deal well with thee:
 10  I am not worthy of the least of all the mercies, and of all the truth, which thou hast shewed unto thy servant; for with my staff I passed over this Jordan; and now I am become two bands.
 11  Deliver me, I pray thee, from the hand of my brother, from the hand of Esau: for I fear him, lest he will come and smite me, and the mother with the children.
.12  And thou saidst, I will surely do thee good, and make thy seed as the sand of the sea, which cannot be numbered for multitude.
  A simple but eloquent prayer with elements of reverence, humility, telling his need, and claiming a promise. 
  11 - Mother ... children Literally, "the mother upon the children." Seeing the mothers as protectors. Or "mothers with their children" (NIV)
.13 ¶ And he lodged there that same night; and took of that which came to his hand a present for Esau his brother;
 14  Two hundred she goats, and twenty he goats, two hundred ewes, and twenty rams,
 15  Thirty milch camels with their colts, forty kine, and ten bulls, twenty she asses, and ten foals.
 16  And he delivered them into the hand of his servants, every drove by themselves; and said unto his servants, Pass over before me, and put a space betwixt drove and drove.
-
 17  And he commanded the foremost, saying, When Esau my brother meeteth thee, and asketh thee, saying, Whose art thou? and whither goest thou? and whose are these before thee?
 18  Then thou shalt say, They be thy servant Jacob's; it is a present sent unto my lord Esau: and, behold, also he is behind us.
 19  And so commanded he the second, and the third, and all that followed the droves, saying, On this manner shall ye speak unto Esau, when ye find him.
.20  And say ye moreover, Behold, thy servant Jacob is behind us. For he said, I will appease him with the present that goeth before me, and afterward I will see his face; peradventure he will accept of me.
 21  So went the present over before him: and himself lodged that night in the company.
  20 - I will see his face When the way was open, Jacob wanted to make peace with his brother. Appease is from the Hebrew word  kaphar. He wanted to see his face. First he would make peace with his Lord v28.
.22  And he rose up that night, and took his two wives, and his two womenservants, and his eleven sons, and passed over the ford Jabbok.
 23  And he took them, and sent them over the brook, and sent over that he had.
-
.24 ¶ And Jacob was left alone; and there wrestled a man with him until the breaking of the day.
 25  And when he saw that he prevailed not against him, he touched the hollow of his thigh; and the hollow of Jacob's thigh was out of joint, as he wrestled with him.
.26  And he said, Let me go, for the day breaketh. And he said, I will not let thee go, except thou bless me.
  24 - Alone With God who was His only hope.
  25 - Out of joint Jacob was helpless in his own strength.
  26 - I will not let thee go Jacob had been deceptive and selfish. He wanted forgiveness more than relief from pain. When we pray, we must struggle with the Lord, not that He is reluctant to bless us but so we can come to the humility of realizing our total reliance on Him.
.27  And he said unto him, What is thy name? And he said, Jacob.
.28  And he said, Thy name shall be called no more Jacob, but Israel: for as a prince hast thou power with God and with men, and hast prevailed.
29  And Jacob asked him, and said, Tell me, I pray thee, thy name. And he said, Wh.erefore is it that thou dost ask after my name? And he blessed him there.
.30  And Jacob called the name of the place Peniel: for I have seen God face to face, and my life is preserved.
 31  And as he passed over Penuel the sun rose upon him, and he halted upon his thigh.
 32  Therefore the children of Israel eat not of the sinew which shrank, which is upon the hollow of the thigh, unto this day: because he touched the hollow of Jacob's thigh in the sinew that shrank.

  28 - Israel meaning one who prevailed with God as the Lord Himself designated. Also see jn0147, ro0906, ge3510.
  31 - Halted Or "limped" in modern English. Disabilities often keep us from forgetting the source of our strength. compare 2co1207.
  32 - Sinew which shrank The Hebrew words are not clear but the practice of Orthodox Jews gives us ideas.

Jacob's trouble discussed in connection with the time of silence in heaven. re0801c.

Previous
Next
Genesis home
Commentary home
Contact