Old Testament Commentary - Genesis 32

by Don R. Hender

Scriptural Text [& Editorial]	Commentary & Explanation	Footnotes ~ References ~ JST
CHAPTER 32 Jacob sees angels—He asks God to preserve him from Esau, for whom he prepares presents—He wrestles all night with a messenger of God— Jacob's name is changed to Israel— He sees God face to face.
1 And Jacob went on his way, and the angels of God met him^a. 2 And when Jacob saw them, he said, This is God's ^ahost: and he called the name of that place ^bMahanaim. Two Camps or Hosts The host or encampment of the angels of God and the host or encampment of Jacob's own party would have counted 'two camps or hosts' at this place. Jacob's party was not a small one. It included hundreds of animals and a number of servants beyond just Jacob, his wives and his clidren. Yet compared to that which had been Abraham's and Isaac's traveling city of hundreds of servants and vast herds, Jacob would have still felt insecure. The fact that God had at hand his own host or camp of angels there to camp with Jacob at the place he called Mahanaim would have and could have been very significant in supporting Jacob with the 'hand of the Lord' in Jacob's own feelings of fear and inadequacies upon returning to the land of the covevant inheritance.	1^a the angels of God met him Just how many and who these angels of encouragement were is not distinguished. Either is the exact purpose or message of their meeting. 20 some years previous Jacob had fled the land under direction of his mother in the fear of his life at the hand of Esau. Not that Jacob was a weak man, but that Esau was a 'hunter' and knew well the ways of taking life. All that had been Abraham's and Isaac's now would have fallen into the hands of Esau. Jacob could have only imagined the 'hosts' of men that Easu could send against him as had once Abraham done in the defense of Lot against the armies of Asyria. It must of been of some comfort and reasurance that there was a 'host' (see verse 2), God's host of angels which attended Jacob on his return to the lands of inheritance which God promised in the covenant of Abraham, Isaac and unto Jacob and Jacob's posterity.	1^a TG Jesus Christ, Appearances, Antemortal 2^a Josh. 5:13; TG Angels ^b 3 Ne. 11:19; Ether 6:12; TG Courtesy 3^a JST Gen. 18:3 ...brethren... 4^a TG Washing ^b TG Hospitality 5^a OR sustain... ^b Gen. 19:8 The Fear of God and Man We all believe, have faith and know that God is all powerful and is in control over all. Yet even with God's assurance backing us, we still have our mortal fears and the fears of man. Jacob is no different. Jacob knew that God had instructed him to return to the lands of his covenant inheritance. Jacob was attended by an encampment of a host of God's angels and yet Jacob was returning and would still have to face his brother Esau. Even with all of God's direction and insurance, Jacob still had the fear of man to deal with and the question of whether or not God would support and protect him in the face of the very real physical encounter with Esau and the mobil city host that Jacob would presume Esau commanded. Jacob is not any different from us. We too know that God will support us in all that we do as commanded by him. Yet we too fear the encounters of mortal man which we will and do have along our ways. This fear of man preyed upon Zedekiah and he gave into it, surcoming to the prevalent influence of the princes of Judah over the direction and commands of God through Jeremiah the prophet. And we to face just such a struggle between our own fears of man as we strive to be the faithful fearers of God.
3 And Jacob sent messengers before him to Esau his brother^a unto the land of ^aSeir, the country of ^bEdom^b. 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.	3^a Jacob sent messengers before him to Esau his brother These messenger scouts would have a two fold purpose. They were not just to inform Esua of Jacob's coming and hopefully soften Esau's acceptance of Jacob, but they were also returning back to Jacob to report Esau's return message and reaction to Jacob's return. The fact that Jacob did not just send one messenger just prior to his arrival, but that he would sent multiple messengers followed by waves of gifts to his brother, professing to be his brother's servant and calling his brother Lord in the messages taken by these messengers, sets out that Jacob would have also received word in advance of his arrival as to the type of reception Jacob would have received at the hand of Esau, despite the fact that he was returning as commanded and supported by God. 3^b the country of Edom It is of interest to note where it is that Esau is to be found. Esau is dwelling in the country of Edom along the land of Seir which is the mountain ridge which runs south from the Dead Sea through the land of Edom, which is also to the south and east of the Dead Sea. This is one of the land regions suggested where Lot preferred and selected over the hill country of Palestine. Whether Esau's life style remained faithful to that of the wandering herdsman city of Abraham and Isaac, can be speculated upon. Certainly his marriages may have influenced his choice of where to live, but it is of interest that Esau did not at the present time as this, to have remained in and lived in the traditional herdsman lands of Abraham and Isaac and the land of the covenant of God. It would appear that Esau, true to character, had chosen the more worldly route and was found to be dwelling in Edom, south and east of the Dead Sea. Perhaps Esau did not get along with the other inhabitants of the lands of Palestine as was the fortunes of Abraham and Isaac.	1^a TG Jesus Christ, Appearances, Antemortal 2^a Josh. 5:13; TG Angels ^b 3 Ne. 11:19; Ether 6:12; TG Courtesy 3^a JST Gen. 18:3 ...brethren... 4^a TG Washing ^b TG Hospitality 5^a OR sustain... ^b Gen. 19:8
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^a. 7 Then Jacob was greatly afraid and ^adistressed: 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^a. Jacob Was Greatly Afraid Jacob's fears was not only for himself but for his family and his promised posterity of the covenant need to fulfill the covenant of God with man. Thus Jacob devised a plan of dividing his family into two companies. A foreward company to meet Esau and his 400 and a back company to fulfill God's covenant in Jacob's posterity.	6^a he cometh to meet thee, and four hundred men with him Whatever Esau's current life style, Esau still commanded a goodly number of men, somewhat similiar to the number commanded by Abraham and Isaac in their day. The fact that Esau was coming to meet Jacob enroute with 400 men would not have given great comfort to Jacob's mind. Jacob would have known of his grandfather's going out with over 300 men (Gensis 14:14) to defeat the Asyrian army and visions of such a group mustered against himself and his family would have been envisioned by Jacob. Whether or not Esau's intentions were or were not peaceful, Jacob would not have been comforted by the size of the response with which Esau had responded, and despite having camped with a host of God's angels seemed to do little to reassure Jacob against the 'fear of man', Esau and his 400. 8^a If Esau come to the one company, and smite it, then the other company which is left shall escape Jacob and a part of his family would continue first to meet Esau and his 400 men. Jacob was not afraid to die of himself as he would attend the foreward company. Yet in the wisdom of still providing for the exercise of the free agency of man, Esau in this case, and still working to fulfill God's covenant through his posterity, Jacob arrange to have his seed of the covenant remain back in a separate company in case the foreward company was destroyed at the hand of Esau.	1^a TG Jesus Christ, Appearances, Antemortal 2^a Josh. 5:13; TG Angels ^b 3 Ne. 11:19; Ether 6:12; TG Courtesy 3^a JST Gen. 18:3 ...brethren... 4^a TG Washing ^b TG Hospitality 5^a OR sustain... ^b Gen. 19:8
9 ¶ And Jacob said, O ^aGod of my father Abraham, and God of my father Isaac, the LORD which saidst unto me, ^bReturn unto thy country, and to thy kindred, and I will deal well with thee: 10 ^aI am not worthy of the least of all the ^bmercies, 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 ^aDeliver 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 ^aseed as the ^bsand of the sea, which cannot be numbered for multitude.		Jacob's Prayer As is the case with Jacob, so it is with all of us. We all have the fear of men and need God's reassurance of his support. Jacob upon hearing that Esau is coming to meet him with 400 men, petitions the Lord in prayer. Jacob points out that he is acting according to the command of God in returning to the country of his fathers and of the covenant. Jacob humbly presents in that meekness, as we all are, that he is not 'worthy' servant of the Lord to receive of God's blessing and mercies. No man is free of sin to stand worthy before the Lord. We are all wretched men of the flesh before God. It is only by God love and benevolence that we are blessed by him. Jacob prays to be delived from the hand of Esau and states that his fear is not only that Esau will kill him but his wives and children and prevent the posterity of the covenant for being numbered as the sands of teh sea and thus fulfill the purpose of the covenant of God to man. And thus Jacob in prayer also present his plan of two companies to allow fore the contingency of Esau's possible actions against him.
13 ¶ And he lodged there that same night; and took of that which came to his hand a present for Esau his brother^a; 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.	13^a a present for Esau his brother Whether required or not and whether by he own doing all that he could think of doing or under the inspiration of the Lord, Jacob further devises to soften up his brother Esau with gifts. He takes 200 she goats and 20 he goats. He takes 200 ewes and 20 rams. He takes 30 camels and thier colts. He takes 40 kine (cattle) and 10 bulls. he takes 20 she asses and 10 foals. And Jacob devised to send them to Esau is separate droves as a wave of gifts to his brother from his brother's servant, calling his brother Lord. Jacob does not want to die. He does not want either of his familys to die. And he is doing everything he can to preserve them all and if not all then at least the seed of the covenant.
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.
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 ^awrestled 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.
27 And he said unto him, What is thy name? And he said, Jacob. 28 And he said, Thy ^aname shall be called no more Jacob, but ^bIsrael: ^cfor as a ^dprince hast thou ^epower with God and with men, and hast ^fprevailed.
29 And Jacob asked him, and said, Tell me, I pray thee, thy name. And he said, Wherefore is it that thou dost ask after my ^aname? And he ^bblessed him there. 30 And Jacob called the name of the place ^aPeniel: for I have ^bseen God ^cface to face, and my life is preserved. 31 And as he passed over ^aPenuel 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.