The First Book of Moses, called Genesis
Genesis 32
Chapter XXXII · Vol. I, pp. 266–267
1 Jacob's vision at Mahanaim. 3 His message to Esau. 6 He is afraid of Esau's coming. 9 He prayeth for deliverance. 13 He sendeth a present to Esau. 24 He wrestleth with an angel at Peniel, where he is called Israel. 31 He halteth.
1 And Jacob went on his way, aand the angels of God met him.
a Ps. 91.11; 34.7. He. 1.14. 1 Co. 3.22. Ep. 3.10.
2 And when Jacob saw them, he said, This is God's bhost: and he called the name of that place cMahanaim.
b Lu. 2.13. 2 Ki. 6.17. Ps. 34.7. Da. 10.20.
c That is, two hosts or camps, Ca. 6.13. Jos. 21.38. 2 Sa. 2.8,12; 17.24,26,27.
3 And Jacob sent messengers before him to Esau his brother, unto the land of dSeir, the country3 of Edom.4
d ch. 14.6; 36.8. De. 2.22.
3 Heb. field.
4 Five days' journey distant. Jacob allowed his flocks and herds to rest among the rich pastures of Gilead.—P.
4 And he commanded them, saying, Thus shall ye speak unto emy 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 women-servants;5 and I have sent to tell my lord, that I may find grace in thy sight.
5 And so will neither burden nor discredit my relations, ch. 30.43; 31.1,16.
6 And the messengers returned to Jacob, saying, We came to thy brother Esau, and also he fcometh to meet thee, and four hundred men with him.6
f ver. 8, 11; ch. 33.1. Am. 5.19.
6 The object of such a large escort was partly to show his own dignity, partly to manifest greater respect for his brother, and partly perhaps for protection in travelling so far through a dangerous country. There does not appear to have been the slightest hostile intention towards Jacob.—P.
7 Then Jacob was ggreatly afraid and distressed: hand he divided the people that was with him, and the flocks, and herds, and the camels, into two bands;
g Ps. 30.7; 61.2; 31.13; 55.4,5; 18.4,5; 142.4. Jn. 16.33. Ac. 14.22. 2 Ti. 3.12. 2 Co. 4.8,9.
h Is. 28.26. Pr. 2.11. Ps. 112.5. Mat. 10.16.
8 And said, If Esau come to the one company, and smite it, then the other company which is left shall escape.
9 And Jacob said,7 Oi God of my father Abraham, and God of my father Isaac, the LORD which saidst unto me, kReturn unto thy country, and to thy kindred, and I will deal well with thee:
7 Jacob's prayer is chiefly characterized by humility in speaking of himself, and an earnest pleading for the fulfilment of promises when speaking of God. — Note, Faith does not rest satisfied because God has promised, but presses to the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ, Phi. 3.14. —C.
i Ps. 50.15; 91.15. ch. 17.7; 31.53. Ex. 3.6.
k ch. 31.3,13.
10 I am not lworthy of the least of all8 the mercies, and of all the mtruth, which thou hast showed unto thy servant; for nwith my staff I passed over this Jordan, and now I am become two bands.
11 Delivero 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, pand the mother with9 the children.
12 And qthou saidst, I will surely do thee good, and make thy seed as the sand of the sea, which cannot be numbered for multitude.
q ch. 28.13-15. Nu. 23.19. 1 Sa. 15.29. Tit. 1.2. He. 6.17. 2 Ti. 2.13.
13 And he lodged there that same night; and took of that which came to his hand ra present for Esau his brother;
r Pr. 18.16; 17.8; 21.14; 19.6. 1 Sa. 25.17.
14 Two hundred she-goats, and twenty he-goats, two hundred ewes and twenty rams,
15 Thirty milch camels1 with their colts, forty kine and ten bulls, twenty she-asses and ten foals.
1 Camels of the most valuable sort. These constitute the chief riches of the Arabs; and their milk, which is delicious and wholesome, forms a principal part of their food. They use it either fresh or sour, but very seldom make either butter or cheese from it.—I.
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 sspace betwixt drove and drove.
s To mitigate his anger by degrees, ver. 20; ch. 33.8,9. Ps. 112.5. Mat. 10.16. Pr. 2.11. Is. 28.26.
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.2
2 Heb. my face.
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 this two wives, and his two women-servants, and his eleven sons, and passed over the ford uJabbok.
23 And he took them, and sent3 them over the brook, and sent over that he had.
3 Heb. caused to pass.
24 And Jacob was left alone: and xthere wrestled4 ay man with him until the breaking zof the day.5
x Ho. 12.3. Ro. 8.26,27; 15.30. Ga. 4.15. He. 5.7. Ep. 6.18.
4 Not the wrestling of bodily force, to overthrow an antagonist; but the wrestling of mental fervour, to obtain a blessing from a superior, Ho. 12.4.—C.
y Christ, ver. 28,30; ch. 48.16. Ho. 12.3,4.
5 Heb. ascending of the morning.
25 And when he saw that he aprevailed not against him, bhe touched the hollow of his thigh; and the hollow of Jacob's thigh was out of joint, as he wrestled with him.
a ch. 19.22. Is. 41.14; 45.11. Ho. 12.3,4. Mat. 15.28.
b 2 Co. 12.7. Ps. 30.6,7.
26 And he said, cLet me go, for the day breaketh.6 And he said, dI will not let thee go, except thou bless me.
c Ex. 32.10. De. 9.14. Is. 45.11; 64.7. Ca. 7.5. Lu. 24.29.
6 Not as if he could not abide the sun rising, as the superstitious vainly imagine concerning spirits; but to try Jacob's faith, by reminding him of his worldly avocations and habits. Jacob's faith triumphs—Let the sun rise and business call; he will abide in prayer till the blessing is granted.—C.
d Ca. 3.4. Ho. 12.4. Ro. 8.37. Lu. 18.1-7. 2 Co. 12.8,9. He. 5.7.
27 And he said unto him, What is thy name? And he said, Jacob.
28 And he said, eThy name shall be called no more Jacob, but Israel: for as a prince hast thou power with God and fwith men, and hast prevailed.
A.M. 2265. B.C 1739
e ch. 35.10. 2 Ki. 17.34; and it denotes the change of his condition to the better, ch. 17.5,15. Is. 62.2,4. Re. 2.17. 2 Sa. 12.25. Nu. 13.16. Jn. 1.42.
f ch. 25.31; 27.36; 31.36-55; 33.4.
29 And Jacob asked him, and said, gTell me, I pray thee, thy name. And he said, Wherefore is it that thou dost ask after my name?5 And hhe blessed him there.
g Ju. 13.17,18. De. 29.29. Pr. 30.4. Job 11.7.
5 God does not choose to tell his people more of himself than they require for support of faith. —C.
h ver. 26; ch. 27.28,29; 28.3,4, 13, 14; 46.3. Ho. 6.1.
30 And Jacob called the name of the place iPeniel:6 for I have seen God kface to face, and my life is preserved.
31 And as he passed over Penuel, the sun rose upon him, and he lhalted upon his thigh.
l 2 Co. 12.7,9. Ps. 38.17. ver. 15.
Notes
Ver. 24-28. The Son of God in human form appeared to Jacob as if he intended to cast him down; but Jacob, enabled of God with bodily, and chiefly spiritual strength, in fervent prayer prevailed over what opposition Christ gave him. To render him sensible of his weakness, Christ disjointed his thigh, 2 Co. 12. 7; but after encouraging his supplications, he changed his name as a token of bettering his condition. Hence, when the church is represented as infirm, she is called Jacob, Am. 7. 2, 5, 8; Is. 41. 14; but when her valour and excellency are signified, she is called Israel, Ga. 6. 16. Thus God gave Jacob strength to overcome, and also the reward and praise of the victory.
Ver. 29. He granted his request, and confirmed the blessings which he had formerly obtained, ch. 27. 28, 29; 28. 3, 4, 13-15; and comforted him under the hurt of his thigh, Ho. 6. 1.
Ver. 30. He saw not the divine essence itself, Ex. 33. 20, 23, but God in human shape in a most familiar and friendly manner, Nu. 12. 8.
Reflections.—What sore trials saints often meet with in the very way which God directs them to take! But seasonable are the visits which God and his angels make to his people in such times of need. May Jesus and his angels so meet me in my way to the Canaan above! Deep-rooted, indeed, is that resentment which neither length of days can wear out, nor the most submissive yielding assuage; and when what would make a friend rejoice, makes a brother envy and rage! Malicious spirits never forget injuries. Jealousy is cruel as the grave; and in this disordered world power and policy are often with the oppressors. In distress it is necessary to betake ourselves to prayer, and to join the protection of God with our prudent endeavours; and amidst fear of danger we ought to trust to and plead God's promises; and while commemorating our mercies, and conscious of our unworthiness, we must insist on his fulfilment of his word. In danger it is prudent to present a part, if that can preserve the whole, for peace cannot be bought too dear; and a large present is a good recommendation to a worldly mind; since apparent courage and confidence in a man's goodness lay him under a kind of obligation to show it. They who would prevail in temptations must first wrestle with God in prayer. If he exercise us with sore trials, we may depend on him, that as our days are so shall our strength be. A deep sense of our insufficiency gives our faith occasion to take more firm hold of Christ—God loves importunate prayers; and perseverance therein will be crowned with victory. How pleasant to have our hearts, and names, and all things made new! Such memorials of remarkable fellowship with God are honourable and pleasing; and even children may look back upon their parents' mercies, as upon their own, with regard and thankfulness. Let me here ask myself, What experience have I had of the ministration of God's angels? In what instances have I broken the bones with a soft answer, and pacified strong wrath with a gift in the bosom? What promises, spoken to my heart, have I pleaded at the throne of grace? What nights or days have I spent in wrestling with God, in behalf of myself, my family, my country, or the church of God? What blessings and answers of peace have I obtained? Where are those Bethels and Peniels in which God Almighty hath appeared unto me, and I have seen him in the person of Jesus Christ, 'as it were face to face,' and been preserved?