Previous Chapter | Next Chapter
32:1 And Jacob went on his way, and the angels of God met him.
32:2 And when Jacob saw them, he said, This is God's host: and he called the name of that place Mahanaim.
32:3 And Jacob sent messengers before him to Esau his brother unto the land of Seir, the country of Edom.
32:4 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: 32:5 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.
32:6 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.
32:7 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; 32:8 And said, If Esau come to the one company, and smite it, then the other company which is left shall escape.
32:9 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: 32:10 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.
32:11 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.
32:12 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.
32:13 And he lodged there that same night; and took of that which came to his hand a present for Esau his brother; 32:14 Two hundred she goats, and twenty he goats, two hundred ewes, and twenty rams, 32:15 Thirty milch camels with their colts, forty kine, and ten bulls, twenty she asses, and ten foals.
32:16 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.
32:17 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? 32:18 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.
32:19 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.
32:20 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.
32:21 So went the present over before him: and himself lodged that night in the company.
32:22 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.
32:23 And he took them, and sent them over the brook, and sent over that he had.
32:24 And Jacob was left alone; and there wrestled a man with him until the breaking of the day.
32:25 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.
32:26 And he said, Let me go, for the day breaketh. And he said, I will not let thee go, except thou bless me.
32:27 And he said unto him, What is thy name? And he said, Jacob.
32:28 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.
32:29 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 name? And he blessed him there.
32:30 And Jacob called the name of the place Peniel: for I have seen God face to face, and my life is preserved.
32:31 And as he passed over Penuel the sun rose upon him, and he halted upon his thigh.
32:32 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.


Next Chapter


King James Bible:Genesis
Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on the Whole Bible
back to: Genesis
Book: Genesis
Chapter: 32

Overview:
Jacob's Vision at Mahanaim, His fear of Esau. (1-8) Jacob's
Earnest Prayer for deliverance, He prepares a present for Esau.
(9-23) He wrestles with the Angel. (24-32)

1-8 The angels of God appeared to Jacob, to encourage him with
the Assurance of the Divine protection. When God designs his
people for great trials, he prepares them By great comforts.
While Jacob, to whom the promise belonged, had been in hard
service, Esau was become a Prince. Jacob sent a message, showing
that he did not insist upon the Birth-right. Yielding pacifies
great offences, Ec 10:4. We must not refuse to speak
respectfully, even to those unjustly angry with us. Jacob
received an account of Esau's warlike preparations against him,
and was greatly afraid. A lively sense of danger, and quickening
fear arising from it, may be found united with humble confidence
in God's power and promise.

9-23 Times of fear should be times of Prayer: whatever causes
fear, should drive us to our knees, to our God. Jacob had lately
seen his guards of angels, but in this distress he applied to
God, not to them; he knew they were his fellow-servants, Re
22:9. There cannot be a better pattern for true Prayer than
this. Here is a thankful acknowledgement of former undeserved
favours; a humble Confession of unworthiness; a Plain statement
of his fears and distress; a full reference of the whole affair
to the Lord, and resting all his hopes On him. The best we can
say to God in Prayer, is what he has said to us. Thus he made
the name of the Lord his strong tower, and could not but be
safe. Jacob's fear did not make him sink into despair, nor did
his Prayer make him presume upon God's Mercy, without the use of
means. God answers prayers By teaching us to order our affairs
aright. To pacify Esau, Jacob sent him a present. We must not
despair of reconciling ourselves to those most angry against us.

24-32 A great while before Day, Jacob being alone, more fully
spread his fears before God in Prayer. While thus employed, One
in the likeness of a Man wrestled with him. When the Spirit
helpeth our infirmities, and our Earnest and vast desires can
scarcely find words to utter them, and we still mean more than
we can express, then Prayer is indeed wrestling with God.
However tried or discouraged, we shall prevail; and prevailing
with Him in Prayer, we shall prevail against all enemies that
strive with us. Nothing requires more vigour and unceasing
exertion than wrestling. It is an emblem of the true Spirit of
Faith and Prayer. Jacob kept his ground; though the struggle
continued long, this did not shake his Faith, nor silence his
Prayer. He will have a blessing, and had rather have all his
bones Put out of joint than go away without one. Those who would
have the blessing of Christ, must resolve to take No denial. The
fervent Prayer is the effectual Prayer. The Angel puts a lasting
Mark of honour upon him, By changing his name. Jacob signifies a
supplanter. From henceforth he shall be celebrated, not for
craft and artful management, but for true valour. Thou shalt be
called Israel, a Prince with God, a name greater than those of
the great men of the Earth. He is a Prince indeed that is a
Prince with God; those are truly honourable that are mighty in
Prayer. Having power with God, he shall have power with men too;
he shall prevail, and gain Esau's favour. Jacob gives a new name
to the place. He calls it Peniel, the Face of God, because there
he had seen the appearance of God, and obtained the favour of
God. It becomes those whom God honours, to admire his Grace
towards them. The Angel who wrestled with Jacob was the second
Person in the sacred Trinity, who was afterwards God manifest in
the Flesh, and who, dwelling in human nature, is called
Immanuel, Ho 12:4,5. Jacob halted On his thigh. It might serve
to keep him from being lifted up with the abundance of the
revelations. The Sun Rose On Jacob: it is Sun-rise with that
soul, which has had Communion with God.

Log in or register to write something here or to contact authors.