Genesis 32
Jacob Prepares to Meet Esau
1 And Jacob went on his way, and the angels of God met him. Parallel theme: Psalms 91:11
2 And when Jacob saw them, he said, This is God's host: and he called the name of that place Mahanaim. References God: Luke 2:13. Parallel theme: Joshua 5:14, 21:38, 2 Samuel 2:8, 17:24, 1 Kings 2:8, Psalms 34:7, 148:2 +3
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; Parallel theme: Genesis 35:3, Exodus 14:10, Psalms 31:13, 61:2, 107:6, 142:4, Proverbs 2:11, Isaiah 28:26, Matthew 8:26, Acts 14:22 +5
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, O GodGod: אֱלֹהִים (Elohim). The Hebrew Elohim (אֱלֹהִים) is a plural form denoting majesty and fullness of deity. Though grammatically plural, it takes singular verbs when referring to the one true God, suggesting the Trinity's plurality within unity. 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. Parallel theme: Genesis 22:17, Matthew 24:35, 2 Timothy 2:13, Titus 1:2, Hebrews 6:17
13 And he lodged there that same night; and took of that which came to his hand a present for Esau his brother; Parallel theme: Genesis 43:11, 43:26, Proverbs 17:8, 18:16, 19:6, 21:14
14 Two hundred she goats, and twenty he goats, two hundred ewes, and twenty rams, Parallel theme: Deuteronomy 8:18, Job 1:3, 42:12
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 lordLord: יְהוָה / אֲדֹנָי (YHWH / Adonai). When 'LORD' appears in small capitals, it represents the Tetragrammaton YHWH (יְהוָה), God's personal covenant name meaning 'I AM.' When 'Lord' appears normally, it's Adonai (אֲדֹנָי), meaning 'my Lord,' emphasizing sovereignty. 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. Parallel theme: Proverbs 21:14
21 So went the present over before him: and himself lodged that night in the company.
Jacob Wrestles with God
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. Parallel theme: Deuteronomy 2:37, 3:16, Joshua 12:2, 1 Timothy 5:8
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. Blessing: 1 Chronicles 4:10, Psalms 67:1. Related: Song of Solomon 3:4. Parallel theme: Hosea 12:4, Romans 8:37
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 GodGod: אֱלֹהִים (Elohim). The Hebrew Elohim (אֱלֹהִים) is a plural form denoting majesty and fullness of deity. Though grammatically plural, it takes singular verbs when referring to the one true God, suggesting the Trinity's plurality within unity. and with men, and hast prevailed.
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. Parallel theme: Deuteronomy 29:29, Job 11:7, Proverbs 30:4, Isaiah 9:6, Hosea 6:1, Luke 1:19
30 And Jacob called the name of the place Peniel: for I have seen God face to face, and my life is preserved. References God: Genesis 16:13, Deuteronomy 5:24, John 1:18, Ephesians 1:17. Parallel theme: Exodus 33:14, Numbers 12:8, Isaiah 6:5, 2 Timothy 1:10, Hebrews 11:27 +4
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.