Genesis 32 - ESV - Bible Reading / Study Notes

Genesis 32

Jacob Fears Esau

32:1 Jacob went on his way, and the angels of God met him. 2 And when Jacob saw them he said, “This is God’s camp!” So he called the name of that place Mahanaim.¹

3 And Jacob sent² messengers before him to Esau his brother in the land of Seir, the country of Edom, 4 instructing them, “Thus you shall say to my lord Esau: Thus says your servant Jacob, ‘I have sojourned with Laban and stayed until now. 5 I have oxen, donkeys, flocks, male servants, and female servants. I have sent to tell my lord, in order that I may find favor in your sight.’”

6 And the messengers returned to Jacob, saying, “We came to your brother Esau, and he is coming to meet you, and there are four hundred men with him.” 7 Then Jacob was greatly afraid and distressed. He divided the people who were with him, and the flocks and herds and camels, into two camps, 8 thinking, “If Esau comes to the one camp and attacks it, then the camp that is left will escape.”

9 And Jacob said, “O God of my father Abraham and God of my father Isaac, O LORD who said to me, ‘Return to your country and to your kindred, that I may do you good,’ 10 I am not worthy of the least of all the deeds of steadfast love and all the faithfulness that you have shown to your servant, for with only my staff I crossed this Jordan, and now I have become two camps. 11 Please deliver me from the hand of my brother, from the hand of Esau, for I fear him, that he may come and attack me, the mothers with the children. 12 But you said, ‘I will surely do you good, and make your offspring as the sand of the sea, which cannot be numbered for multitude.’”

13 So he stayed there that night, and from what he had with him he took a present for his brother Esau, 14 two hundred female goats and twenty male goats, two hundred ewes and twenty rams, 15 thirty milking camels and their calves, forty cows and ten bulls, twenty female donkeys and ten male donkeys. 16 These he handed over to his servants, every drove by itself, and said to his servants, “Pass on ahead of me and put a space between drove and drove.” 17 He instructed the first, “When Esau my brother meets you and asks you, ‘To whom do you belong? Where are you going? And whose are these ahead of you?’ 18 then you shall say, ‘They belong to your servant Jacob. They are a present sent to my lord Esau. And moreover, he is behind us.’” 19 He likewise instructed the second and the third and all who followed the droves, “You shall say the same thing to Esau when you find him, 20 and you shall say, ‘Moreover, your servant Jacob is behind us.’” For he thought, “I may appease him³ with the present that goes ahead of me, and afterward I shall see his face. Perhaps he will accept me.”⁴ 21 So the present passed on ahead of him, and he himself stayed that night in the camp.

Jacob Wrestles with God

22 The same night he arose and took his two wives, his two female servants, and his eleven children,⁵ and crossed the ford of the Jabbok. 23 He took them and sent them across the stream, and everything else that he had. 24 And Jacob was left alone. And a man wrestled with him until the breaking of the day. 25 When the man saw that he did not prevail against Jacob, he touched his hip socket, and Jacob’s hip was put out of joint as he wrestled with him. 26 Then he said, “Let me go, for the day has broken.” But Jacob said, “I will not let you go unless you bless me.” 27 And he said to him, “What is your name?” And he said, “Jacob.” 28 Then he said, “Your name shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel,⁶ for you have striven with God and with men, and have prevailed.” 29 Then Jacob asked him, “Please tell me your name.” But he said, “Why is it that you ask my name?” And there he blessed him. 30 So Jacob called the name of the place Peniel,⁷ saying, “For I have seen God face to face, and yet my life has been delivered.” 31 The sun rose upon him as he passed Penuel, limping because of his hip. 32 Therefore to this day the people of Israel do not eat the sinew of the thigh that is on the hip socket, because he touched the socket of Jacob’s hip on the sinew of the thigh.

Footnotes

[1] 32:2 Mahanaim means two camps
[2] 32:3 Or had sent
[3] 32:20 Hebrew appease his face
[4] 32:20 Hebrew he will lift my face
[5] 32:22 Or sons
[6] 32:28 Israel means He strives with God, or God strives
[7] 32:30 Peniel means the face of God

Commentary

v1-2: The angels of God meet with Jacob;

a special encouragement for him;
following the trials of 20 years with Laban;
preparation for meeting with Esau;
a blessing as he has separated from his family.

God never leaves nor forsakes those who belong to Him. "Can a nursing woman forget her child? Then I will not forget you." (Is 49.15)

v3-6: Jacob sends messengers to see Esau. Their news is that he is coming out to meet Jacob for 400 men. Jacob, still fearful of the past, fears the worst.

v7-8: Jacob's fear of Esau means he splits his party into two groups.

v9-12: Jacob's prayer;

the God who is faithful, for he mentions promises made to Abraham and Isaac, as well as to himself;
the God who blessed and provided, for Jacob has become rich, as had Abraham and Isaac before him;
the God who delivers and overrules, for Jacob fears Esau, and has no other route for deliverance.

God has promised that Jacob's descendants will be as numerous as the sand on the seashore; a reference to the nation of Israel. Compare Gal 3.9, where Abraham's descendants are those who have faith, the stars of the heavens.

v13-15: Jacob prepares a present for Esau, reflecting his fear. He selects animals "from what he had with him" (or what came to his hand), at least 550 animals; this indicates that he owns huge flocks. 20 years earlier he crossed the Jordan alone (v10).

v16-21: The present sent to Esau. He sends the present during the night, whilst Jacob will follow the next day.

v22-24: An important night for Jacob. God sends a Man (angel) to him, to wrestle with him "till daybreak."

v25-26: Jacob holds on in perseverance; he prevails and insists on receiving a blessing. There is no request for riches, no plea for protection; just a request for God's blessing, letting God decide what is best. Here is real submission and faith; an utter insistence that God will do what is right.

v27-28: Jacob's name and character changed; from this point there is no more deceit and scheming; he has become a man of dignity, a prince with God. Jacob realises that this incident is important; the place becomes Peniel, the face of God.

Jacob has wrestled and clung, struggled and prevailed; first defiant and striving, and now depending and submitting.

v29: The angel has no name; see Judg 13.18, it is "wonderful." The mystery of this appearance is striking - is this a theophany? A pre-incarnation appearance of Christ? As with Melchizedek the scripture does not intend that we draw an unquestionably simple conclusion; rather that we are amazed at who Christ was and is.

v30: Jacob has met with God. God has met with him;

taking the initiative;
making Himself known;
dealing with a man.

Jacob was available, on his own; we too should make time to be alone and available for God.

v31-32: The meeting left a mark on Jacob. The fact that we meet with God must change us.