Genesis 32

Jacob’s Fear of Esau

1Now as Jacob went on his way, the angels of God met him. 2And when he saw them, Jacob said, “This is God’s #32:2 Or companycamp.” So he named that place #32:2 I.e., Two Camps, or Two CompaniesMahanaim.

3Then Jacob sent messengers ahead of himself to his brother Esau in the land of Seir, the #32:3 Lit fieldcountry of Edom. 4He commanded them, saying, “This is what you shall say to my lord Esau: ‘Your servant Jacob says the following: “I have resided with Laban, and stayed until now; 5and I have oxen, donkeys, flocks, and male and female servants; and I have sent messengers to tell my lord, so that I may find favor in your sight.” ’ ”

6And the messengers returned to Jacob, saying, “We came to your brother Esau, and furthermore he is coming to meet you, and four hundred men are with him.” 7Then Jacob was greatly afraid and distressed; and he divided the people who were with him, and the flocks, the herds, and the camels, into two companies; 8for he said, “If Esau comes to the one company and #32:8 Lit strikesattacks it, then the company which is left will escape.”

9Then Jacob said, “God of my father Abraham and God of my father Isaac, Lord, who said to me, ‘Return to your country and to your relatives, and I will #32:9 Lit do good with youmake you prosper,’ 10#32:10 Lit I am less than allI am unworthy of all the #32:10 I.e., generosityfavor and of all the #32:10 Or truthfaithfulness, which You have shown to Your servant; for with only my staff I crossed this Jordan, and now I have become two companies. 11Save me, please, from the hand of my brother, from the hand of Esau; for I fear him, that he will come and #32:11 Lit strikeattack me and the mothers with the children. 12For You said, ‘I will assuredly #32:12 Lit do good with youmake you prosper and make your #32:12 Lit seeddescendants as the sand of the sea, which is too great to be counted.’ ”

13So he spent the night there. Then he #32:13 Lit tookselected from what #32:13 Lit had come to his handhe had with him a gift for his brother Esau: 14two hundred female goats and twenty male goats, two hundred ewes and twenty rams, 15thirty milking camels and their colts, forty cows and ten bulls, and twenty female donkeys and ten male donkeys. 16Then he placed them in the #32:16 Lit handcare of his servants, every flock by itself, and said to his servants, “Pass on ahead of me, and put a space between flocks.” 17And he commanded the #32:17 Lit firstone in front, saying, “When my brother Esau meets you and asks you, saying, ‘To whom do you belong, and where are you going, and to whom do these animals in front of you belong?’ 18then you shall say, ‘These belong to your servant Jacob; it is a gift sent to my lord Esau. And behold, he also is behind us.’ ” 19Then he commanded also the second and the third, and all those who followed the flocks, saying, “In this way you shall speak to Esau when you find him; 20and you shall say, ‘Behold, your servant Jacob also is behind us.’ ” For he said, “I will appease him with the gift that goes ahead of me. Then afterward I will see his face; perhaps he will accept me.” 21So the gift passed on ahead of him, while he himself spent that night in the camp.

22Now he got up that same night and took his two wives, his two female slaves, and his eleven children, and crossed the shallow place of the Jabbok. 23He took them and sent them across the stream. And he sent across whatever he had.

Jacob Wrestles

24Then Jacob was left alone, and a man wrestled with him until daybreak. 25When the man saw that he had not prevailed against him, he touched the socket of #32:25 Lit hisJacob’s hip; and the socket of Jacob’s hip was dislocated while he wrestled with him. 26Then he said, “Let me go, for the dawn is breaking.” But he said, “I will not let you go unless you bless me.” 27So he said to him, “What is your name?” And he said, “Jacob.” 28Then he said, “Your name shall no longer be Jacob, but #32:28 I.e., he who contends with God; or God contendsIsrael; for you have contended with God and with men, and have prevailed.” 29And Jacob asked him and said, “Please tell me your name.” But he said, “Why is it that you ask my name?” And he blessed him there. 30So Jacob named the place #32:30 I.e., the face of GodPeniel, for he said, “I have seen God face to face, yet my #32:30 Lit soullife has been #32:30 Lit savedspared.” 31Now the sun rose upon him just as he crossed over Penuel, and he was limping on his hip. 32Therefore, to this day the sons of Israel do not eat the tendon of the hip which is on the socket of the hip, because he touched the socket of Jacob’s hip in the tendon of the hip.

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Genesis 32

Jacob Gets Ready To Meet Esau

1As Jacob was on his way back home, some of God's angels came and met him. 2When Jacob saw them, he said, “This is God's camp.” So he named the place Mahanaim.#32.2 Mahanaim: In Hebrew “Mahanaim” means “two camps.”

3Jacob sent messengers on ahead to Esau, who lived in the land of Seir, also known as Edom. 4Jacob told them to say to Esau, “Master, I am your servant! I have lived with Laban all this time, 5and now I own cattle, donkeys, and sheep, as well as many slaves. Master, I am sending these messengers in the hope that you will be kind to me.”

6When the messengers returned, they told Jacob, “We went to your brother Esau, and now he is heading this way with 400 men.”

7Jacob was so frightened that he divided his people, sheep, cattle, and camels into two groups. 8He thought, “If Esau attacks one group, perhaps the other can escape.”

9Then Jacob prayed:

You, Lord, are the God who was worshiped by my grandfather Abraham and by my father Isaac. You told me to return home to my family, and you promised to be with me and make me successful. 10I don't deserve all the good things you have done for me, your servant. When I first crossed the Jordan, I had only my walking stick, but now I have two large groups of people and animals. 11Please rescue me from my brother. I am afraid he will come and attack not only me, but my wives and children as well. 12#Gn 22.17. But you have promised that I would be a success and that someday it will be as hard to count my descendants as it is to count the grains of sand along the seashore.

13After Jacob had spent the night there, he chose some animals as gifts for Esau: 14-15200 female goats and 20 males, 200 female sheep and 20 males, 30 female camels with their young, 40 cows and 10 bulls, and 20 female donkeys and 10 males.

16Jacob put servants in charge of each herd and told them, “Go ahead of me and keep a space between each herd.” 17Then he said to the servant in charge of the first herd, “When Esau meets you, he will ask whose servant you are. He will want to know where you are going and who owns those animals in front of you. 18So tell him, ‘They belong to your servant Jacob, who is coming this way. He is sending them as a gift to his master Esau.’ ”

19Jacob also told the men in charge of the second and third herds and those who followed to say the same thing when they met Esau. 20And Jacob told them to be sure to say that he was right behind them. Jacob hoped the gifts would make Esau friendly, so Esau would be glad to see him when they met. 21Jacob's men took the gifts on ahead of him, but he spent the night in camp.

Jacob's Name Is Changed to Israel

22-23 # Ws 10.12. Jacob got up in the middle of the night and took his wives, his eleven children, and everything he owned across to the other side of the Jabbok River for safety. 24#Ho 12.3,4. Afterwards, Jacob went back and spent the rest of the night alone.

A man came and fought with Jacob until just before daybreak. 25When the man saw that he could not win, he struck Jacob on the hip and threw it out of joint. 26They kept on wrestling until the man said, “Let go of me! It's almost daylight.”

“You can't go until you bless me,” Jacob replied.

27Then the man asked, “What is your name?”

“Jacob,” he answered.

28 # Gn 35.9-11. The man said, “From now on, your name will no longer be Jacob. You will be called Israel,#32.28 Israel: In Hebrew one meaning of “Israel” is “a man who wrestles with God.” because you have wrestled with God and with men, and you have won.”

29 # Jg 13.17,18. Jacob said, “Now tell me your name.”

“Don't you know who I am?” he asked. And he blessed Jacob.

30Jacob said, “I have seen God face to face, and I am still alive.” So he named the place Peniel.#32.30 Peniel: In Hebrew “Peniel” means “face of God.” 31The sun was coming up as Jacob was leaving Peniel. He was limping because he had been struck on the hip, 32and the muscle on his hip joint had been injured. That's why even today the people of Israel don't eat the hip muscle of any animal.

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