Genesis 32
32
Jacob Prepares to Meet Esau
1Jacob also went on his way, and the angels of God met him. 2When Jacob saw them, he said, “This is the camp of God.” So he named that place Mahanaim.#32:2 Mahanaim means two camps.
3Jacob sent messengers ahead of him to his brother Esau in the land of Seir, the country of Edom. 4He instructed them, “You are to say to my master Esau, ‘Your servant Jacob says: I have been staying with Laban and have remained there until now. 5I have oxen, donkeys, flocks, menservants, and maidservants. I have sent this message to inform my master, so that I may find favor in your sight.’”
6When the messengers returned to Jacob, they said, “We went to your brother Esau, and now he is coming to meet you—he and four hundred men with him.”
7In great fear and distress, Jacob divided his people into two camps, as well as the flocks and herds and camels. 8He thought, “If Esau comes and attacks one camp, then the other camp can escape.”
9Then Jacob declared, “O God of my father Abraham, God of my father Isaac, the Lord who told me, ‘Go back to your country and to your kindred, and I will make you prosper,’ 10I am unworthy of all the kindness and faithfulness You have shown Your servant. Indeed, with only my staff I came across the Jordan, but now I have become two camps. 11Please deliver me from the hand of my brother Esau, for I am afraid that he may come and attack me and the mothers and children with me. 12But You have said, ‘I will surely make you prosper, and I will make your offspring like the sand of the sea, too numerous to count.’”
13Jacob spent the night there, and from what he had brought with him, he selected a gift for his brother Esau: 14200 female goats, 20 male goats, 200 ewes, 20 rams, 1530 milk camels with their young, 40 cows, 10 bulls, 20 female donkeys, and 10 male donkeys. 16He entrusted them to his servants in separate herds and told them, “Go on ahead of me, and keep some distance between the herds.”
17He instructed the one in the lead, “When my brother Esau meets you and asks, ‘To whom do you belong, where are you going, and whose animals are these before you?’ 18then you are to say, ‘They belong to your servant Jacob. They are a gift, sent to my lord Esau. And behold, Jacob is behind us.’”
19He also instructed the second, the third, and all those following behind the herds: “When you meet Esau, you are to say the same thing to him. 20You are also to say, ‘Look, your servant Jacob is right behind us.’” For he thought, “I will appease Esau #32:20 Or I will appease his face with the gift that is going before me. After that I can face him, and perhaps he will accept me.#32:20 Literally perhaps he will lift up my face”
21So Jacob’s gifts went on before him, while he spent the night in the camp.
Jacob Wrestles with God
22During the night Jacob got up and took his two wives, his two maidservants, and his eleven sons, and crossed the ford of the Jabbok. 23He took them and sent them across the stream, along with all his possessions.
24So Jacob was left all alone, and there a man #32:24 Or Man; here and in verses 25–28; corresponding pronouns may also be capitalized wrestled with him until daybreak. 25When the man saw that he could not overpower Jacob, he struck the socket of Jacob’s hip and dislocated it as they wrestled. 26Then the man said, “Let me go, for it is daybreak.”
But Jacob replied, “I will not let you go unless you bless me.”
27“What is your name?” the man asked.
“Jacob,” he replied.
28Then the man said, “Your name will no longer be Jacob,#32:28 Jacob means he grasps the heel or he deceives. but Israel,#32:28 Israel means he struggles with God. because you have struggled with God and with men, and you have prevailed.”
29And Jacob requested, “Please tell me your name.”
But he replied, “Why do you ask my name?” Then he blessed Jacob there.
30So Jacob named the place Peniel,#32:30 Peniel means the face of God. saying, “Indeed, I have seen God face to face, and yet my life was spared.”
31The sun rose above him as he passed by Penuel,#32:31 Penuel is a variant of Peniel; see verse 30. and he was limping because of his hip. 32Therefore to this day the Israelites do not eat the tendon which is at the socket of the hip, because the socket of Jacob’s hip was struck near that tendon.
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Bereshis 32
32
1And Ya'akov went on his derech, and the malachim of Elohim met him.
2 And when Ya'akov saw them, he said, This is Mahaneh Elohim; and he called the shem of that makom (place) Machanayim.
[VAYISHLAH]
3 And Ya'akov sent malachim before him to Esav achiv unto Eretz Se'ir, the country of Edom.
4 And he commanded them, saying, Thus shall ye speak unto adoni Esav; Thy eved Ya'akov saith thus, I have sojourned with Lavan, and stayed there until now;
5 And I have shor (oxen), and chamor, tzon, and eved, and shifchah; and I have sent to tell adoni, that I may find chen (grace) in thy sight.
6 And the malachim returned to Ya'akov, saying, We came to Esav achicha, and also he cometh to meet thee, and arba me'ot ish with him.
7 Then Ya'akov was greatly afraid and distressed; and he divided HaAm that was with him, and the tzon, and bakar, and the gemalim, into two machanot;
8 And said, If Esav come to the one machaneh, and attack it, then the other machaneh which is left shall escape.
9 And Ya'akov said, O Elohei Avi Avraham, and Elohei Avi Yitzchak, Hashem which saidst unto me, Shuv l'aretzecha and to thy moledet (kindred), and I will deal well with thee;
10 I am not worthy of the least of all the chasadim, and of all the emes, which Thou hast showed unto Thy eved; for with my makal (rod, staff) I passed over this Yarden; and now I am become two machanot.
11 Save me, now, from the yad achi, from the yad Esav; for I fear him, lest he will come and attack me, em with banim.
12 But Thou saidst, I will surely do thee good, and make thy zera as the chol of the yam, which cannot be numbered for multitude.
13 And he spent there that same night; and took of that which came to his yad a minchah for Esav achiv;
14 Two hundred female goats, and twenty male goats, two hundred rechelim (ewes), and twenty eilim (rams),
15 Thirty nursing gemalim with their colts, forty parot (cows), and ten parim (bulls), twenty female donkeys, and ten male donkeys.
16 And he delivered them into the yad of his avadim, every herd by itself; and said unto his avadim, Pass over before me, and keep a space between herd and herd.
17 And he commanded the rishon, saying, When Esav achi meeteth thee, and asketh thee, saying, Whose art thou? And to where goest thou? And whose are these [animals] before thee?
18 Then thou shalt say, They are of thy eved Ya'akov; it is a minchah sent unto adoni Esav; and, hinei, also he is behind us.
19 And so commanded he the second, and the third, and all that followed the adarim (herds), saying, On this manner shall ye speak unto Esav, when ye find him.
20 And say ye moreover, Hinei, thy eved Ya'akov is behind us. For he said, Akhapperah (I will appease, cover) his face with the minchah that goeth ahead of me, and afterward I will see his face; perhaps he will accept me.
21 So went the minchah (present) over ahead of him; but he himself stayed balailah in the machaneh.
22 And he rose up that night, and took his two nashim and his two shifchot, and his eleven yeladim, and passed over the ma'avar (ford) Yabbok.
23 And he took them, and sent them over the stream, and sent over [all] that he had.
24 And Ya'akov was left by himself; and there wrestled an ish with him until the shachar (dawn, sunup).
25 And when he saw that he prevailed not against him, he struck his hip socket; so Ya'akovʼs hip socket dislocated while he wrestled with him.
26 And he said, Let me go, for shachar breaketh. And he said, I will not let thee go, unless thou make a berakhah upon me.
27 And he said unto him, What is shemecha? And he said, Ya'akov.
28 And he said, Shimcha shall be called no more Ya'akov, but Yisroel: for sarita im Elohim ([yisrah=to prevail + El=G-d = Yisroel] ye have striven with Elohim) and with anashim, and hast overcome.
29 And Ya'akov asked him, and said, Tell me, now, shemecha. And he said, Why is it that thou dost ask after shmi? And he made a brocha upon him there.
30 And Ya'akov called the shem of the makom (place) Peniel (Face of G-d): for I have seen Elohim panim el panim, and my nefesh is saved.
31 And as he passed over Penuel the shemesh rose upon him, and he limped upon his hip.
32 Therefore the Bnei Yisroel eat not of the sinew of the thigh vein (sciatic nerve) which is upon the hip socket, unto this day; because he touched the hip socket of Ya'akov in the sinew of the thigh vein.
THE ORTHODOX JEWISH BIBLE
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