Genesis 32

1 Jacob [the supplanter, deceiver] also went on his way [continued his journey, proceeded], and the angels [messengers, heavenly beings] of God [Elohim, the supreme Creator] met [encountered, came upon] him. word study 2 When Jacob [the son of Isaac and Rebekah] saw them, he said, “This is the camp [army, host] of God [Elohim, the supreme God] [a place of divine presence and protection].” So he named that place Mahanaim [Two Camps, a place of spiritual encounter]. word study 3 Jacob [the supplanter, deceiver] sent messengers [servants, angels] ahead of him to his brother [relatively, kin] Esau [hairy, rough] in the land [region, country] of Seir [hairy, rough], the country [field, territory] of Edom [red, land of Esau]. word study 4 He instructed them, “You are to say to my master [lord, ruler] Esau [hairy, twin brother], ‘Your servant [one who serves, attendant] Jacob [supplanter, deceiver] says: I have been staying [sojourning, living as a foreigner] with Laban [white, pure] and have remained [tarried, stayed] there until now [this time, presently]. word study 5 I have oxen [cattle, livestock], donkeys, flocks [sheep and goats], menservants [male slaves, servants], and maidservants [female slaves, servants]. I have sent this message [to tell] to inform my master [lord, ruler], so that I may find favor [grace, kindness] in your sight [presence, eyes].’” word study 6 When the messengers [servants, angels] returned to Jacob, they said, “We went to your brother [relative, kin] Esau, and now he is coming [approaching, drawing near] to meet you [encounter, greet]—he and four hundred men [armed warriors, attendants] with him [accompanied by, in his company].” word study 7 In great [intense, overwhelming] fear [dread, anxiety] and distress [trouble, anguish], Jacob [the supplanter, deceiver] divided his people [family, household] into two camps [groups, companies], as well as the flocks [sheep, herds] and herds [cattle, livestock] and camels [beasts of burden, pack animals]. word study 8 He thought, “If Esau [meeting him with hostility] comes and attacks [strikes, smites] one camp [company, group], then the other camp [company, group] can escape [get away safely, be left to flee].” word study 9 Then Jacob declared, “O God [of covenant promise] of my father Abraham, God [Elohim, the supreme Provider] of my father Isaac, the LORD [Yehovah] who told me, ‘Go back [return, come again] to your country [native land, homeland] and to your kindred [relatives, family], and I will make you prosper [do you good, bless you],’ word study 10 I am unworthy [not worthy of the least] of all the kindness [lovingkindnesses, mercies] and faithfulness [truth, trustworthiness] You have shown [done, fulfilled] Your servant [me, Your humble servant]. Indeed, with only my staff [walking stick] I came across [passed over, crossed] the Jordan, but now I have become [grown into, increased to] two camps [companies, bands]. word study 11 Please deliver me [rescue, save] from the hand [power, control] of my brother Esau [my twin brother, the one I fear], for I am afraid [fearful, terrified] that he may come and attack [strike, smite] me and the mothers [women, wives] and children [the innocent ones] with me [who are dependent on me]. word study 12 But You have said [promised, assured me], ‘I will surely [certainly, without fail] make you prosper [do you good, bless you], and I will make your offspring [seed, descendants] like the sand [grains of sand] of the sea [the ocean, the multitude of waters], too numerous [which cannot be numbered, countless] to count [because of the multitude].’” word study 13 Jacob spent the night [lodged, stayed] there, and from what he had brought with him [from among his goods, of that which came to his hand], he selected [took, picked out] a gift [present, offering] for his brother [relative, sibling] Esau: word study 14 200 female goats [she-goats, two hundred], 20 male goats [he-goats, twenty], 200 ewes [females, two hundred], 20 rams [male sheep, twenty], word study 15 30 milk camels [female camels, with their young ones] with their young, 40 cows [kine], 10 bulls [oxen, bullocks], 20 female donkeys [she-asses], and 10 male donkeys [foals]. word study 16 He entrusted them [gave into the hand of] to his servants [those who serve him] in separate herds [every drove by themselves] and told them, “Go on ahead of me [pass over before me], and keep some distance [put a space] between the herds [between drove and drove].” word study 17 He instructed [gave orders to, commanded] the one in the lead [the foremost, the first], “When my brother Esau [my twin brother, my relative] meets you and asks [inquires of you, questions you], ‘To whom do you belong [whose servant are you, who is your master], where are you going [whither goest thou, what is your destination], and whose animals [whose are these, to whom do these flocks] are these before you [in your care, under your supervision]?’ word study 18 then you are to say, ‘They belong to your servant [faithful attendant, devoted follower] Jacob. They are a gift [present, offering], sent to my lord [master, superior] Esau. And behold [look, see], Jacob is behind us [following, coming after].’” word study 19 He also [likewise, in the same manner] instructed the second, the third, and all those following behind [after] the herds: “When you meet [find, encounter] Esau [the son of Isaac, his twin brother], you are to say [speak, declare] the same thing [words, message] to him [personally, directly]. word study 20 You are also [in addition, furthermore] to say, ‘Look, your servant [one who serves, attendant] Jacob is right behind us.’” For he thought, “I will appease [pacify, make peaceful] Esau with the gift [present, offering] that is going before me. After that I can face him, and perhaps [it may be, possibly] he will accept [receive favorably, show kindness to] me. ” word study 21 So Jacob’s [the supplanter, deceiver] gifts [presents, offerings] went on before him [to appease, make atonement], while he spent the night [tarried, lodged] in the camp [with his company, people]. word study 22 During the [darkness of the] night [a period of rest or adversity] Jacob got up and took his two wives, his two [female servants or handmaids] maidservants, and his eleven sons, and [passed over] crossed the ford [a shallow point] of the Jabbok [river, a natural boundary]. word study 23 He took [received, got] them and sent [caused to cross, brought over] them across the stream [river, brook, Jabbok], along with [together with, including] all his possessions [belongings, goods, everything that he had]. word study 24 So Jacob was left [completely, utterly] all alone [by himself, isolated], and there a man [an unknown, divine being] wrestled [engaged in intense, spiritual combat] with him until [up to the point of, as far as] daybreak [the breaking of the day, dawn]. word study 25 When the man [a male person, an individual] saw that he could not overpower [prevail against, overcome] Jacob [the son of Isaac and Rebekah], he struck [touched, gave a blow to] the socket [hollow, joint] of Jacob’s hip [thigh, upper leg] and dislocated [put out of joint, strained] it as they wrestled [grappled, struggled]. word study 26 Then the man [the divine opponent, an angel] said, “Let me go [release me, send me away], for it is daybreak [the morning light, dawn is breaking].” But Jacob [the supplanter, one who wrestles with God] replied, “I will not let you go [refuse to release you, hold on to you] unless you bless me [give me your favor, impart a divine gift].” word study 27 “What [is your identity, who are you] is your name [your character, reputation]?” the man [a divine being, an angel] asked [said, spoke]. “Jacob [supplanter, deceiver],” he replied [said, answered]. word study 28 Then the man said, “Your name [identity, character] will no longer be Jacob [supplanter], but Israel [he struggles with God, prince with God], because you have struggled [fought, striven] with God [Elohim, the supreme Creator] and with men [human beings, mortals], and you have prevailed [overcome, been victorious].” word study 29 And Jacob requested [asked with urgency, begged], “Please tell me your name [your identity, character].” But he replied, “Why [for what reason, what purpose] do you ask my name [inquire about my nature]?” Then he blessed [spoke good things over, bestowed divine favor upon] Jacob there [in that place, at that moment]. word study 30 So Jacob [the supplanter, deceiver] named the place Peniel [God’s face, the face of God], saying, “Indeed, I have seen God [the Almighty, the All-Powerful] face to face [in a personal encounter, directly], and yet my life [soul, existence] was spared [preserved, delivered].” word study 31 The sun rose above him [at dawn] as he passed by Penuel [facing God, Peniel], and he was limping [halted, walking with difficulty] because of his hip [thigh, the joint of the leg]. word study 32 Therefore to this day the Israelites [the children of Israel, God’s chosen people] do not eat the tendon [sinew, muscle] which is at the socket [hollow] of the hip [thigh], because the socket [hollow, place of strength] of Jacob’s hip [thigh] was struck [touched, came against] near that tendon [sinew that shrank, muscle that was injured]. word study