Genesis 32:2

And when Jacob saw them,.... These appeared in a visible form, most probably human, and in the habit, and with the accoutrements of soldiers, and therefore afterwards called an host or army.

And when Jacob saw them, he said, This is God's host: and he called the name of that place Mahanaim. Mahanaim - two hosts or camps.

God’ s host; so the angels are justly called for their great number, , excellent order, mighty power, and for their use and service to God, and to his church, for whose protection they are sent. See . Mahanaim, i.e. two hosts; so called, either because the angels divided themselves into two companies, and placed themselves some before, others behind him, or some on each side of him, for his greater comfort and security; or because the angels made one host, and his family another.

Genesis 32:2 And when Jacob saw them, he said, This [is] God’ s host: and he called the name of that place Mahanaim. Ver. 2. This is God’ s host.] So called, for their number, order, obedience, strength, &c. God hath a complete host of horse and foot. Angels, and heavenly bodies, are his horse, as it were; "horses and chariots of fire"; yea, both horse and foot: for there are whole "legions" of them. Now a legion is judged to be six thousand foot, and seven hundred horse. Daniel tells us, there be millions of angels, yea, "an innumerable company," saith the author to the Hebrews. The Greek poet could say, There were thirty thousands of them here upon earth, keepers of mortal men, and observers of their works: some think they are meant in the parable, by the ninety and nine sheep; as if they were ninety and nine times as many as mankind in number. All these, how many soever, pitch camp round about the godly, make a lane for them, as they did here for Jacob at Mahanaim (which signifies a double camp), fight in battle array against their enemies, and convey them at death, as they did Lazarus, through their enemies’ country, the air, into Abraham’ s bosom. So that all God’ s children may call death, as Jacob did this place, Mahanaim; because there the angels meet them. And as the palsied man, in the gospel, was let down with his bed through the tiling before Jesus, so is every good soul taken up in a heavenly couch (or coach, rather) through the roof of his house, and carried into Christ’ s presence, by the blessed angels. Tριςγαρμυριοιεισιςεπιχθονιπουλυβοτειρη Dαιμονεςαθανατοι, φυλακεςμεροπψνανθρωπων. - Hesiod.

(2) Mahanaim.—That is, the two camps, his own and that of the angels; or, possibly, two camps of angels, one on either side of him. Mahanaim was in the tribe of Gad, and became an important town. (See 2 Samuel 2:8; 2 Samuel 17:24; 1 Kings 4:14.)

Verse 2. Mahanaim.] The two hosts, if read by the points, the angels forming one, and Jacob and his company forming another; or simply hosts or camps in the plural. There was a city built afterwards here, and inhabited by the priests of God, Joshua 21:38. For what purpose the angels of God met Jacob, does not appear from the text; probably it was intended to show him that he and his company were under the care of an especial providence, and consequently to confirm his trust and confidence in God. The doctrine of the ministration of angels has been much abused, not only among the heathens, but also among Jews and Christians, and perhaps most among the latter. Angels with feigned names, titles, and influences, have been and still are invoked and worshipped by a certain class of men; because they have found that God has been pleased to employ them to minister to mankind; and hence they have made supplications to them to extend their protection, to shield, defend, instruct, c. This is perfectly absurd. 1. They are God's instruments, not self-determining agents. 2. They can only do what they are appointed to perform, for there is no evidence that they have any discretionary power. 3. God helps man by ten thousand means and instruments some intellectual, as angels; some rational, as men; some irrational, as brutes; and some merely material, as the sun, wind, rain, food, raiment, and the various productions of the earth. He therefore helps by whom he will help, and to him alone belongs all the glory; for should he be determined to destroy, all these instruments collectively could not save. Instead therefore of worshipping them, we should take their own advice: See thou do it not - Worship God.

2. This is God’s host] The Heb. word for “host” (maḥ ?aneh) is usually, and ought here to be, rendered “camp.” The angels are regarded as the warriors of Jehovah; cf. the narrative in Joshua 5:13-15, and 1 Kings 22:19; Psalms 103:21; Psalms 148:2. Mahanaim] That is, Two hosts, or, companies. The termination -aim denotes the dual. Possibly Jacob here refers to the two “companies,” or “encampments,” one of the angels, and the other of his own followers. The LXX renders παρεμβολαί = “camps”; Lat. Mahanaim, id est, Castra, without reference to the dual number. For another derivation of the name, see on Genesis 32:7; Genesis 32:10. Mahanaim was in later times a place of considerable importance. During Absalom’s rebellion it was the residence and head-quarters of David; see 2 Samuel 17:24; 2 Samuel 17:27. Cf. 2 Samuel 2:8; 2 Samuel 2:12; 2 Samuel 2:29; 1 Kings 2:8. The site is uncertain: from Genesis 32:11 it would appear to be not far from the banks of the Jordan, and from Genesis 32:22 to lie north of the Jabbok (modern Zerka). In Joshua 13:26-30, it appears to lie on the confines of Gad and Manasseh.

2. This is God’s host — Or, God’s band. He at once recognises them as the same class of heavenly powers that had appeared to him in the vision of Beth-el.