Genesis 32

Jacob being encouraged by having met the host of the holy angels sends messenger towards his brother Esau verse 1 &c. but understanding that he was marching down to him with a great number of men he divides his people and cattle for fears in two hands and prays to God in a very server and humble manner for succor and deliverance verse 6 then he sends presents before to Esau with certain order and charge and gets his wives and children over the food by night13 but stays behind himself on his side where God wrestled with him gives him the name Israel blesseth him and tucheth his thigh so that he halted 24.

1. Jacob also went his way and the angels of God met him [the more to assure God f Jacobs’s presence and assistance.]

2. And Jacob said, as he saw them: This is God's camp of hosts; and he called the name of that place, Mahanaim. [that is, two camps or hosts, or, a double camp of host. Whether the angels had divided themselves in two leagues, for Jacob to pass through between them both; or that the one league consisted of angels, and the other of Jacob's retinue. Hereabout there was a city afterwards which was called by the name of Mahanaim, Joshua 13:26 and 21.38.]

3. And Jacob sent forth messengers before his face [that is before his arrival or before he should come thither viz. for to prepare the way of regain his brothers favor the like phrase we find also Malachi 3..1 Matthew 11:10 Luke 9:52 and 10.1] to his brother Esau unto the land of Seir [see above chapter 14.6] the countries of Edom [viz. Idumea bordering on the south end of Judea and having its name from Esau who is likewise called Edom above chapter 25.30 and was now dwelling in the country below chapter 36 verse 8 having driven out thence the former inhabitants the Horites Deuteronomy 2:12,22.]

4. And he charged hem saying thus shall ye say to my Lord [though Jacob himself was the Lord of Esau by right of the purchase of his primogeniture above chapter 27.29 nevertheless he calls his brother by the title keeping the right to himself the better to recover his favor and friendship by his submissive carriage the rather because he was not as yet put into possession of his right which chiefly regarded the time to come thus did David likewise towards Saul 1Samuel 24 verse 7,9 and chapter 25 throughout] to Esau thus saith Jacob thy servant I have dwelt as a stranger or sojourned with Laban and tarried there till now.

5. And I have oxen asses sheep and men-servant and maid-servants and I have sent to inform my Lord [viz. of my coming and condition] that I may find grace in thy eyes [see above chapter 18 verse 3 he sues for friendship partly to procure and amnesty or oblivion of all former distaste and partly that he may pass safely and peaceable through the country.]

6. And the messengers came back to Jacob saying we are come to thy brother Esau and he likewise is marching to meet thee and four hundred men with him [doubtless armed as may be gathered verse 8 and 11.]

7. Jacob was so afraid and distressed him [out of human frailty viz. because the messengers brought no other news back from Esau then that he was coming against him with four hundred men without any other message] and he divided that people that was with him and the sheep and the oxen and the camels in two host.

8. For he said Esau comes upon one host and smites then shall the remaining host escape [Heb. He to or for escaping or saving.]

9. Moreover Jacob said O God [Jacob being in distress he doth not call upon the hosts of the angels whom he had seen so lately before but hath his recourse to the true God alone] for my father [that is grandfather here] Abraham and God of my father Isaac O LORD that hast said unto me return unto thy country and to thy kindred and I will deal well by thee.

10. I am less than all this faithfulness [Heb. Truth see above chapter 24.27] which thou hast performed to thy servant [that is l am altogether unworthy of good hast shewed me already and that now am craving of thee casting my self and relying only upon thy mercy and grace and not all upon any worth or merits of my own] for past over this Jordan [see above chapter 13.10] with my staff [understand a plain walking staff or shepherds crooked staff hereby Jacob acknowledgeth the mean and poor condition he was in formerly] and now I am become two hosts.

11. Rescue me I pray out of my brothers hand out of the hand of Esau for I am afraid of him lest he come and smite me the mother with the sons [or upon the sons a phrase most lively representing the tenderness of a mother when seeing her children in distress the spares not her own body nor life to hazard the same for the children preservation by interposing herself even to be massacred together with and upon them see Hosea 10:14.]

12. Thou said indeed I will assuredly do well by thee [Heb. Well doing do well &c.] and I will put thy seed as the sand of the sea which can not be numbered by any reason of the multitude.

13. And he overnighter there that same night and he took of that which came into his hand a gift for Esau his brother [that is he took some haste of all the cattle for a present to his brother being surprised partly by the approaching night and partly by fear of instant danger that he could not stand upon it to make a curious choice others of that which was come to him that is of that which he had acquired and gotten.]

14. Two hundred goats and twenty he-goats two hundred ewes and twenty rams.

15. Two hundred milch camel with their colt [Heb. Sons] forty cowes and ten bulls twenty she-asses and ten young asses [or asse colt.]

16. And he gave [or put] them into the hands of his servants [A notable present indeed of so many hundred beasts, great and small, of different sorts, which would come to a round price nowadays] each flock apart [Heb. flock, flock, alone by itself. See the like expression above chapter 7 on verse 2] and he said to his servants: Pass ye over before my face and put space [Hebrew properly "breath", and consequently space, room, that giving freedom to breathe. This served that his presents being every one viewed apart by his brother Esau, it might make the better shew, and by little and little assuage his violent humor. See below verse 20] between flock and between flock.

17. And he charged the first [to wit by the savant that led the first and foremost of the flock or drove so in the sequel of the second and third &c.] saying when my brother Esau shall meet thee and ask thee saying whose art thou? And wither dost thou go? And whose are these before thy face? [That is the beast thou art driving before thee or which are passing on before thee.]

18. Then thou shalt say that is a present of thy servant Jacob sent to my Lord to Esau and also himself is also behind us [this he added of purpose that his brother should not think he was afraid to come his way to avoid him.]

19. And he charged likewise teh second and the third and all that went after the flock or droves saying after his same word [that is according to what I said before] shall ye speak to Esau when ye shall find him.

20. And ye shall likewise say behold thy servant is behind us for he said [viz. by himself that is thought conceived see above chapter 20 on verse 11] I shall reconcile his face [that is appease his wrath which commonly is seen much in the face see Proverbs 21:14] with his present that goes before my face and after that I shall I see his face peradventure he will accept my face [this kind of expression being taken in the good sense signifies to be favorable to another and to do him good out of a friendly and rational observation of some good in him and it is spoken of God when of his mere mercy and grace he looked favorable upon the good in any which came from him alone into him above chapter 19.21 an d of men when for any considerable reason they are favorable to their neighbor as here and 1samuel 25.35 2Kings 3.14.]

21. Thus the present went on before his face yet himself overnighter that the camp.

22. And he arose in that same night and he took his two wives and his two maid-servants and his eleven children and he passed over Ferry or ford wading place of Jabbok [this is the name of the brook or river springing by Rabba the metropolis of the Ammorites and issuing into Jordan beneath the sea of Galilee see Numbers 21:24 Deuteronomy 2:37 and chapter 3.16 Joshua 12:2 Judges 11:13.]

23. And he took them and he made them pass over that brook and he made pass over what he had.

24. Yet was lest behind alone [that is he alone remained on this side of the brook by mount Gilead for to pray to God in private] and a man [that is the son of God who appeared in the shape of men here as may be gathered by verse 28 and 30 &c. and Hosea 12:3, 4] wrestled with him until the dawning arose.

25. And when he saw that he could not prevail against him [this is said after the manner of men the Lord complying with human infirmity suffered himself to be overcome to assure Jacob of good issue about the instant danger only he gave him a touch for to teach him to be sensible and mindful still of his own weakness] he touched or ht the joint of the thigh [others the hollow or pane blade plate] so that he joints of Jacob s thigh was wrung about when he wrestled with him.

26. And he said let me go for the dawning has risen up but he said I will not let thee go unless thou bless me [as beginning to feel and apprehend now that he wrestled not with a man but with one far surpassing therefore it is that desireth to be blessed by him.]

27. And he said to him how is thy name?[this God doth not ask as if the name of Jacob was unknown to him but to get occasion thereby of changing his name for an everlasting remembrance o this wrestling] and he said Jacob.

28. Then said he thy name shall not be called Jacob hence forth [not implies as much here as not only or not so often not so much for he is likewise called Jacob afterwards but the posterity of the most part of the name here given see the like manner of speaking 1Samuel 8.7John 7.16 and 1Corinthians 1.17 and John 3:18] but Israel [that is a prince of God or one having princely power with God or one having the princely power with God as appears by the following words this name God gives unto Jacob the second time below chapter 35.10] for thou carried thyself prince like with God [having undergone the combated which God put him too and overcome] and with men [viz. first with Esau and afterwards with Laban and now being about to enter the lifts again with Esau] and hast overcome or prevailed.

29. And Jacob asked and said let me know thy name I pray and he said wherefore dest ask thou ask thou for my name? [this is a question of refusal as Judges 13:17,18 he refuseth to reveal his name unto him to assure him the more that he had not wrestled with a man] and he blessed him there [this was that which Jacob had desireth before verse 26 and whereby he was now fully assured that God had appeared to him see the next verse.]

30. And Jacob called the name of that place Pinal [Gods face or aspect see 1 Kings21.25 in the sequel it is Pnuel] for said he I have seen God face to face [not with divine essence but in such a shape whereby he hath more clearly manifested himself unto me then ever before] and my soul hath been rescued [and he admireth that he died not in having seen God see above chapter 16 on verse 13 compare Exodus 20:19 Judges 6:22,23 and 13.22.]

31. And the sun arose to him when he was sat Pnuel and he was halting on his thigh.

32. Therefore the children of Israel do not eat the distorted sinew which upon the joint of the thigh to this day [distorted or dislocated shrunk wrung wrestled that is that which hath lost its vigor ands dulled or sprained or slept and hath in a manner forgot its proper place being wrung & wrestled out of it the Jews call this is new likewise thus in the beast according to what happened here to Jacob others the sinew leaned on for passing off from the pane or hallow of Oscar unto the thigh or being leaned on or leaning thereon from the Oscar as for the not eating of the sinew there is to be understood the flesh also about the sinew and this they did not out of superstition or conceit to do God service thereby but in remembrance only of what that wonderful combated and the victory of Jacob and his posterity upon it the practice hereof was useful before the coming of the Messiah but since that cannot be used anymore without superstition] because he had touched the joint of Jacobs thigh [that is touching it had hurt the same] on the distorted sinew.