You are also to say, 'Look, your servant Jacob is right behind us.'" For he thought, "I will appease Esau with the gift that is going before me. After that I can face him, and perhaps he will accept me." You are also to sayThis phrase indicates a directive, a command given by Jacob to his servants. The Hebrew root for "say" is "אָמַר" (amar), which is often used in the context of divine or authoritative speech. Here, Jacob is orchestrating a careful plan, showing his strategic and thoughtful nature. It reflects the importance of communication and the power of words in resolving conflicts, a theme that resonates throughout the Bible. Look, your servant Jacob
The term "servant" is significant, as it reflects Jacob's humility and his attempt to show deference to Esau. The Hebrew word "עֶבֶד" (eved) denotes a position of submission. Historically, Jacob had taken Esau's birthright and blessing, and now he seeks reconciliation by lowering himself. This act of humility is a powerful example of seeking peace and reconciliation, aligning with the Christian teaching of humility before others. is right behind us
This phrase indicates proximity and immediacy. Jacob is not only sending gifts ahead but is also following closely, showing his willingness to face Esau. The Hebrew context suggests a sense of urgency and readiness to confront past wrongs. It highlights the importance of personal accountability and the courage to face those we have wronged. For he thought
This introspective phrase reveals Jacob's internal reasoning and planning. The Hebrew verb "חָשַׁב" (chashav) means to think, plan, or calculate. It shows Jacob's human side, filled with fear and hope. This moment of reflection is crucial, as it demonstrates the importance of thoughtful consideration and prayerful planning in difficult situations. I will appease him
The word "appease" comes from the Hebrew "כָּפַר" (kaphar), which means to cover or atone. This is a significant theological term, often associated with atonement and reconciliation. Jacob's intention to appease Esau with gifts is a symbolic act of seeking forgiveness and restoring broken relationships, echoing the Christian concept of atonement through Christ. with the gift that is going ahead of me
The "gift" (Hebrew: "מִנְחָה" minchah) is a peace offering, a tangible expression of Jacob's desire for reconciliation. In ancient Near Eastern culture, gifts were often used to secure favor and demonstrate goodwill. This act of sending gifts ahead is a strategic move to soften Esau's heart, illustrating the biblical principle of generosity and the power of giving to mend relationships. After that I can face him
Jacob's hope to "face" Esau (Hebrew: "פָּנִים" panim) indicates a desire for direct confrontation and resolution. The word "face" is often used in the context of presence and encounter. Jacob's willingness to face Esau shows his readiness to confront his past and seek peace, embodying the Christian call to reconciliation and courage in addressing conflicts. perhaps he will accept me
The word "accept" (Hebrew: "נָשָׂא" nasa) means to lift, carry, or forgive. Jacob's hope for acceptance reflects his desire for forgiveness and restoration of their relationship. This phrase captures the uncertainty and vulnerability inherent in seeking reconciliation, reminding believers of the importance of seeking forgiveness and trusting in God's grace to mend broken relationships. Persons / Places / Events 1. JacobThe patriarch who is returning to his homeland after years of living with his uncle Laban. He is preparing to meet his brother Esau, whom he had previously wronged. 2. EsauJacob's brother, from whom Jacob had taken the birthright and blessing. Jacob fears Esau's potential wrath as he returns. 3. Paddan-aramThe region where Jacob had been living with Laban, from which he is now returning. 4. GiftThe series of livestock and goods Jacob sends ahead to Esau as a peace offering, hoping to appease his brother's anger. 5. Face-to-Face EncounterThe anticipated meeting between Jacob and Esau, which Jacob hopes will be peaceful after his gifts. Teaching Points Reconciliation and HumilityJacob's approach to Esau demonstrates the importance of humility and the desire for reconciliation. He refers to himself as Esau's servant, showing a change of heart from his earlier deceitful actions. The Power of GiftsJacob's use of gifts to appease Esau highlights the biblical principle that thoughtful gifts can mend relationships and soothe anger. Faith and FearJacob's actions reveal a mix of faith and fear. While he trusts God’s promise to protect him, he also takes practical steps to ensure his safety, teaching us to balance faith with wise action. Seeking ForgivenessJacob's strategy to appease Esau reflects the importance of seeking forgiveness and making amends for past wrongs, a principle echoed throughout Scripture. Trust in God's PlanDespite his fears, Jacob ultimately trusts in God's promise to prosper him, reminding us to rely on God's faithfulness even when facing difficult situations. Bible Study Questions 1. How does Jacob's approach to Esau reflect a change in his character from earlier in Genesis? What can we learn from this about personal growth and repentance? 2. In what ways does Jacob's strategy to appease Esau align with biblical teachings on reconciliation and peacemaking? How can we apply these principles in our own relationships? 3. How does the concept of giving gifts to pacify anger, as seen in Jacob's actions, relate to other biblical teachings on generosity and reconciliation? 4. What role does fear play in Jacob's decision-making process, and how does this compare to his faith in God's promises? How can we balance fear and faith in our own lives? 5. Reflect on a time when you had to seek forgiveness or reconcile with someone. How can Jacob's account guide you in handling similar situations in the future? Connections to Other Scriptures Genesis 27The background of Jacob's deception to receive Esau's blessing, setting the stage for their estranged relationship. Proverbs 21:14Discusses how a gift given in secret can pacify anger, similar to Jacob's strategy with Esau. Matthew 5:23-24Jesus teaches about reconciliation with a brother before offering a gift at the altar, paralleling Jacob's desire to reconcile with Esau. People Esau, Isaac, Israelites, Jacob, Laban, Penuel, SeirPlaces Edom, Jabbok River, Jordan River, Mahanaim, Mizpah, Peniel, Penuel, SeirTopics Accept, Afterward, Afterwards, Ahead, Appease, Behind, Behold, Face, Further, Gift, Gifts, Goes, Grace, Jacob, Later, Lifteth, Moreover, Offering, Pacify, Peradventure, Perhaps, Present, Propitiate, Receive, Sending, Servant, WrathDictionary of Bible Themes Genesis 32:3-21 5922 prudence Genesis 32:13-21 5325 gifts Genesis 32:17-21 8262 generosity, human Library Mahanaim: the Two Camps
And Jacob went on his way, and the angels of God met him. And when Jacob saw them, he said, This is God's host: and he called the name of that place Mahanaim' (i.e. Two camps).--GENESIS xxxii. 1, 2. This vision came at a crisis in Jacob's life. He has just left the house of Laban, his father-in-law, where he had lived for many years, and in company with a long caravan, consisting of wives, children, servants, and all his wealth turned into cattle, is journeying back again to Palestine. His road …
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy ScriptureThe Twofold Wrestle --God's with Jacob and Jacob's with God
'And Jacob said, O God of my father Abraham, and God of my father Isaac, the Lord which saidst unto me, Return unto thy country, and to thy kindred, and I will deal well with thee: I am not worthy of the least of all the mercies, and of all the truth, which Thou hast shewed unto Thy servant; for with my staff I passed over this Jordan; and now I am become two bands. Deliver me, I pray thee, from the hand of my brother, from the hand of Esau: for I fear him, lest he will come and smite me, and the …
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture "And He Said, Let Me Go, for the Day Breaketh. " --Genesis xxxii. 26
"And he said, Let me go, for the day breaketh."--Genesis xxxii. 26. Let me go, the day is breaking, Dear companions, let me go; We have spent a night of waking In the wilderness below; Upward now I bend my way, Part we here at break of day. Let me go, I may not tarry, Wrestling thus with doubts and fears, Angels wait my soul to carry, Where my risen Lord appears; Friends and kindred, weep not so, If you love me let me go. We have travell'd long together, Hand in hand, and heart in heart, Both …
James Montgomery—Sacred Poems and Hymns Of the Name of God
Exod. iii. 13, 14.--"And Moses said unto God, Behold, when I come unto the children of Israel and shall say unto them, The God of your fathers hath sent me unto you and they shall say to me, What is his name? what shall I say unto them? And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you." We are now about this question, What God is. But who can answer it? Or, if answered, who can understand it? It should astonish us in …
Hugh Binning—The Works of the Rev. Hugh Binning Gen. xxxi. 11
Of no less importance and significance is the passage Gen. xxxi. 11 seq. According to ver. 11, the Angel of God, [Hebrew: mlaK halhiM] appears toJacob in a dream. In ver. 13, the same person calls himself the God of Bethel, with reference to the event recorded in chap. xxviii. 11-22. It cannot be supposed that in chap xxviii. the mediation of a common angel took place, who, however, had not been expressly mentioned; for Jehovah is there contrasted with the angels. In ver. 12, we read: "And behold …
Ernst Wilhelm Hengstenberg—Christology of the Old Testament Jacob-Wrestling
"Lord, teach us to pray."--Luke xi. 1. "Jacob called the name of the place Peniel."--Gen. xxxii. 30. ALL the time that Jacob was in Padan-aram we search in vain for prayer, for praise. or for piety of any kind in Jacob's life. We read of his marriage, and of his great prosperity, till the land could no longer hold him. But that is all. It is not said in so many words indeed that Jacob absolutely denied and forsook the God of his fathers: it is not said that he worshipped idols in Padan-aram: that …
Alexander Whyte—Lord Teach Us To Pray The Great Shepherd
He shall feed his flock like a shepherd; He shall gather the lambs with His arm, and carry them in His bosom, and shall gently lead those that are with young. I t is not easy for those, whose habits of life are insensibly formed by the customs of modern times, to conceive any adequate idea of the pastoral life, as obtained in the eastern countries, before that simplicity of manners, which characterized the early ages, was corrupted, by the artificial and false refinements of luxury. Wealth, in those …
John Newton—Messiah Vol. 1 Pleading
We shall consider our text, then, as one of the productions of a great master in spiritual matters, and we will study it, praying all the while that God will help us to pray after the like fashion. In our text we have the soul of a successful pleader under four aspects: we view, first, the soul confessing: "I am poor and needy." You have next, the soul pleading, for he makes a plea out of his poor condition, and adds, "Make haste unto me, O God!" You see, thirdly, a soul in it's urgency, for he cries, …
Charles Haddon Spurgeon—Spurgeon's Sermons Volume 17: 1871 Explanatory and Biographical
INTRODUCTION TO [202]BOOK I English lyrical religious poetry is less easily divisible than our secular verse into well-marked periods, whether in regard to matter or to manner. Throughout its long course it has in great measure the groundwork of a common Book, a common Faith, and a common Purpose. And although incidents from human life and aspects of nature are not excluded (and have in this selection, when possible, been specially gathered, with the view of varying the garland here presented)--yet …
Francis Turner Palgrave—The Treasury of Sacred Song The Worst Things Work for Good to the Godly
DO not mistake me, I do not say that of their own nature the worst things are good, for they are a fruit of the curse; but though they are naturally evil, yet the wise overruling hand of God disposing and sanctifying them, they are morally good. As the elements, though of contrary qualities, yet God has so tempered them, that they all work in a harmonious manner for the good of the universe. Or as in a watch, the wheels seem to move contrary one to another, but all carry on the motions of the watch: …
Thomas Watson—A Divine Cordial The Angel of the Lord in the Pentateuch, and the Book of Joshua.
The New Testament distinguishes between the hidden God and the revealed God--the Son or Logos--who is connected with the former by oneness of nature, and who from everlasting, and even at the creation itself, filled up the immeasurable distance between the Creator and the creation;--who has been the Mediator in all God's relations to the world;--who at all times, and even before He became man in Christ, has been the light of [Pg 116] the world,--and to whom, specially, was committed the direction …
Ernst Wilhelm Hengstenberg—Christology of the Old Testament Meditations for the Morning.
1. Almighty God can, in the resurrection, as easily raise up thy body out of the grave, from the sleep of death, as he hath this morning wakened thee in thy bed, out of the sleep of nature. At the dawning of which resurrection day, Christ shall come to be glorified in his saints; and every one of the bodies of the thousands of his saints, being fashioned like unto his glorious body, shall shine as bright as the sun (2 Thess. i. 10; Jude, ver. 14; Phil. iii. 21; Luke ix. 31;) all the angels shining …
Lewis Bayly—The Practice of Piety St. Malachy's Apostolic Labours, Praises and Miracles.
[Sidenote: 1140, October] 42. (23). Malachy embarked in a ship, and after a prosperous voyage landed at his monastery of Bangor,[576] so that his first sons might receive the first benefit.[577] In what state of mind do you suppose they were when they received their father--and such a father--in good health from so long a journey? No wonder if their whole heart gave itself over to joy at his return, when swift rumour soon brought incredible gladness even to the tribes[578] outside round about them. …
H. J. Lawlor—St. Bernard of Clairvaux's Life of St. Malachy of Armagh A Treatise of the Fear of God;
SHOWING WHAT IT IS, AND HOW DISTINGUISHED FROM THAT WHICH IS NOT SO. ALSO, WHENCE IT COMES; WHO HAS IT; WHAT ARE THE EFFECTS; AND WHAT THE PRIVILEGES OF THOSE THAT HAVE IT IN THEIR HEARTS. London: Printed for N. Ponder, at the Peacock in the Poultry, over against the Stocks market: 1679. ADVERTISEMENT BY THE EDITOR. "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom," and "a fountain of life"--the foundation on which all wisdom rests, as well as the source from whence it emanates. Upon a principle …
John Bunyan—The Works of John Bunyan Volumes 1-3 Thirdly, for Thy Actions.
1. Do no evil, though thou mightest; for God will not suffer the least sin, without bitter repentance, to escape unpunished. Leave not undone any good that thou canst. But do nothing without a calling, nor anything in thy calling, till thou hast first taken counsel at God's word (1 Sam. xxx. 8) of its lawfulness, and pray for his blessings upon thy endeavour; and then do it in the name of God, with cheerfulness of heart, committing the success to him, in whose power it is to bless with his grace …
Lewis Bayly—The Practice of Piety Fragrant Spices from the Mountains of Myrrh. "Thou Art all Fair, My Love; There is no Spot in Thee. " --Song of Solomon iv. 7.
FRAGRANT SPICES FROM THE MOUNTAINS OF MYRRH. HOW marvellous are these words! "Thou art all fair, My love; there is no spot in thee." The glorious Bridegroom is charmed with His spouse, and sings soft canticles of admiration. When the bride extols her Lord there is no wonder, for He deserves it well, and in Him there is room for praise without possibility of flattery. But does He who is wiser than Solomon condescend to praise this sunburnt Shulamite? Tis even so, for these are His own words, and were …
Charles Hadden Spurgeon—Till He Come A Believer's Privilege at Death
'For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.' Phil 1:1I. Hope is a Christian's anchor, which he casts within the veil. Rejoicing in hope.' Rom 12:12. A Christian's hope is not in this life, but he hash hope in his death.' Prov 14:42. The best of a saint's comfort begins when his life ends; but the wicked have all their heaven here. Woe unto you that are rich! for ye have received your consolation.' Luke 6:64. You may make your acquittance, and write Received in full payment.' Son, remember that …
Thomas Watson—A Body of Divinity Genesis
The Old Testament opens very impressively. In measured and dignified language it introduces the story of Israel's origin and settlement upon the land of Canaan (Gen.--Josh.) by the story of creation, i.-ii. 4a, and thus suggests, at the very beginning, the far-reaching purpose and the world-wide significance of the people and religion of Israel. The narrative has not travelled far till it becomes apparent that its dominant interests are to be religious and moral; for, after a pictorial sketch of …
John Edgar McFadyen—Introduction to the Old Testament Links Genesis 32:20 NIVGenesis 32:20 NLTGenesis 32:20 ESVGenesis 32:20 NASBGenesis 32:20 KJV
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