1Et Jacob continua son chemin, et des anges de Dieu le rencontrèrent. 2Et Jacob dit, quand il les eut vus: C'est le camp de Dieu! Et il appela ce lieu-là, Mahanaïm (les deux camps). 3Et Jacob envoya des messagers devant lui vers Ésaü, son frère, au pays de Séir, aux champs d'Édom. 4Et il leur commanda en disant: Vous parlerez ainsi à Ésaü mon seigneur: Ainsi a dit ton serviteur Jacob: J'ai séjourné chez Laban, et j'y ai demeuré jusqu'à présent. 5Et j'ai des bœufs et des ânes, des brebis, des serviteurs et des servantes; et j'envoie l'annoncer à mon seigneur, afin de trouver grâce devant tes yeux. 6Et les messagers revinrent auprès de Jacob, en disant: Nous sommes allés vers ton frère Ésaü; et il marche aussi à ta rencontre, avec quatre cents hommes. 7Alors Jacob fut très effrayé et rempli d'angoisse; et il partagea le peuple qui était avec lui, et les brebis, et les bœufs, et les chameaux, en deux camps, et il dit: 8Si Ésaü attaque l'un des camps et le frappe, le camp qui restera, pourra échapper. 9Puis Jacob dit: Dieu de mon père Abraham, et Dieu de mon père Isaac! YEHOVAH, qui m'as dit: Retourne en ton pays, et vers ta parenté, et je te ferai du bien; 10Je ne suis pas digne de la moindre de tes grâces, ni de toute la vérité que tu as montré envers ton serviteur; car j'ai passé le Jourdain avec mon bâton, et maintenant je forme deux camps. 11Délivre-moi, je te prie, de la main de mon frère, de la main d'Ésaü; car je crains qu'il ne vienne, et qu'il ne me frappe, et la mère avec les enfants. 12Cependant, tu as dit: Certainement, je te ferai du bien, et je ferai devenir ta postérité comme le sable de la mer, qu'on ne saurait compter à cause de son grand nombre. 13Et il passa la nuit en ce lieu-là, et il prit de ce qui lui vint en la main, pour en faire un présent à Ésaü, son frère 14Deux cents chèvres et vingt boucs, deux cents brebis et vingt béliers, 15Trente chamelles qui allaitaient, avec leurs petits, quarante vaches et dix taureaux, vingt ânesses et dix jeunes ânes. 16Et il mit entre les mains de ses serviteurs chaque troupeau à part, et dit à ses serviteurs: Passez devant moi, et mettez de la distance entre un troupeau et l'autre. 17Et il donna ordre au premier, en disant: Quand Ésaü mon frère, te rencontrera, et te demandera: À qui es-tu, où vas-tu, et à qui sont ces bêtes devant toi? 18Tu diras: À ton serviteur Jacob; c'est un présent qu'il envoie à Ésaü mon seigneur; et le voici qui vient lui-même après nous. 19Il donna le même ordre au second, et au troisième, et à tous ceux qui allaient après les troupeaux, en disant: Vous tiendrez ce langage à Ésaü, quand vous le rencontrerez; 20Et vous direz: Voici même ton serviteur Jacob qui vient derrière nous. Car il se disait: Je l'apaiserai par ce présent qui va devant moi, et après cela, je verrai sa face; peut-être qu'il m'accueillera favorablement. 21Le présent marcha donc devant lui; mais lui, il passa cette nuit-là dans le camp. 22Et il se leva cette nuit, prit ses deux femmes, et ses deux servantes, et ses onze enfants, et passa le gué de Jabbok. 23Il les prit donc, et leur fit passer le torrent. Il fit aussi passer ce qu'il avait. 24Or Jacob demeura seul; et un homme lutta avec lui, jusqu'au lever de l'aurore. 25Et quand cet homme vit qu'il ne pouvait le vaincre, il toucha l'emboîture de sa hanche; et l'emboîture de la hanche de Jacob fut démise, pendant qu'il luttait avec lui. 26Et cet homme lui dit: Laisse-moi aller, car l'aurore est levée. Mais il dit: Je ne te laisserai point aller, que tu ne m'aies béni. 27Et il lui dit: Quel est ton nom? et il répondit: Jacob. 28Alors il dit: Ton nom ne sera plus Jacob, mais Israël (qui lutte avec Dieu); car tu as lutté avec Dieu et avec les hommes, et tu as vaincu. 29Et Jacob l'interrogea, et dit: Apprends-moi ton nom, je te prie. Et il répondit: Pourquoi demandes-tu mon nom? Et il le bénit là. 30Et Jacob nomma le lieu, Péniel (face de Dieu); car, dit-il, j'ai vu Dieu face à face et mon âme a été délivrée. 31Et le soleil se leva pour lui, dés qu'il eut passé Péniel; et il boitait de la hanche. 32C'est pourquoi, jusqu'à ce jour, les enfants d'Israël ne mangent point le muscle de la cuisse, qui est à l'emboîture de la hanche, parce que cet homme toucha l'emboîture de la hanche de Jacob, au muscle de la cuisse.
Jamieson Fausset Brown Bible Commentary 1 VISION OF ANGELS. (
Gen 32:1-
Gen 32:2)
angels of God met him--It is not said whether this angelic manifestation was made in a vision by day, or a dream by night. There is an evident allusion, however, to the appearance upon the ladder (compare
Gen 28:12), and this occurring to Jacob on his return to Canaan, was an encouraging pledge of the continued presence and protection of God (
Ps 34:7;
Heb 1:14).
2 Mahanaim--"two hosts," or "camps." The place was situated between mount Gilead and the Jabbok, near the banks of that brook.
3 MISSION TO ESAU. (OTGen:32:3-32)
Jacob sent messengers before him to Esau--that is, "had sent." It was a prudent precaution to ascertain the present temper of Esau, as the road, on approaching the eastern confines of Canaan, lay near the wild district where his brother was now established.
land of Seir--a highland country on the east and south of the Dead Sea, inhabited by the Horites, who were dispossessed by Esau or his posterity (
Deut 11:12). When and in what circumstances he had emigrated thither, whether the separation arose out of the undutiful conduct and idolatrous habits of his wives, which had made them unwelcome in the tent of his parents, or whether his roving disposition had sought a country from his love of adventure and the chase, he was living in a state of power and affluence, and this settlement on the outer borders of Canaan, though made of his own free will, was overruled by Providence to pave the way for Jacob's return to the promised land.
4 Thus shall ye speak unto my lord Esau--The purport of the message was that, after a residence of twenty years in Mesopotamia, he was now returning to his native land, that he did not need any thing, for he had abundance of pastoral wealth, but that he could not pass without notifying his arrival to his brother and paying the homage of his respectful obeisance. Acts of civility tend to disarm opposition and soften hatred (
Eccl 10:4).
Thy servant Jacob--He had been made lord over his brethren (compare
Gen 27:29). But it is probable he thought this referred to a spiritual superiority; or if to temporal, that it was to be realized only to his posterity. At all events, leaving it to God to fulfil that purpose, he deemed it prudent to assume the most kind and respectful bearing.
6 The messengers returned to Jacob--Their report left Jacob in painful uncertainty as to what was his brother's views and feelings. Esau's studied reserve gave him reason to dread the worst. Jacob was naturally timid; but his conscience told him that there was much ground for apprehension, and his distress was all the more aggravated that he had to provide for the safety of a large and helpless family.
9 Jacob said, O God of my father Abraham--In this great emergency, he had recourse to prayer. This is the first recorded example of prayer in the Bible. It is short, earnest, and bearing directly on the occasion. The appeal is made to God, as standing in a covenant relation to his family, just as we ought to put our hopes of acceptance with God in Christ. It pleads the special promise made to him of a safe return; and after a most humble and affecting confession of unworthiness, it breathes an earnest desire for deliverance from the impending danger. It was the prayer of a kind husband, an affectionate father, a firm believer in the promises.
13 took . . . a present for Esau--Jacob combined active exertions with earnest prayer; and this teaches us that we must not depend upon the aid and interposition of God in such a way as to supersede the exercise of prudence and foresight. Superiors are always approached with presents, and the respect expressed is estimated by the quality and amount of the gift. The present of Jacob consisted of five hundred fifty head of cattle, of different kinds, such as would be most prized by Esau. It was a most magnificent present, skilfully arranged and proportioned. The milch camels alone were of immense value; for the she camels form the principal part of Arab wealth; their milk is a chief article of diet; and in many other respects they are of the greatest use.
16 every drove by themselves--There was great prudence in this arrangement; for the present would thus have a more imposing appearance; Esau's passion would have time to cool as he passed each successive company; and if the first was refused, the others would hasten back to convey a timely warning.
17 he commanded the foremost--The messengers were strictly commanded to say the same words [
Gen 32:18,
Gen 32:20], that Esau might be more impressed and that the uniformity of the address might appear more clearly to have come from Jacob himself.
21 himself lodged--not the whole night, but only a part of it.
22 ford Jabbok--now the Zerka--a stream that rises among the mountains of Gilead, and running from east to west, enters the Jordan, about forty miles south of the Sea of Tiberias. At the ford it is ten yards wide. It is sometimes forded with difficulty; but in summer it is very shallow.
he rose up and took--Unable to sleep, Jacob waded the ford in the night time by himself; and having ascertained its safety, he returned to the north bank and sent over his family and attendants, remaining behind, to seek anew, in silent prayer, the divine blessing on the means he had set in motion.
24 There wrestled a man with him--This mysterious person is called an angel (
Hos 12:4) and God (
Gen 32:28,
Gen 32:30;
Hos 12:5); and the opinion that is most supported is that he was "the angel of the covenant," who, in a visible form, appeared to animate the mind and sympathize with the distress of his pious servant. It has been a subject of much discussion whether the incident described was an actual conflict or a visionary scene. Many think that as the narrative makes no mention in express terms either of sleep, or dream, or vision, it was a real transaction; while others, considering the bodily exhaustion of Jacob, his great mental anxiety, the kind of aid he supplicated, as well as the analogy of former manifestations with which he was favored--such as the ladder--have concluded that it was a vision [CALVIN, HESSENBERG, HENGSTENBERG]. The moral design of it was to revive the sinking spirit of the patriarch and to arm him with confidence in God, while anticipating the dreaded scenes of the morrow. To us it is highly instructive; showing that, to encourage us valiantly to meet the trials to which we are subjected, God allows us to ascribe to the efficacy of our faith and prayers, the victories which His grace alone enables us to make.
26 I will not let thee go, except thou bless me--It is evident that Jacob was aware of the character of Him with whom he wrestled; and, believing that His power, though by far superior to human, was yet limited by His promise to do him good, he determined not to lose the golden opportunity of securing a blessing. And nothing gives God greater pleasure than to see the hearts of His people firmly adhering to Him.
28 Thy name shall be called no more Jacob, but Israel--The old name was not to be abandoned; but, referring as it did to a dishonorable part of the patriarch's history, it was to be associated with another descriptive of his now sanctified and eminently devout character.
29 Jacob asked, Tell me . . . thy name--The request was denied that he might not be too elated with his conquest nor suppose that he had obtained such advantage over the angel as to make him do what he pleased.
31 halted upon his thigh--As Paul had a thorn in the flesh given to humble him, lest he should be too elevated by the abundant revelations granted him [
2Cor 12:7], so Jacob's lameness was to keep him mindful of this mysterious scene, and that it was in gracious condescension the victory was yielded to him. In the greatest of these spiritual victories which, through faith, any of God's people obtain, there is always something to humble them.
32 the sinew which shrank--the nerve that fastens the thigh bone in its socket. The practice of the Jews in abstaining from eating this in the flesh of animals, is not founded on the law of Moses, but is merely a traditional usage. The sinew is carefully extracted; and where there are no persons skilled enough for that operation, they do not make use of the hind legs at all.