32 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.

And Jacob sent messengers before him to Esau his brother unto the land of Seir, the country of Edom.

And he commanded them, saying, Thus shall ye speak unto my lord Esau; Thy servant Jacob saith thus, I have sojourned with Laban, and stayed there until now:

And I have oxen, and asses, flocks, and menservants, and womenservants: and I have sent to tell my lord, that I may find grace in thy sight.

And the messengers returned to Jacob, saying, We came to thy brother Esau, and also he cometh to meet thee, and four hundred men with him.

Then Jacob was greatly afraid and distressed: and he divided the people that was with him, and the flocks, and herds, and the camels, into two bands;

And said, If Esau come to the one company, and smite it, then the other company which is left shall escape.

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:

10 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.

11 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 mother with the children.

12 And thou saidst, I will surely do thee good, and make thy seed as the sand of the sea, which cannot be numbered for multitude.

13 And he lodged there that same night; and took of that which came to his hand a present for Esau his brother;

14 Two hundred she goats, and twenty he goats, two hundred ewes, and twenty rams,

15 Thirty milch camels with their colts, forty kine, and ten bulls, twenty she asses, and ten foals.

16 And he delivered them into the hand of his servants, every drove by themselves; and said unto his servants, Pass over before me, and put a space betwixt drove and drove.

17 And he commanded the foremost, saying, When Esau my brother meeteth thee, and asketh thee, saying, Whose art thou? and whither goest thou? and whose are these before thee?

18 Then thou shalt say, They be thy servant Jacob's; it is a present sent unto my lord Esau: and, behold, also he is behind us.

19 And so commanded he the second, and the third, and all that followed the droves, saying, On this manner shall ye speak unto Esau, when ye find him.

20 And say ye moreover, Behold, thy servant Jacob is behind us. For he said, I will appease him with the present that goeth before me, and afterward I will see his face; peradventure he will accept of me.

21 So went the present over before him: and himself lodged that night in the company.

22 And he rose up that night, and took his two wives, and his two womenservants, and his eleven sons, and passed over the ford Jabbok.

23 And he took them, and sent them over the brook, and sent over that he had.

24 And Jacob was left alone; and there wrestled a man with him until the breaking of the day.

25 And when he saw that he prevailed not against him, he touched the hollow of his thigh; and the hollow of Jacob's thigh was out of joint, as he wrestled with him.

26 And he said, Let me go, for the day breaketh. And he said, I will not let thee go, except thou bless me.

27 And he said unto him, What is thy name? And he said, Jacob.

28 And he said, Thy name shall be called no more Jacob, but Israel: for as a prince hast thou power with God and with men, and hast prevailed.

29 And Jacob asked him, and said, Tell me, I pray thee, thy name. And he said, Wherefore is it that thou dost ask after my name? And he blessed him there.

30 And Jacob called the name of the place Peniel: for I have seen God face to face, and my life is preserved.

31 And as he passed over Penuel the sun rose upon him, and he halted upon his thigh.

32 Therefore the children of Israel eat not of the sinew which shrank, which is upon the hollow of the thigh, unto this day: because he touched the hollow of Jacob's thigh in the sinew that shrank.

32 1 God comforteth Jacob by his Angels. 9, 10 He prayeth unto God confessing his unworthiness. 13 He sendeth presents unto Esau. 24, 28 He wrestled with the Angel who nameth him Israel.

Now Jacob went forth on his journey, and (A)the Angels of God met him.

And when Jacob saw them, he said, [a]This is God’s host: and he called the name of the same place [b]Mahanaim.

Then Jacob sent messengers before him to Esau his brother, unto the land of Seir into the country of Edom.

To whom he gave commandment, saying, Thus shall ye speak to my [c]lord Esau: thy servant Jacob saith thus, I have been a stranger with Laban, and tarried unto this time.

I have beeves also and asses, sheep, and men servants, and women servants, and have sent to show my lord, that I may find grace in thy sight.

¶ So the messengers came again to Jacob, saying, We came unto thy brother Esau, and he also cometh against thee and four hundred men with him.

Then Jacob was [d]greatly afraid, and was sore troubled, and divided the people that was with him, and the sheep, and the beeves, and the camels into two companies.

For he said, If Esau come to the one company and smite it, the other company shall escape.

¶ Moreover Jacob said, O God of my father Abraham, and God of my father Isaac, Lord, which (B)saidst unto me, Return unto thy country, and to thy kindred, and I will do thee good.

10 I am not [e]worthy of the least of all the mercies, and all the truth, which thou hast showed unto thy servant: for with my [f]staff came I over this Jordan, and now have I gotten two bands.

11 I pray thee, Deliver me from the hand of my brother, from the hand of Esau: for I fear him, lest he will come and smite me, and the [g]mother upon the children.

12 And thou saidest, I will surely do to thee good, and make thy seed as the sand of the sea, which cannot be numbered for multitude.

13 ¶ And he tarried there that same night and took of that which came to hand, a [h]present for Esau his brother:

14 Two hundred she goats, and twenty he goats, two hundred ewes and twenty rams:

15 Thirty milch camels with their colts, forty kine, and ten bullocks, twenty she asses, and ten foals.

16 So he delivered them into the hand of his servants, every drove by themselves, and said unto his servants, Pass before me, and put a space between drove and drove.

17 And he commanded the foremost, saying, If my brother Esau meet thee, and ask thee, saying, Whose servant art thou? And whither goest thou? and whose are these before thee?

18 Then thou shalt say, They be thy servant Jacob’s: it is a present sent unto my lord Esau: and behold, he himself also is behind us.

19 So likewise commanded he the second and the third, and all that followed the droves, saying, After this manner, ye shall speak unto Esau, when ye find him.

20 And ye shall say moreover, Behold, thy servant Jacob cometh after us. (for he thought, I [i]will appease his wrath with the present that goeth before me, and afterward I will see his face: it may be that he will [j]accept me.)

21 So went the present before him: but he tarried that night with the company.

22 And he rose up the same night, and took his two wives, and his two maids, and his eleven children, and went over the ford Jabbok.

23 And he took them, and sent them over the river, and sent over that he had.

24 ¶ Now when Jacob was left himself alone, there wrestled a [k]man with him unto the breaking of the day.

25 And he saw that he could not [l]prevail against him: therefore he touched the hollow of his thigh, and the hollow of Jacob’s thigh was loosed, as he wrestled with him.

26 And he said, Let me go, for the morning appeareth. Who answered, (C)I will not let thee go, except thou bless me.

27 Then said he unto him, What is thy name? And he said, Jacob.

28 And said he, (D)Thy name shall be called Jacob no more, but Israel: because thou hast had [m]power with God, thou shalt also prevail with men.

29 And Jacob demanded, saying, Tell me, I pray thee, thy name. And he said, Wherefore now dost thou ask my name? and he blessed him there.

30 And Jacob called the name of the place, Peniel: for, said he, I have seen God face to face, and [n]my life is preserved.

31 And the sun rose up to him as he passed Peniel, and he [o]halted upon his thigh.

32 Therefore the children of Israel eat not of the sinew which shrank in the hollow of the thigh, unto this day: because he touched the sinew that shrank in the hollow of Jacob’s thigh.

Footnotes

  1. Genesis 32:2 He acknowledgeth God’s benefits: who for the preservation of his, sendeth hosts of Angels.
  2. Genesis 32:2 Or, tents.
  3. Genesis 32:4 He reverenced his brother in worldly things, because he chiefly looked to be preferred to the spiritual promise.
  4. Genesis 32:7 Albeit he was comforted by the Angels, yet the infirmity of the flesh doth appear.
  5. Genesis 32:10 Hebrew, I am less than all thy mercies.
  6. Genesis 32:10 That is, poor and without all provision.
  7. Genesis 32:11 Meaning, he will put all to death. This proverb cometh of them which kill the bird together with his young ones.
  8. Genesis 32:13 Not distrusting God’s assistance, but using such means as God had given him.
  9. Genesis 32:20 He thought it no loss to depart with these goods, to the intent he might follow the vocation whereunto God called him.
  10. Genesis 32:20 Hebrew, receive my face.
  11. Genesis 32:24 That is, God in form of man.
  12. Genesis 32:25 For God assaileth his with the one hand, and upholdeth them with the other.
  13. Genesis 32:28 God gave Jacob both power to overcome, and also the praise of the victory.
  14. Genesis 32:30 Or, my soul is delivered.
  15. Genesis 32:31 The faithful to overcome their tentations, that they feel the smart thereof, to the intent that they should not glory, but in their humility.