Genesis 32:11

_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:_ Jacob said, O God. 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; because Jacob uses here the name х_ YAHWEH_ (H3068)], Jehovah, along with other titles, in the invocation, as he invokes it singly elsewhere (Genesis 49:18). He pleads the special promise made to himself of a safe return; and after a most humble and affecting confession of unworthiness, breathes an earnest desire for

11._Deliver me_. After he has declared himself to be bound by so many of God’s benefits that he cannot boast of his own merits, and thus raised his mind to higher expectation, he now mentions his own necessity, as if he would say, “O Lord, unless thou choosest to reduce so many excellent gifts to nothing, now is the time for thee to succor one, and to avert the destruction which, through my brother, is suspended over me.” But having thus expressed his fear, he adds a clause concerning the blessing promised him, that he may confirm himself in the promises made to him. _To slay the mother with the children_, I suppose to have been a proverbial saying among the Jews, which means to leave nothing remaining. It is a metaphor taken from birds, when hawks seize the young with their dams, and empty the whole nest. (105)...

9-23 Times of fear should be times of prayer: whatever causes fear, should drive us to our knees, to our God. Jacob had lately seen his guards of angels, but in this distress he applied to God, not to them; he knew they were his fellow-servants, Revelation 22:9. There cannot be a better pattern for true prayer than this. Here is a thankful acknowledgement of former undeserved favours; a humble confession of unworthiness; a plain statement of his fears and distress; a full reference of the whole affair to the Lord, and resting all his hopes on him. The best we can say to God in prayer, is what he has said to us. Thus he made the name of the Lord his strong tower, and could not but be safe. Jacob's fear did not make him sink into despair, nor did his prayer make him presume upon God's mercy, without the use of means. God answers prayers by teaching us to order our affairs aright. To pacif...

Verse Genesis 32:11. _AND THE MOTHER WITH THE CHILDREN._] He must have had an awful opinion of his brother when he used this expression, which implies the _utmost cruelty_, proceeding in the work of slaughter to total extermination. See Hosea 10:14....

- Jacob Wrestles in Prayer 3. מחנים _machănāyı̂m_, Machanaim, “two camps.” 22. יבק _yaboq_, Jabboq; related: בקק _bāqaq_ “gush or gurgle out” or אבק _'ābaq_ in niphal, “wrestle.” Now Wady Zurka. 29. ישׂראל _yı̂śrā'ēl_, Jisrael, “prince of God.” 31. פניאל _p__e__nı̂y'ēl_ = פנוּאל _penû'ēl_, Peniel, Penuel, “face of God.” After twenty years spent in Aram, Jacob now returns to Kenann. As his departure was marked by a great moment in his spi

EXPOSITION GENESIS 32:1 AND JACOB (after Laban's departure) WENT ON HIS WAY (from Galeed and Mizpah, in a southerly direction towards the Jabbok), AND THE ANGELS OF GOD—literally, _the messengers of _Elohim, not chance travelers who informed him of Esau's being in the vicinity (Abarbanel), but angels (cf. Psalms 104:4)—MET HIM. Not necessarily came in an opposite direction, _fuerunt ei obviam _(Vulgate), but simply fell in with him, lighted on him as in Genesis 28:11, συνήντησαν αὐτῶ (LXX.), forgathered with him (Scottish); but whether this was in a waking vision (Kurtz, Keil, Inglis)

DELIVER ME, I PRAY THEE, FROM THE HAND OF MY BROTHER, FROM THE HAND OF ESAU,.... For though his brother, it was his brother Esau, that had formerly vowed revenge upon him, and had determined to kill him, Genesis 27:41, and he knew not but that he was still of the same mind; and now having an opportunity, and in his power to do it, being accompanied with four hundred men, he feared he would attempt it; and therefore entreats the Lord, who was greater than he, to deliver him from falling into his hands, and being destroyed by him: FOR I FEAR HIM, LEST HE WILL COME AND SMITE ME, [AND] THE MOTHER WITH THE CHILDREN; for whom Jacob seems to be more concerned than for himself; the phrase denotes the utter destruction of his family, and the cruelty and inhumanity that would be exercised therein; which shows what an opinion he had of his brother, and of his savage disposition.

Genesis 32:1. _And Jacob went on his way, and the angels of God met him._ When he left the promised land, he had a vision of angels, ascending and descending upon the ladder, as if to bid him farewell. Now that he is going back, the angels are there again to speed him on his way home to the land of the covenant, the land which the Lord had promised to give to Abraham and his seed. Genesis 32:2. _And when Jacob saw them, he said, This is God's host: and he called the name of that place Mahanaim._ The marginal reading is «Two hosts, or, camps.» The angels of the Lord were encamping round about the man who feared him, though shore had been much in his character and conduct which the Lord could not approve....

CHAPTER 32 JACOB'S FEAR OF ESAU AND PRAYER AT PENIEL _ 1. The vision at Mahanaim (Genesis 32:1)_ 2. The message to Esau (Genesis 32:3) 3. Esau's coming and Jacob's fear (Genesis 32:6) 4. Jacob's prayer (Genesis 32:9) 5. Preparing to meet Esau (Genesis 32:13) 6. Jacob's prayer at Peniel (Genesis 32:24) What a welcome it was when he came near to his land, that the angels of God met him. They were like divine amb

JACOB TAKES PRECAUTIONS TO APPEASE ESAU. Genesis 32:3_ a_ seems to be from J, Genesis 32:13 _b_ - Genesis 32:21 from E. Genesis 32:9 may be an expansion. According to J, Jacob divides his company into two camps, so that one may escape if Esau attacks. E represents Jacob as making up a very valuable present to win Esau's favour. This consists of goats, sheep, camels, cattle, and asses. He hits on the plan of arranging them in separate droves, with a space between each. Each drover is to say that it is a present for Esau, and that Jacob is behind. Thus Esau, when he expects to see Jacob, is to be again and again surprise