Jacob Fears Esau

Genesis 32

1 Jacob went on his way, and the angels of God met him. 2 And when Jacob saw them he said, "This is God's t camp!" So he called the name of that place u Mahanaim. 1

3 And Jacob sent 2 messengers before him to Esau his brother in the land of v Seir, the country of Edom, 4 instructing them, "Thus you shall say to my lord Esau: Thus says your servant Jacob, 'I have sojourned with Laban and stayed until now. 5 I have oxen, donkeys, flocks, male servants, and female servants. I have sent to tell my lord, in order that w I may find favor in your sight.'"

6 And the messengers returned to Jacob, saying, "We came to your brother Esau, and x he is coming to meet you, and there are four hundred men with him." 7 Then Jacob was y greatly afraid and distressed. He divided the people who were with him, and the flocks and herds and camels, into two camps, 8 thinking, "If Esau comes to the one camp and attacks it, then the camp that is left will escape."

9 And Jacob said, z "O God of my father Abraham and God of my father Isaac, O Lord who a said to me, 'Return to your country and to your kindred, that I may do you good,' 10 b I am not worthy of the least of all the deeds of steadfast love and all the faithfulness that you have shown to your servant, for with only my staff I crossed this Jordan, and now I have become two camps. 11 Please deliver me from the hand of my brother, from the hand of Esau, for c I fear him, that he may come and attack me, the mothers with the children. 12 But d you said, 'I will surely do you good, and make your offspring as the sand of the sea, which cannot be numbered for multitude.'"

13 So he stayed there that night, and from what he had with him he took e a present for his brother Esau, 14 two hundred female goats and twenty male goats, two hundred ewes and twenty rams, 15 thirty milking camels and their calves, forty cows and ten bulls, twenty female donkeys and ten male donkeys. 16 These he handed over to his servants, every drove by itself, and said to his servants, "Pass on ahead of me and put a space between drove and drove." 17 He instructed the first, "When Esau my brother meets you and asks you, 'To whom do you belong? Where are you going? And whose are these ahead of you?' 18 then you shall say, 'They belong to your servant Jacob. They are a present sent to my lord Esau. And moreover, he is behind us.'" 19 He likewise instructed the second and the third and all who followed the droves, "You shall say the same thing to Esau when you find him, 20 and you shall say, 'Moreover, your servant Jacob is behind us.'" For he thought, "I may appease him 3 with the present that goes ahead of me, and afterward I shall see his face. Perhaps he will accept me." 4 21 So the present passed on ahead of him, and he himself stayed that night in the camp.

  1. Cross References
    Joshua 5:14
    And he said, "No; but I am the commander of the army of the Lord. Now I have come." And Joshua fell on his face to the earth and worshiped and said to him, "What does my lord say to his servant?
    Luke 2:13
    And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying.
  2. Cross References
    Joshua 21:38
    And out of the tribe of Gad, Ramoth in Gilead with its pasturelands, the city of refuge for the manslayer, Mahanaim with its pasturelands.
    2 Samuel 2:8
    But Abner the son of Ner, commander of Saul's army, took Ish-bosheth the son of Saul and brought him over to Mahanaim.
    2 Samuel 17:24
    Then David came to Mahanaim. And Absalom crossed the Jordan with all the men of Israel.
    2 Samuel 17:27
    When David came to Mahanaim, Shobi the son of Nahash from Rabbah of the Ammonites, and Machir the son of Ammiel from Lo-debar, and Barzillai the Gileadite from Rogelim.
    1 Kings 2:8
    And there is also with you Shimei the son of Gera, the Benjaminite from Bahurim, who cursed me with a grievous curse on the day when I went to Mahanaim. But when he came down to meet me at the Jordan, I swore to him by the Lord, saying, 'I will not put you to death with the sword.
  3. Cross References
    Genesis 36:8 - 9
    So Esau settled in the hill country of Seir. ( Esau is Edom.)
    Deuteronomy 2:5
    Do not contend with them, for I will not give you any of their land, no, not so much as for the sole of the foot to tread on, because I have given Mount Seir to Esau as a possession.
    Joshua 24:4
    And to Isaac I gave Jacob and Esau. And I gave Esau the hill country of Seir to possess, but Jacob and his children went down to Egypt.
  4. Cross References
    Genesis 33:8
    Esau said, "What do you mean by all this company that I met?" Jacob answered, "To find favor in the sight of my lord.
    Genesis 33:15
    So Esau said, "Let me leave with you some of the people who are with me." But he said, "What need is there? Let me find favor in the sight of my lord.
  5. Cross References
    Genesis 33:1
    And Jacob lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, Esau was coming, and four hundred men with him. So he divided the children among Leah and Rachel and the two female servants.
  6. Cross References
    Genesis 35:3
    Then let us arise and go up to Bethel, so that I may make there an altar to the God who answers me in the day of my distress and has been with me wherever I have gone.
  7. Cross References
    Genesis 28:13
    And behold, the Lord stood above it and said, "I am the Lord, the God of Abraham your father and the God of Isaac. The land on which you lie I will give to you and to your offspring.
    Genesis 31:42
    If the God of my father, the God of Abraham and the Fear of Isaac, had not been on my side, surely now you would have sent me away empty-handed. God saw my affliction and the labor of my hands and rebuked you last night.
    Genesis 31:53
    The God of Abraham and the God of Nahor, the God of their father, judge between us." So Jacob swore by the Fear of his father Isaac.
  8. Cross References
    Genesis 31:3
    Then the Lord said to Jacob, "Return to the land of your fathers and to your kindred, and I will be with you.
    Genesis 31:13
    I am the God of Bethel, where you anointed a pillar and made a vow to me. Now arise, go out from this land and return to the land of your kindred.'
  9. Cross References
    2 Samuel 7:18
    Then King David went in and sat before the Lord and said, "Who am I, O Lord God, and what is my house, that you have brought me thus far?
  10. Cross References
    Proverbs 18:19
    A brother offended is more unyielding than a strong city, and quarreling is like the bars of a castle.
  11. Cross References
    Genesis 28:13 - 15
    And behold, the Lord stood above it and said, "I am the Lord, the God of Abraham your father and the God of Isaac. The land on which you lie I will give to you and to your offspring.
  12. Cross References
    Genesis 43:11
    Then their father Israel said to them, "If it must be so, then do this: take some of the choice fruits of the land in your bags, and carry a present down to the man, a little balm and a little honey, gum, myrrh, pistachio nuts, and almonds.
    Proverbs 17:8
    A bribe is like a magic stone in the eyes of the one who gives it; wherever he turns he prospers.
    Proverbs 18:16
    A man's gift makes room for him and brings him before the great.
    Proverbs 19:6
    Many seek the favor of a generous man, and everyone is a friend to a man who gives gifts.
    Proverbs 21:14
    A gift in secret averts anger, and a concealed bribe, strong wrath.
English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers.
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