Genesis 32

King James Version

Full text for Genesis Chapter 32

1¶ And Jacob went on his way, and the angels of God met him.

2And when Jacob saw them, he said, This [is] God's host: and he called the name of that place Mahanaim.

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

4And 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:

5And 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.

6And 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.

7Then 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;

8And said, If Esau come to the one company, and smite it, then the other company which is left shall escape.

9¶ 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:

10I 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.

11Deliver 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.

12And 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;

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

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

16And 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.

17And 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?

18Then 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.

19And 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.

20And 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.

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

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

23And 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.

25And 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.

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

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

28And 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.

29And 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.

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

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

32Therefore 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.

AI Analysis

AI Summaries

Short Summary

Jacob, returning to Canaan, first encounters angels and then prepares to meet his estranged brother Esau, whom he greatly fears. After sending a large appeasing gift, Jacob wrestles with a divine being through the night, resulting in his name being changed to Israel and his thigh being dislocated. He names the place Peniel, acknowledging his encounter with God.

Medium Summary

As Jacob journeyed homeward, he was met by angels of God, naming the place Mahanaim. Fearing his brother Esau, Jacob sent messengers ahead, seeking to find grace in his sight, but they returned with news that Esau was approaching with four hundred men. Greatly distressed, Jacob divided his company into two bands for safety and earnestly prayed to God, recalling divine promises and pleading for deliverance from Esau's hand. He then prepared a substantial gift of livestock, sending it in multiple droves to precede him, hoping to appease Esau. That night, after sending his family across the Jabbok, Jacob wrestled alone with a mysterious man until daybreak. During the struggle, his thigh was dislocated, yet he refused to release the man until blessed. The man then changed Jacob's name to Israel, signifying his prevailing power with God and with men. Jacob named the place Peniel, for he had seen God face to face and his life was preserved, departing with a limp.

Long Summary

Upon his return journey, Jacob encountered angels of God, leading him to name the place Mahanaim, signifying God's host. Anticipating a reunion with his estranged brother Esau, Jacob dispatched messengers to the land of Seir, humbly informing Esau of his prosperity and seeking his favor. The messengers returned with the alarming news that Esau was approaching with four hundred men, causing Jacob great fear and distress. In response, Jacob strategically divided his entire company, including his family, flocks, and herds, into two separate bands, hoping that if one was attacked, the other might escape. Overwhelmed, Jacob then offered a fervent prayer to God, recalling the covenant promises made to Abraham and Isaac, and God's specific command for him to return. He acknowledged his unworthiness of God's mercies and truth, pleading for deliverance from Esau's potential violence against his family. Following his prayer, Jacob meticulously prepared a lavish present for Esau, comprising hundreds of various animals, which he arranged into multiple droves. He instructed his servants to present each drove sequentially, emphasizing that they were from "thy servant Jacob" and that Jacob himself was following behind, intending to appease Esau before their direct encounter. That same night, Jacob moved his wives, children, and all his possessions across the ford Jabbok. Remaining alone, Jacob wrestled with a mysterious man until the breaking of the day. During the intense struggle, the man touched the hollow of Jacob's thigh, dislocating it, yet Jacob steadfastly refused to release him without a blessing. The man then asked Jacob's name, and upon hearing "Jacob," declared that his name would henceforth be Israel, for he had striven as a prince with God and with men and had prevailed. Though Jacob inquired about the man's name, it was not revealed, but he received the promised blessing. Jacob named the site Peniel, meaning "the face of God," affirming that he had seen God face to face and his life was preserved. As the sun rose, Jacob passed over Penuel, limping due to his injured thigh, an event commemorated by the children of Israel's custom of not eating the sinew of the thigh.

Core Concepts

  • Divine Encounter at MahanaimJacob's journey begins with an encounter with angels of God, signifying divine presence and protection, leading him to name the place Mahanaim, meaning "two camps" or "two hosts."
  • Fear and PrudenceUpon hearing of Esau's approach with 400 men, Jacob experiences great fear and distress, prompting him to divide his company into two bands as a strategic measure for survival.
  • Jacob's PrayerFaced with imminent danger, Jacob offers a humble and earnest prayer to God, appealing to divine promises and seeking deliverance from his brother's potential wrath, acknowledging God's past faithfulness.
  • Appeasement StrategyJacob devises a plan to pacify Esau by sending a large, strategically delivered gift of livestock in multiple droves, hoping to soften his brother's disposition before their direct meeting.
  • Wrestling at JabbokJacob engages in a mysterious all-night wrestling match with a "man" at the ford Jabbok, a pivotal physical and spiritual struggle that culminates in a profound transformation.
  • Name Change to IsraelAs a result of his wrestling and prevailing, Jacob's name is changed to Israel, signifying his new identity as one who has "power with God and with men" or "striven with God."
  • Peniel and LimpJacob names the place Peniel, meaning "face of God," because he saw God face to face and his life was preserved; he departs with a permanent limp from his dislocated thigh, a physical reminder of his divine encounter.