Genesis 32

Genesis 32 General Notes

Special concepts in this chapter
Jacob does not trust Yahweh

Jacob does not trust in Yahweh. Instead, he fears that his brother Esau could kill him and his family. He should have known that Yahweh would continue to bless him and protect his family. He should have trusted in Yahweh's covenant faithfulness. (See: /WA-Catalog/en_tw?section=kt#bless and /WA-Catalog/en_tw?section=kt#trust and /WA-Catalog/en_tw?section=kt#covenantfaith)

Name change

In Scripture, a change in name always occurs at a highly significant point in a person's life. The return of Jacob to Canaan was a significant event in the history of the Hebrew people.

Other possible translation difficulties in this chapter
"A man wrestled with him"

Scholars are divided over the identity of the person Jacob wrestled with. It was probably an angel, but some believe he wrestled with Jesus before he came to earth. The translator will probably have difficulty trying to keep ambiguity in identifying this individual because the word "man" usually indicates a normal, living person. (See: /WA-Catalog/en_tm?section=jit#figs-explicit)

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Genesis 32:1

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Genesis 32:2

Mahanaim

Translators may also add a footnote that says "The name Mahanaim means 'two camps.'"

Genesis 32:3

Seir

This is a mountainous area in the region of Edom. (See: /WA-Catalog/en_tm?section=jit#translate-names)

Genesis 32:4

This is what you will say to my master Esau: This is what your servant Jacob says: 'I have been ... have delayed my return until now.

This has a quotation within a quotation. The direct quotation can be stated as an indirect quotation. Alternate translation: "'This is what I want you to tell my master Esau. Tell him that I have been ... have delayed my return until now.'" (See: /WA-Catalog/en_tm?section=jit#figs-quotesinquotes and /WA-Catalog/en_tm?section=jit#figs-quotations)

my master Esau

Jacob is using polite language and refers to his brother as "my master."

your servant Jacob

Jacob is using polite language and refers to himself as "your servant."

Genesis 32:5

I have cattle ... in your eyes.

This continues the quotation within a quotation that begins with the words "I have been" in verse 4. The direct quotation can be stated as an indirect quotation. "This is what I want you to tell my master Esau. Tell him that I have been ... Tell him that I have cattle ... in his eyes." (See: /WA-Catalog/en_tm?section=jit#figs-quotesinquotes and /WA-Catalog/en_tm?section=jit#figs-quotations)

that I may find favor in your eyes

When a person finds favor in the eyes of another, the second person approves of the first person. Here "eyes" are a metonym for the person seeing something, and seeing a person is a metaphor for deciding whether what that person sees is good or bad. Alternate translation: "that you may approve of me" (See: /WA-Catalog/en_tm?section=jit#figs-idiom and /WA-Catalog/en_tm?section=jit#figs-metonymy and /WA-Catalog/en_tm?section=jit#figs-metaphor)

Genesis 32:6

four hundred men

"400 men" (See: /WA-Catalog/en_tm?section=jit#translate-numbers)

Genesis 32:7

afraid

This refers to the unpleasant feeling a person has when there is a threat of harm to himself or others.

upset

distressed, troubled

Genesis 32:8

to one camp and attacks it, then the camp that is left will escape

Here "camp" refers to the people. Alternate translation: "to attack the people in one camp, then the people in the other camp will escape" (See: /WA-Catalog/en_tm?section=jit#figs-metonymy)

Genesis 32:9

God of my father Abraham, and God of my father Isaac, Yahweh

This does not refer to different gods, but to the one God they all worship. Alternate translation: "Yahweh, who is God of my grandfather Abraham and my father Isaac" (See: /WA-Catalog/en_tm?section=jit#figs-explicit)

Yahweh, who said to me, 'Return to your country and to your kindred, and I will prosper you,'

This is a quotation within a quotation. It can be stated an indirect quotation. Alternate translation: "Yahweh, you who said that I should return to my country and to my kindred, and that you would prosper me," (See: /WA-Catalog/en_tm?section=jit#figs-quotesinquotes and /WA-Catalog/en_tm?section=jit#figs-quotations)

to your kindred

"to your family"

I will prosper you

"I will do good for you" or "I will treat you well"

Genesis 32:10

I am not worthy of all your acts of covenant faithfulness and of all the trustworthiness that you have done for your servant

The abstract nouns "faithfulness" and "trustworthiness" can be stated as "faithful" and "loyal." Alternate translation: "I do not deserve for you to remain faithful to your covenant or for you to be loyal to me, your servant" (See: /WA-Catalog/en_tm?section=jit#figs-activepassive)

your servant

This is a polite way of saying "me."

now I have become two camps

Here the phrase "I have become" is an idiom meaning what he now possesses. Alternate translation: "and now I have enough people, flocks, and possessions with me to make two camps" (See: /WA-Catalog/en_tm?section=jit#figs-idiom)

Genesis 32:11

rescue me

"save me"

from the hand of my brother, from the hand of Esau

Here the word "hand" refers to power. The two phrases mean basically the same thing. The second clarifies that the brother whom Jacob intended was Esau. Alternate translation: "from the power of my brother, Esau" or "from my brother, Esau" (See: /WA-Catalog/en_tm?section=jit#figs-metonymy and /WA-Catalog/en_tm?section=jit#figs-parallelism)

I am afraid of him, that he will

"I am afraid that he will"

Genesis 32:12

But you said, 'I will certainly make you prosper. I will make your descendants ... number.'

This is a quotation within a quotation. It can be stated an an indirect quotation. Alternate translation: "But you said that you would certainly prosper me, and that you would make my descendants ... number" (See: /WA-Catalog/en_tm?section=jit#figs-quotesinquotes and /WA-Catalog/en_tm?section=jit#figs-quotations)

make you prosper

"do good to you" or "treat you well"

I will make your descendants like the sand of the sea

This speaks about the very large number of Jacob's descendants as if their number will be like the grains of sand on the seashore. (See: /WA-Catalog/en_tm?section=jit#figs-simile)

which cannot be numbered for their number

This can be stated in active form. Alternate translation: "which no one can count because of their number" (See: /WA-Catalog/en_tm?section=jit#figs-activepassive)

Genesis 32:13

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Genesis 32:14

two hundred

"200" (See: /WA-Catalog/en_tm?section=jit#translate-numbers)

twenty

"20" (See: /WA-Catalog/en_tm?section=jit#translate-numbers)

Genesis 32:15

thirty ... forty ... ten

"30 ... 40 ... 10" (See: /WA-Catalog/en_tm?section=jit#translate-numbers)

their colts

"their young"

Genesis 32:16

These he gave into the hand of his servants, every herd by itself

Here "into the hand" means to give control over them. Alternate translation: "He divided them into small herds, and gave each of his servants control over one herd" (See: /WA-Catalog/en_tm?section=jit#figs-idiom)

put a space between each of the herds

"let each herd travel at a distance from the other herds"

Genesis 32:17

He instructed

"He commanded"

asks you ... that are in front of you?'

This is a quotation within a quotation. It can be stated as an indirect quotation. Alternate translation: "asks you who your master is, where you are going, and who owns these animals that are ahead of you" (See: /WA-Catalog/en_tm?section=jit#figs-quotesinquotes and /WA-Catalog/en_tm?section=jit#figs-quotations)

To whom do you belong?

"Who is your master?"

Whose animals are these that are in front of you?

"Who owns these animals that are in front of you?"

Genesis 32:18

Then you will say, 'They are your servant Jacob's. They are a gift sent to my master Esau. See, he is also coming after us.'

This is a quotation within a quotation. It can be stated as an indirect quotation. Alternate translation: "Then I want you to tell him that all of these things belong to Jacob, his servant, and he his giving them to his master, Esau. And tell him that Jacob is on the way to meet him" (See: /WA-Catalog/en_tm?section=jit#figs-quotesinquotes and /WA-Catalog/en_tm?section=jit#figs-quotations)

your servant Jacob's

Jacob is referring to himself in a polite way as Esau's servant.

to my master Esau

Jacob is referring to Esau is a polite way as his master.

coming after us

Here "us" refers to the servant speaking and the other servants bringing herds to Esau. (See: /WA-Catalog/en_tm?section=jit#figs-exclusive)

Genesis 32:19

gave instructions to the second group

"commanded the second group"

Genesis 32:20

You must also say, 'Your servant Jacob

Possible meanings are 1) "You will say also, 'Your servant Jacob'" or 2) "You will say, 'Also, Your servant Jacob.'"

I will appease him

"I will calm him down" or "I will make his anger go away"

he will receive me

"he will welcome me kindly"

Genesis 32:21

So the gifts went on ahead of him

Here "gifts" stands for the servants taking the gifts. (See: /WA-Catalog/en_tm?section=jit#figs-metonymy)

He himself stayed

Here "himself" emphasizes that Jacob did not go with the servants. (See: /WA-Catalog/en_tm?section=jit#figs-rpronouns)

Genesis 32:22

his two women servants

"his two servant wives." This means Zilpah and Bilhah.

ford

a shallow place in a river that is easy to cross

Jabbok

This is the name of a river. (See: /WA-Catalog/en_tm?section=jit#translate-names)

Genesis 32:23

all his possessions

"all that he had"

Genesis 32:24

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Genesis 32:25

Jacob's hip was dislocated as he wrestled with him

This can be stated in active form. Alternate translation: "The man injured Jacob's hip as he wrestled with him" (See: /WA-Catalog/en_tm?section=jit#figs-activepassive)

hip

the place where the upper leg bone connects to the hip

Genesis 32:26

for the dawn is breaking

"the sun will rise soon"

bless

Here "bless" means to pronounce a formal blessing on someone and to cause good things to happen to that person.

I will not let you go unless you bless me

This can be stated in positive form. Alternate translation: "I will let you go only if you bless me" or "Absolutely not! You must bless me first, then I will let you go" (See: /WA-Catalog/en_tm?section=jit#figs-doublenegatives)

Genesis 32:27

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Genesis 32:28

Israel

Translators may add a footnote that says "The name Israel means 'He struggles with God.'" (See: /WA-Catalog/en_tm?section=jit#translate-names)

with men

Here "men" means "people" in general.

Genesis 32:29

He said, "Why is it that you ask my name?"

"He said, 'Why would you ask about my name?'" This rhetorical question was meant to shock, rebuke and cause Jacob to ponder over what just happened between him and the other man he just wrestled with. Alternate translation: "Do not ask me for my name!" (See: /WA-Catalog/en_tm?section=jit#figs-rquestion)

Genesis 32:30

Peniel

Translators may add a footnote that says: "The name Peniel means 'the face of God.'" (See: /WA-Catalog/en_tm?section=jit#translate-names)

face to face

Being "face to face" means that two people are seeing each other in person, at a close distance.

and my life is delivered

This can be stated in active form. Alternate translation: "yet he spared my life" (See: /WA-Catalog/en_tm?section=jit#figs-activepassive)

Genesis 32:31

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Genesis 32:32

That is why to this day

This marks a change from the story to background information about the descendants of Israel. (See: /WA-Catalog/en_tm?section=jit#writing-background)

to this day

This means to the day that the author was writing this.

ligaments of the hip

This refers to the muscle that connects the thigh bone to the thigh socket.

hip joint

"thigh socket"

while dislocating

"while striking"