Translators may also add a footnote that says "The name Mahanaim means 'two camps.'"
This is a mountainous area in the region of Edom.
"'This is what I want you to tell my master Esau. Tell him that I have been ... have delayed my return until now.'"
"that you may approve of me"
"Yahweh, who is God of my grandfather Abraham and my father Isaac"
"to your family"
"I will do good for you" or "I will treat you well"
"I do not deserve for you to remain faithful to your covenant or for you to be loyal to me, your servant"
This is a polite way of saying "me."
"and now I have enough people, flocks, and possessions with me to make two camps"
"save me"
"from the power of my brother, Esau" or "from my brother, Esau"
"But you said that you would certainly prosper me, and that you would make my descendants ... number"
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.
"which no one can count because of their number"
"their young"
"He divided them into small herds, and gave each of his servants control over one herd"
"He commanded"
"asks you who your master is, where you are going, and who owns these animals that are ahead of you"
"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"
Here "us" refers to the servant speaking and the other servants bringing herds to Esau.
Possible meanings are 1) "You will say also, 'Your servant Jacob'" or 2) "You will say, 'Also, Your servant Jacob.'"
"I will calm him down" or "I will make his anger go away"
"he will welcome me kindly"
Here "gifts" stands for the servants taking the gifts.
Here "himself" emphasizes that Jacob did not go with the servants.
"his two servant wives." This means Zilpah and Bilhah.
a shallow place in a river that is easy to cross
This is the name of a river.
"all that he had"
"he struck Jacob's hip and dislocated it" or "he struck Jacob's hip and injured it"
Possible meanings are that 1) the top of Jacob's leg bone moved out of the hole in the hip where it normally is, or 2) a muscle or something that attaches the top of the leg to the hip was torn.
"the sun will rise soon"
Here "bless" means to pronounce a formal blessing on someone and to cause good things to happen to that person.
"I will let you go only if you bless me" or "Absolutely not! You must bless me first, then I will let you go"
"The name Israel means 'He struggles with God.'"
Here "men" means "people" in general.
"Do not ask me for my name!"
Translators may add a footnote that says: "The name Peniel means 'the face of God.'"
Being "face to face" means that two people are seeing each other in person, at a close distance.
"yet he spared my life"
This means to the day that the author was writing this.
This refers to the muscle that connects the thigh bone to the thigh socket.
"thigh socket"
"while striking"