# In Hebrew texts 32:1-32 is numbered 32:2-33. 1Jacob also went on his way, and the angels of God met him. 2When Jacob saw them, he said, “This is the camp of God!” So he named that place Mahanaim.#32:2 Mahanaim means two camps.

3Jacob sent messengers ahead of him to his brother Esau in the land of Seir, the country of Edom. 4He instructed them: “This is what you are to say to my lord Esau: ‘Your servant Jacob says, I have been staying with Laban and have remained there till now. 5I have cattle and donkeys, sheep and goats, male and female servants. Now I am sending this message to my lord, that I may find favor in your eyes.’ ”

6When the messengers returned to Jacob, they said, “We went to your brother Esau, and now he is coming to meet you, and four hundred men are with him.”

7In great fear and distress Jacob divided the people who were with him into two groups,#32:7 Or camps and the flocks and herds and camels as well. 8He thought, “If Esau comes and attacks one group,#32:8 Or camp the group#32:8 Or camp that is left may escape.”

9Then Jacob prayed, “O God of my father Abraham, God of my father Isaac, Lord, you who said to me, ‘Go back to your country and your relatives, and I will make you prosper,’ 10I am unworthy of all the kindness and faithfulness you have shown your servant. I had only my staff when I crossed this Jordan, but now I have become two camps. 11Save me, I pray, from the hand of my brother Esau, for I am afraid he will come and attack me, and also the mothers with their children. 12But you have said, ‘I will surely make you prosper and will make your descendants like the sand of the sea, which cannot be counted.’ ”

13He spent the night there, and from what he had with him he selected a gift for his brother Esau: 14two hundred female goats and twenty male goats, two hundred ewes and twenty rams, 15thirty female camels with their young, forty cows and ten bulls, and twenty female donkeys and ten male donkeys. 16He put them in the care of his servants, each herd by itself, and said to his servants, “Go ahead of me, and keep some space between the herds.”

17He instructed the one in the lead: “When my brother Esau meets you and asks, ‘Who do you belong to, and where are you going, and who owns all these animals in front of you?’ 18then you are to say, ‘They belong to your servant Jacob. They are a gift sent to my lord Esau, and he is coming behind us.’ ”

19He also instructed the second, the third and all the others who followed the herds: “You are to say the same thing to Esau when you meet him. 20And be sure to say, ‘Your servant Jacob is coming behind us.’ ” For he thought, “I will pacify him with these gifts I am sending on ahead; later, when I see him, perhaps he will receive me.” 21So Jacob’s gifts went on ahead of him, but he himself spent the night in the camp.

Jacob Wrestles With God

22That night Jacob got up and took his two wives, his two female servants and his eleven sons and crossed the ford of the Jabbok. 23After he had sent them across the stream, he sent over all his possessions. 24So Jacob was left alone, and a man wrestled with him till daybreak. 25When the man saw that he could not overpower him, he touched the socket of Jacob’s hip so that his hip was wrenched as he wrestled with the man. 26Then the man said, “Let me go, for it is daybreak.”

But Jacob replied, “I will not let you go unless you bless me.”

27The man asked him, “What is your name?”

“Jacob,” he answered.

28Then the man said, “Your name will no longer be Jacob, but Israel,#32:28 Israel probably means he struggles with God. because you have struggled with God and with humans and have overcome.”

29Jacob said, “Please tell me your name.”

But he replied, “Why do you ask my name?” Then he blessed him there.

30So Jacob called the place Peniel,#32:30 Peniel means face of God. saying, “It is because I saw God face to face, and yet my life was spared.”

31The sun rose above him as he passed Peniel,#32:31 Hebrew Penuel, a variant of Peniel and he was limping because of his hip. 32Therefore to this day the Israelites do not eat the tendon attached to the socket of the hip, because the socket of Jacob’s hip was touched near the tendon.

The Holy Bible, New International Version® NIV®

Learn More

Genesis 32

Jacob Fears Esau

1And Jacob went on his way, and angels of God met him. 2And when he saw them, Jacob said, “This is the camp of God!” And he called the name of that place Mahanaim.

3Then Jacob sent messengers before him to Esau his brother, to the land of Seir, the territory of Edom. 4And he instructed them, saying, “Thus you must say to my lord, to Esau, ‘Thus says your servant Jacob, I have dwelled as an alien with Laban, and I have remained there until now. 5And I have acquired cattle, male donkeys, flocks, and male and female slaves, and I have sent to tell my lord, to find favor in your eyes.’ ” 6And the messengers returned to Jacob and said, “We came to your brother, to Esau, and he is coming to meet you, and four hundred men are with him.” 7Then Jacob was very frightened and distressed. So he divided the people, flocks, cattle, and camels that were with him into two companies. 8And he thought, “If Esau comes to one company and destroys it, the remaining company will be able to escape.” 9Then Jacob said, “O God of my father Abraham, and God of my father Isaac, O Yahweh, who said to me, ‘Return to your land and to your family, and I will deal well with you.’ 10I am not worthy#Literally “I am small” of all the loyal love and all the faithfulness that you have shown#Or “done” your servant, for with only my staff I crossed this Jordan, and now I have become two camps. 11Please rescue me from the hand of my brother, from the hand of Esau, for I fear him, lest he come and attack mother and children alike. 12Now you yourself said, ‘I will surely deal well with you and make your offspring as the sand of the sea that cannot be counted for abundance.’ ”

13And he lodged there that night. Then he took from what he had with him#Literally “from that which was going from his hand” a gift for Esau his brother: 14two hundred female goats, twenty male goats, two hundred ewes, twenty rams, 15thirty milk camels with their young, forty cows, ten bulls, twenty female donkeys, and ten male donkeys. 16And he put them under the hand of his servants, herd by herd,#Literally “every herd by its own” and said to his servants, “Cross on ahead before me, and put some distance between herds.#Literally “between a herd and between a herd” 17And he instructed the foremost, saying, “When Esau my brother comes upon you and asks you, saying, ‘Whose are you and where are you going? To whom do these animals belong ahead of you?’ 18Then you must say, ‘To your servant, to Jacob. It is a gift sent to my lord, to Esau. Now behold, he is also coming after us.’ ” 19And he also instructed the second servant and the third, and everyone else who was behind the herds, saying, “You must speak to Esau according to this word when you find him. 20And moreover, you shall say, ‘Look, your servant Jacob is behind us.’ ” For he thought, “Let me appease him#Literally “let me cover his face” with the gift going before me, and afterward I will see his face. Perhaps he will show me favor.”#Literally “lift up my face” 21So the gift passed on before him, but he himself spent that night in the camp.

Jacob Wrestles with God

22That night he arose and took his two wives, his two female servants, and his eleven children and crossed the ford of the Jabbok. 23And he took them and sent them across the stream. Then he sent across all his possessions. 24And Jacob remained alone, and a man wrestled with him until the breaking of the dawn. 25And when he#That is, the man saw that he could not prevail against him, he struck his hip socket, so that Jacob’s hip socket was sprained as he wrestled with him. 26Then he#That is, the man said, “Let me go, for dawn is breaking.” But he answered, “I will not let you go unless you bless me.” 27Then he said to him, “What is your name?” And he said, “Jacob.” 28And he said, “Your name shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel,#“Israel” means “he struggles with God,” or “God struggles” for you have struggled with God and with men and have prevailed.” 29Then Jacob asked and said, “Please tell me your name.” And he said, “Why do you ask this—for my name?” And he blessed him there. 30Then Jacob called the name of the place Peniel which means “I have seen God face to face and my life was spared.” 31Then the sun rose upon him as he passed Penuel, and he was limping because of his hip. 32Therefore the Israelites#Literally “sons/children of Israel” do not eat the sinew of the sciatic nerve that is upon the socket of the hip unto this day, because he struck the socket of the thigh of Jacob at the sinew of the sciatic nerve.

2010 Logos Bible Software. Lexham is a registered trademark of Logos Bible Software

Learn More

Choose your language

The Listener’s Bible®: NIV Edition

Genesis 32

Genesis 32