1#Ps 91:11Jacob went on his way, and the angels of God met him. 2#2Sa 2:8; Jos 21:38When Jacob saw them, he said, “This is God’s camp.” So he called the name of that place Mahanaim.

3#Ge 25:30; 14:6Jacob sent messengers before him to his brother Esau in the land of Seir, the country of Edom. 4He commanded them, saying, “This is what you must say to my lord Esau: This is what your servant Jacob says, ‘I have sojourned with Laban and stayed there until now. 5#Ge 33:8; 33:15I have oxen and donkeys, flocks, and male servants and female servants, and I am sending this message to tell my lord, so that I may find favor in your sight.’ ”

6#Ge 33:1The messengers returned to Jacob, saying, “We went to your brother Esau. He is coming to meet you, and what is more, four hundred men are with him.”

7#Ge 35:3Then Jacob was very afraid and distressed, and he divided the people that were with him, along with the flocks and herds and the camels, into two groups. 8He said, “If Esau comes to the one camp and attacks it, then the other camp which is left may escape.”

9#Ge 28:13; 31:13And Jacob said, “O God of my father Abraham and God of my father Isaac, the Lord who said to me, ‘Return to your country and to your relatives, and I will prosper you,’ 10#Ge 24:27; Ps 18:35; 2Sa 7:18I am not worthy of all the lovingkindness and of all the faithfulness which You have shown to Your servant. For with my staff I crossed over this Jordan, and now I have become two encampments. 11#Ps 59:1–2; Pr 18:19Deliver me, I pray, from the hand of my brother, from the hand of Esau. For I fear him, that he will come and attack me and the mothers with the children. 12#Ge 28:13–15You said, ‘I will surely prosper you and make your descendants as the sand of the sea, which is too many to be counted.’ ”

13#Ge 43:11; Pr 18:16So he spent the night there. Then he selected from what he had with him 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 colts, forty cows and ten bulls, twenty female donkeys and ten male donkeys. 16He gave them to his servants, every drove by itself, and said to his servants, “Pass over before me, and keep a distance between each drove.”

17He commanded the one leading, saying, “When my brother Esau meets you and asks you, saying, ‘To whom do you belong, and where are you going, and to whom do these animals belong?’ 18then you are to say, ‘They belong to your servant Jacob. They are a gift sent to my lord Esau, and he is also behind us.’ ”

19Likewise he commanded the second and the third and all that followed the droves, saying, “This is what you are to say to Esau when you find him. 20#Job 42:8–9; Pr 21:14Moreover, say, ‘Your servant Jacob is behind us.’ ” For he said, “I will appease him with the gift that goes before me, and then I will see his face. Perhaps he will accept me.” 21So the gift went before him, but he lodged that night in the encampment.

Jacob Wrestles With God

22#Dt 3:16; Jos 12:2The same night he arose and took his two wives, his two female servants, and his eleven sons, and crossed over the ford of the Jabbok. 23He took them and sent them across the stream along with all that he had. 24Jacob was left alone, and a man wrestled with him there until daybreak. 25#Ge 32:32When the man saw that He did not prevail against Jacob, He touched the socket of his thigh, so the socket of Jacob’s thigh was dislocated, as he wrestled with Him. 26#Hos 12:4Then He said, “Let Me go, for the day breaks.”

But Jacob said, “I will not let You go, unless You bless me.”

27So He said to him, “What is your name?”

And he said, “Jacob.”

28#Ge 35:10; 17:5Then the man said, “Your name will no more be called Jacob, but Israel. For you have fought with God and with men, and have prevailed.”

29Then Jacob asked Him, “Tell me, I pray You, Your name.”

But He said, “Why do you ask Me My name?” Then He blessed him there.

30#Ge 16:13; Ex 24:10–11Jacob called the name of the place Peniel, saying, “I have seen God face to face, and my life has been preserved.”

31As he crossed over Peniel, the sun rose over him, and he was limping on his thigh. 32Therefore to this day the children of Israel do not eat the sinew which is attached to the socket of the thigh, because He touched the socket of Jacob’s thigh in the sinew of the hip.

Military Bible Association

Learn More

Genesis 32

Jacob Prepares to Meet Esau

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, “You are to say to my master Esau, ‘Your servant Jacob says: I have been staying with Laban and have remained there until now. 5I have oxen, donkeys, flocks, menservants, and maidservants. I have sent this message to inform my master, so that I may find favor in your sight.’”

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

7In great fear and distress, Jacob divided his people into two camps, as well as the flocks and herds and camels. 8He thought, “If Esau comes and attacks one camp, then the other camp can escape.”

9Then Jacob declared, “O God of my father Abraham, God of my father Isaac, the Lord who told me, ‘Go back to your country and to your kindred, and I will make you prosper,’ 10I am unworthy of all the kindness and faithfulness You have shown Your servant. Indeed, with only my staff I came across the Jordan, but now I have become two camps. 11Please deliver me from the hand of my brother Esau, for I am afraid that he may come and attack me and the mothers and children with me. 12But You have said, ‘I will surely make you prosper, and I will make your offspring like the sand of the sea, too numerous to count.’”

13Jacob spent the night there, and from what he had brought with him, he selected a gift for his brother Esau: 14200 female goats, 20 male goats, 200 ewes, 20 rams, 1530 milk camels with their young, 40 cows, 10 bulls, 20 female donkeys, and 10 male donkeys. 16He entrusted them to his servants in separate herds and told them, “Go on ahead of me, and keep some distance between the herds.”

17He instructed the one in the lead, “When my brother Esau meets you and asks, ‘To whom do you belong, where are you going, and whose animals are these before you?’ 18then you are to say, ‘They belong to your servant Jacob. They are a gift, sent to my lord Esau. And behold, Jacob is behind us.’”

19He also instructed the second, the third, and all those following behind the herds: “When you meet Esau, you are to say the same thing to him. 20You are also to say, ‘Look, your servant Jacob is right behind us.’” For he thought, “I will appease Esau #32:20 Or I will appease his face with the gift that is going before me. After that I can face him, and perhaps he will accept me.#32:20 Literally perhaps he will lift up my face”

21So Jacob’s gifts went on before him, while he spent the night in the camp.

Jacob Wrestles with God

22During the night Jacob got up and took his two wives, his two maidservants, and his eleven sons, and crossed the ford of the Jabbok. 23He took them and sent them across the stream, along with all his possessions.

24So Jacob was left all alone, and there a man #32:24 Or Man; here and in verses 25–28; corresponding pronouns may also be capitalized wrestled with him until daybreak. 25When the man saw that he could not overpower Jacob, he struck the socket of Jacob’s hip and dislocated it as they wrestled. 26Then the man said, “Let me go, for it is daybreak.”

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

27“What is your name?” the man asked.

“Jacob,” he replied.

28Then the man said, “Your name will no longer be Jacob,#32:28 Jacob means he grasps the heel or he deceives. but Israel,#32:28 Israel means he struggles with God. because you have struggled with God and with men, and you have prevailed.”

29And Jacob requested, “Please tell me your name.”

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

30So Jacob named the place Peniel,#32:30 Peniel means the face of God. saying, “Indeed, I have seen God face to face, and yet my life was spared.”

31The sun rose above him as he passed by Penuel,#32:31 Penuel is a variant of Peniel; see verse 30. and he was limping because of his hip. 32Therefore to this day the Israelites do not eat the tendon which is at the socket of the hip, because the socket of Jacob’s hip was struck near that tendon.

Learn More

Choose your language

Genesis 32

Genesis 32