Genesis 32:22 - Printer Friendly

ESV: The same night he arose and took his two wives, his two female servants, and his eleven children, and crossed the ford of the Jabbok.

NIV: That night Jacob got up and took his two wives, his two female servants and his eleven sons and crossed the ford of the Jabbok.

NASB: Now he got up that same night and took his two wives, his two female slaves, and his eleven children, and crossed the shallow place of the Jabbok.

CSB: During the night Jacob got up and took his two wives, his two slave women, and his eleven sons, and crossed the ford of Jabbok.

NLT: During the night Jacob got up and took his two wives, his two servant wives, and his eleven sons and crossed the Jabbok River with them.

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

NKJV: And he arose that night and took his two wives, his two female servants, and his eleven sons, and crossed over the ford of Jabbok.

Jacob is afraid and distressed. He has sent out five herds of animals as gifts to his estranged twin brother, Esau, in hopes of appeasing his brother's decades-old anger against him (Genesis 27:41–45; 32:1–6). The prior verse indicated that Jacob stayed in the camp that night, but this verse suggests an additional detail.

Whether it was his plan all along, or Jacob just couldn't stand the suspense, he rises in the night, gathers his family of two wives, two servant wives, and 11 children and crosses the ford of the nearby Jabbok River, which flows into the Jordan River from the east. This makes the stream part of the borders of the Promised Land.

It's key to remember that Scripture was not originally written as a collection of individual verses. Verses 21, 22, and 23 all flow in a continuous description. So, this passage seems to indicate that Jacob sent Esau's gifts ahead, waited to send his family across the stream, and then returned to the original camp site alone. Why, exactly, Jacob felt the need to do this, the Bible does not say.

Genesis 32:22–32 describes the fight Jacob was not expecting. While preparing in fear to meet his brother Esau, Jacob finds himself grappling with an unknown stranger in the dark. He wrestles with the mysterious man for much of the night. Near morning, the man gains a massive advantage over Jacob by dislocating Jacob's hip. Jacob realizes his opponent is divine, and asks for a blessing. Poetically, God insists that Jacob, known for his deception and lies, identify himself first. In response to Jacob's honest answer, God changes his name to Israel and blesses him. As the sun rises, Jacob limps to rejoin his family and meet his brother.

As Jacob turns from Laban and returns to his own country, he must face another fearful potential conflict. His twin brother Esau is coming with 400 men. Jacob fears this group approaches to take revenge for cheating Esau out of the family blessing 20 years earlier. Jacob is so afraid that he splits his company into two camps, even as he prays for deliverance. He also prepares an enormous gift to appease Esau. Finally, while alone in the dark, Jacob is unexpectedly forced to wrestle a mysterious man, who turns out to be God Himself in some manifested form. In a profound moment of symbolism, God forces Jacob to state his own name, which God then changes to Israel.

Jacob came to work for Laban while running from the murderous rage of his twin brother, Esau. Jacob was routinely cheated by Laban, eventually resolving to go back home along with his entire family. Unfortunately, this means coming back to face Esau. Jacob soon learns that Esau is headed his way with 400 men. Are they coming to kill Jacob in revenge for his deceit in stealing Isaac's blessing 20 years earlier? Jacob is afraid. He divides his large company into two camps. He prays earnestly to God for deliverance, and he prepares a huge gift to appease Esau. Finally, alone in the dark, Jacob physically grapples with a mysterious man who turns out to be God Himself, in some form. The man questions Jacob, changes his name to Israel, and pronounces a blessing. Thus prepared, Jacob will finally be reunited with his brother in the next chapter.

The book of Genesis establishes fundamental truths about God. Among these are His role as the Creator, His holiness, His hatred of sin, His love for mankind, and His willingness to provide for our redemption. We learn not only where mankind has come from, but why the world is in its present form. The book also presents the establishment of Israel, God's chosen people. Many of the principles given in other parts of Scripture depend on the basic ideas presented here in the book of Genesis. Within the framework of the Bible, Genesis explains the bare-bones history of the universe leading up to the captivity of Israel in Egypt, setting the stage for the book of Exodus.

Accessed 9/14/2024 6:49:04 PM