Genesis 32:15 - Printer Friendly

ESV: thirty milking camels and their calves, forty cows and ten bulls, twenty female donkeys and ten male donkeys.

NIV: thirty female camels with their young, forty cows and ten bulls, and twenty female donkeys and ten male donkeys.

NASB: thirty milking camels and their colts, forty cows and ten bulls, and twenty female donkeys and ten male donkeys.

CSB: thirty milk camels with their young, forty cows, ten bulls, twenty female donkeys, and ten male donkeys.

NLT: 30 female camels with their young, 40 cows, 10 bulls, 20 female donkeys, and 10 male donkeys.

KJV: Thirty milch camels with their colts, forty kine, and ten bulls, twenty she asses, and ten foals.

NKJV: thirty milk camels with their colts, forty cows and ten bulls, twenty female donkeys and ten foals.

Jacob's estranged brother, Esau, last saw his brother twenty years prior, at which time he had vowed to kill him (Genesis 27:41–45). Now, as Jacob returns home with his vast fortune, flocks, and family, he hears that Esau is coming his way with 400 men (Genesis 32:6). Is he coming to attack? Jacob doesn't know. Besides physically dividing his caravan (Genesis 32:7–8) and praying (Genesis 32:9–12), Jacob plans to supply Esau with presents. This part of his plan involves an enormous gift of livestock to give to Esau in hopes of appeasing any grudge his brother may still hold.

The gift—which is a fortune in and of itself—includes several herds of animals. Scripture has already mentioned 200 female and 20 male sheep, as well as 200 female and 20 male goats (Genesis 32:14). This verse adds camels: 30 nursing females with their calves, plus 50 total cows, and 30 total donkeys. In total, Jacob's gift to Esau includes 550 animals plus the young camels.

Livestock was the large-scale currency of ancient times. Living animals provided a renewable source of milk, meat, labor, and fertilizer, transportation, and clothing. The size of this gift to Esau tells us both that Jacob had become enormously wealthy and that this wasn't meant to be a mere token of kindness to Esau. Jacob is giving his brother a significant portion of his own wealth.

Genesis 32:1–21 describes Jacob's preparations to meet his brother Esau, who is coming his way with 400 men. This will be the first time Jacob and Esau have spoken since Jacob fled Esau's rage as described in Genesis 27. Jacob is terrified this approaching force is coming to kill him. He divides his company into two camps. He prays in humility and faith to God for deliverance. He prepares a large gift of 550 animals to be strategically delivered to Esau to appease his presumed anger.

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.