Genesis 32:2 - Printer Friendly

ESV: And when Jacob saw them he said, “This is God’s camp!” So he called the name of that place Mahanaim.

NIV: When Jacob saw them, he said, 'This is the camp of God!' So he named that place Mahanaim.

NASB: And when he saw them, Jacob said, 'This is God’s camp.' So he named that place Mahanaim.

CSB: When he saw them, Jacob said, "This is God's camp." So he called that place Mahanaim.

NLT: When Jacob saw them, he exclaimed, 'This is God’s camp!' So he named the place Mahanaim.

KJV: And when Jacob saw them, he said, This is God's host: and he called the name of that place Mahanaim.

NKJV: When Jacob saw them, he said, “This is God’s camp.” And he called the name of that place Mahanaim.

When Jacob left Canaan to go to his uncle Laban in Paddan-Aram, he encountered angels and the Lord Himself in a dream (Genesis 28:12–13). When he woke up, he declared, "How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven."

Here, again, Jacob's response to being met by the angels of God is to declare the place where it happens as special. He calls it "God's camp." The name he gives the place, Mahanaim, means "two camps." It is not exactly clear what those two camps might be, although Jacob will divide his company into two camps in the following verses as a strategy to save some of his people and property from a potential attack by his brother Esau.

Though we don't know exactly where it is now, Mahanaim is referenced several times later in Israel's history. It was one of the cities of the Levites (Joshua 13:26) and, later, became the seat of Ish-bosheth's reign over northern Israel (2 Samuel 2:8-9). David also sought safety there when Absalom was after him (2 Samuel 17:24).

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.

Accessed 5/3/2024 1:02:04 PM