Genesis 32:1-12
Jacob Prepares to Meet Esau
321 Now as Jacob went on his way , the angels of God met him. 2 Jacob said when he saw them, "This is God's camp ." So he named e that place Mahanaim .
3 Then Jacob sent messengers before him to his brother Esau in the land of Seir , the country of Edom . 4 He also commanded them saying , "Thus you shall say to my lord Esau : 'Thus says your servant Jacob , "I have sojourned with Laban , and stayed until now ; 5 I have oxen and donkeys and flocks and male and female servants e ; and I have sent to tell my lord , that I may find favor in your sight .""' 6 The messengers returned to Jacob , saying , "We came to your brother Esau , and furthermore he is coming to meet you, and four hundred men are with him." 7 Then Jacob was greatly afraid and distressed ; and he divided the people who were with him, and the flocks and the herds and the camels , into two companies ; 8 for he said , "If Esau comes to the one company and attacks it, then the company which is left will escape ."
9 Jacob said , "O God of my father Abraham and God of my father Isaac , O Lord , who said to me, ' Return to your country and to your relatives , and I will prosper you,' 10 I am unworthy of all the lovingkindness and of all the faithfulness which You have shown to Your servant ; for with my staff only I crossed this Jordan , and now I have become two companies . 11 " Deliver 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 "For You said , ' I will surely prosper you and make your descendants as the sand of the sea , which is too great to be numbered .' "
Matthew Henry's Commentary on Genesis 32:1-12
Commentary on Genesis 32:1-8
(Read Genesis 32:1-8)
The angels of God appeared to Jacob, to encourage him with the assurance of the Divine protection. When God designs his people for great trials, he prepares them by great comforts. While Jacob, to whom the promise belonged, had been in hard service, Esau was become a prince. Jacob sent a message, showing that he did not insist upon the birth-right. Yielding pacifies great offences, Ecclesiastes 10:4. We must not refuse to speak respectfully, even to those unjustly angry with us. Jacob received an account of Esau's warlike preparations against him, and was greatly afraid. A lively sense of danger, and quickening fear arising from it, may be found united with humble confidence in God's power and promise.
Commentary on Genesis 32:9-23
(Read Genesis 32:9-23)
Times of fear should be times of prayer: whatever causes fear, should drive us to our knees, to our God. Jacob had lately seen his guards of angels, but in this distress he applied to God, not to them; he knew they were his fellow-servants, Revelation 22:9. There cannot be a better pattern for true prayer than this. Here is a thankful acknowledgement of former undeserved favours; a humble confession of unworthiness; a plain statement of his fears and distress; a full reference of the whole affair to the Lord, and resting all his hopes on him. The best we can say to God in prayer, is what he has said to us. Thus he made the name of the Lord his strong tower, and could not but be safe. Jacob's fear did not make him sink into despair, nor did his prayer make him presume upon God's mercy, without the use of means. God answers prayers by teaching us to order our affairs aright. To pacify Esau, Jacob sent him a present. We must not despair of reconciling ourselves to those most angry against us.