In great fear and distress, Jacob divided his people into two camps, as well as the flocks and herds and camels. In great fear and distressThe Hebrew words here are "yare" (fear) and "yatsar" (distress). "Yare" conveys a deep, reverential fear, often used in the context of fearing God, but here it reflects Jacob's human anxiety. "Yatsar" suggests a pressing, constricting feeling, akin to being in a tight spot. Jacob's fear and distress are understandable given his anticipation of meeting Esau, whom he had wronged. This emotional turmoil highlights the human condition of facing past sins and the fear of their consequences. It serves as a reminder of the need for divine intervention and the peace that surpasses understanding, which only God can provide. Jacob divided his people into two camps
The act of dividing into "two camps" is strategic, reflecting Jacob's wisdom and prudence. The Hebrew word "machaneh" (camp) is significant, as it also appears earlier in Genesis 32:2, where Jacob names the place Mahanaim, meaning "two camps," after encountering God's angels. This division is not just a tactical move but also a spiritual one, as it echoes the divine protection he had witnessed. It symbolizes the dual nature of human effort and divine providence working together. Jacob's action is a lesson in balancing faith with practical measures, trusting God while also using the wisdom He provides. as well as the flocks and herds and camels
The mention of "flocks and herds and camels" underscores the wealth and blessings Jacob had accumulated, which were tangible signs of God's favor. In the ancient Near Eastern context, such possessions were indicators of status and prosperity. The Hebrew words "tson" (flocks), "baqar" (herds), and "gamal" (camels) reflect the diverse and abundant nature of Jacob's wealth. This abundance, however, also made him vulnerable, as it was a visible target for Esau's potential wrath. The inclusion of these details serves as a reminder of the temporal nature of material wealth and the importance of prioritizing spiritual reconciliation and peace over earthly possessions. Persons / Places / Events 1. JacobThe central figure in this passage, Jacob is returning to his homeland after years of living with his uncle Laban. He is deeply concerned about meeting his brother Esau, whom he had wronged years earlier. 2. EsauJacob's brother, whom Jacob fears due to their past conflict over the birthright and blessing. Esau is approaching with 400 men, which causes Jacob's fear and distress. 3. Two CampsIn response to his fear, Jacob divides his people and possessions into two groups, hoping that if Esau attacks one, the other might escape. 4. Flocks, Herds, and CamelsThese represent Jacob's wealth and livelihood, which he is willing to risk in his strategy to protect his family and himself. 5. Penuel (Peniel)Although not mentioned directly in this verse, it is the place where Jacob will later wrestle with God, marking a significant spiritual turning point. Teaching Points Facing Fear with FaithJacob's fear is a natural human response, but it also presents an opportunity to trust in God's promises and protection. Believers today can learn to bring their fears to God in prayer. Strategic Planning and Divine TrustWhile Jacob's division of his camp shows practical wisdom, it also highlights the need to balance human strategy with reliance on God's sovereignty. Reconciliation and ForgivenessJacob's fear of Esau is rooted in past wrongs. This passage encourages believers to seek reconciliation and trust God for healing in broken relationships. God's Faithfulness in UncertaintyDespite Jacob's fear, God had promised to be with him. This reminds us that God's promises remain true even when circumstances seem daunting. Bible Study Questions 1. What does Jacob's reaction to his fear reveal about his character and relationship with God at this point in his life? 2. How can we apply Jacob's strategy of dividing his camp to our own lives when facing overwhelming situations? 3. In what ways does the resolution of Jacob's fear in Genesis 33 encourage us to trust God with our own fears and anxieties? 4. How does the theme of reconciliation in Jacob and Esau's account challenge us to address unresolved conflicts in our lives? 5. Reflect on a time when you experienced fear or distress. How did you see God's faithfulness in that situation, and how can that experience strengthen your faith today? Connections to Other Scriptures Genesis 27The background of Jacob's fear is rooted in his deception of Esau, which led to Esau's anger and Jacob's flight. Genesis 33The resolution of Jacob's fear is found in his eventual peaceful meeting with Esau, demonstrating God's faithfulness and the power of reconciliation. Philippians 4:6-7This New Testament passage encourages believers to present their anxieties to God in prayer, promising peace that guards hearts and minds, which contrasts with Jacob's initial fear. Psalm 56:3This verse speaks to trusting God when afraid, a principle Jacob is learning through his experience. People Esau, Isaac, Israelites, Jacob, Laban, Penuel, SeirPlaces Edom, Jabbok River, Jordan River, Mahanaim, Mizpah, Peniel, Penuel, SeirTopics Afraid, Bands, Camels, Camps, Cattle, Companies, Distress, Distressed, Divided, Divideth, Exceedingly, Fear, Feareth, Flock, Flocks, Greatly, Groups, Herd, Herds, Jacob, Mind, Sheep, Troops, TroubleDictionary of Bible Themes Genesis 32:7 5559 stress
8754 fear Genesis 32:3-21 5922 prudence Genesis 32:6-8 8719 distrust Genesis 32:7-8 5608 warfare, strategies Genesis 32:7-11 5567 suffering, emotional Library Mahanaim: the Two Camps
And Jacob went on his way, and the angels of God met him. And when Jacob saw them, he said, This is God's host: and he called the name of that place Mahanaim' (i.e. Two camps).--GENESIS xxxii. 1, 2. This vision came at a crisis in Jacob's life. He has just left the house of Laban, his father-in-law, where he had lived for many years, and in company with a long caravan, consisting of wives, children, servants, and all his wealth turned into cattle, is journeying back again to Palestine. His road …
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy ScriptureThe Twofold Wrestle --God's with Jacob and Jacob's with God
'And Jacob said, O God of my father Abraham, and God of my father Isaac, the Lord which saidst unto me, Return unto thy country, and to thy kindred, and I will deal well with thee: I am not worthy of the least of all the mercies, and of all the truth, which Thou hast shewed unto Thy servant; for with my staff I passed over this Jordan; and now I am become two bands. Deliver me, I pray thee, from the hand of my brother, from the hand of Esau: for I fear him, lest he will come and smite me, and the …
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture "And He Said, Let Me Go, for the Day Breaketh. " --Genesis xxxii. 26
"And he said, Let me go, for the day breaketh."--Genesis xxxii. 26. Let me go, the day is breaking, Dear companions, let me go; We have spent a night of waking In the wilderness below; Upward now I bend my way, Part we here at break of day. Let me go, I may not tarry, Wrestling thus with doubts and fears, Angels wait my soul to carry, Where my risen Lord appears; Friends and kindred, weep not so, If you love me let me go. We have travell'd long together, Hand in hand, and heart in heart, Both …
James Montgomery—Sacred Poems and Hymns Of the Name of God
Exod. iii. 13, 14.--"And Moses said unto God, Behold, when I come unto the children of Israel and shall say unto them, The God of your fathers hath sent me unto you and they shall say to me, What is his name? what shall I say unto them? And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you." We are now about this question, What God is. But who can answer it? Or, if answered, who can understand it? It should astonish us in …
Hugh Binning—The Works of the Rev. Hugh Binning Gen. xxxi. 11
Of no less importance and significance is the passage Gen. xxxi. 11 seq. According to ver. 11, the Angel of God, [Hebrew: mlaK halhiM] appears toJacob in a dream. In ver. 13, the same person calls himself the God of Bethel, with reference to the event recorded in chap. xxviii. 11-22. It cannot be supposed that in chap xxviii. the mediation of a common angel took place, who, however, had not been expressly mentioned; for Jehovah is there contrasted with the angels. In ver. 12, we read: "And behold …
Ernst Wilhelm Hengstenberg—Christology of the Old Testament Jacob-Wrestling
"Lord, teach us to pray."--Luke xi. 1. "Jacob called the name of the place Peniel."--Gen. xxxii. 30. ALL the time that Jacob was in Padan-aram we search in vain for prayer, for praise. or for piety of any kind in Jacob's life. We read of his marriage, and of his great prosperity, till the land could no longer hold him. But that is all. It is not said in so many words indeed that Jacob absolutely denied and forsook the God of his fathers: it is not said that he worshipped idols in Padan-aram: that …
Alexander Whyte—Lord Teach Us To Pray The Great Shepherd
He shall feed his flock like a shepherd; He shall gather the lambs with His arm, and carry them in His bosom, and shall gently lead those that are with young. I t is not easy for those, whose habits of life are insensibly formed by the customs of modern times, to conceive any adequate idea of the pastoral life, as obtained in the eastern countries, before that simplicity of manners, which characterized the early ages, was corrupted, by the artificial and false refinements of luxury. Wealth, in those …
John Newton—Messiah Vol. 1 Pleading
We shall consider our text, then, as one of the productions of a great master in spiritual matters, and we will study it, praying all the while that God will help us to pray after the like fashion. In our text we have the soul of a successful pleader under four aspects: we view, first, the soul confessing: "I am poor and needy." You have next, the soul pleading, for he makes a plea out of his poor condition, and adds, "Make haste unto me, O God!" You see, thirdly, a soul in it's urgency, for he cries, …
Charles Haddon Spurgeon—Spurgeon's Sermons Volume 17: 1871 Explanatory and Biographical
INTRODUCTION TO [202]BOOK I English lyrical religious poetry is less easily divisible than our secular verse into well-marked periods, whether in regard to matter or to manner. Throughout its long course it has in great measure the groundwork of a common Book, a common Faith, and a common Purpose. And although incidents from human life and aspects of nature are not excluded (and have in this selection, when possible, been specially gathered, with the view of varying the garland here presented)--yet …
Francis Turner Palgrave—The Treasury of Sacred Song The Worst Things Work for Good to the Godly
DO not mistake me, I do not say that of their own nature the worst things are good, for they are a fruit of the curse; but though they are naturally evil, yet the wise overruling hand of God disposing and sanctifying them, they are morally good. As the elements, though of contrary qualities, yet God has so tempered them, that they all work in a harmonious manner for the good of the universe. Or as in a watch, the wheels seem to move contrary one to another, but all carry on the motions of the watch: …
Thomas Watson—A Divine Cordial The Angel of the Lord in the Pentateuch, and the Book of Joshua.
The New Testament distinguishes between the hidden God and the revealed God--the Son or Logos--who is connected with the former by oneness of nature, and who from everlasting, and even at the creation itself, filled up the immeasurable distance between the Creator and the creation;--who has been the Mediator in all God's relations to the world;--who at all times, and even before He became man in Christ, has been the light of [Pg 116] the world,--and to whom, specially, was committed the direction …
Ernst Wilhelm Hengstenberg—Christology of the Old Testament Meditations for the Morning.
1. Almighty God can, in the resurrection, as easily raise up thy body out of the grave, from the sleep of death, as he hath this morning wakened thee in thy bed, out of the sleep of nature. At the dawning of which resurrection day, Christ shall come to be glorified in his saints; and every one of the bodies of the thousands of his saints, being fashioned like unto his glorious body, shall shine as bright as the sun (2 Thess. i. 10; Jude, ver. 14; Phil. iii. 21; Luke ix. 31;) all the angels shining …
Lewis Bayly—The Practice of Piety St. Malachy's Apostolic Labours, Praises and Miracles.
[Sidenote: 1140, October] 42. (23). Malachy embarked in a ship, and after a prosperous voyage landed at his monastery of Bangor,[576] so that his first sons might receive the first benefit.[577] In what state of mind do you suppose they were when they received their father--and such a father--in good health from so long a journey? No wonder if their whole heart gave itself over to joy at his return, when swift rumour soon brought incredible gladness even to the tribes[578] outside round about them. …
H. J. Lawlor—St. Bernard of Clairvaux's Life of St. Malachy of Armagh A Treatise of the Fear of God;
SHOWING WHAT IT IS, AND HOW DISTINGUISHED FROM THAT WHICH IS NOT SO. ALSO, WHENCE IT COMES; WHO HAS IT; WHAT ARE THE EFFECTS; AND WHAT THE PRIVILEGES OF THOSE THAT HAVE IT IN THEIR HEARTS. London: Printed for N. Ponder, at the Peacock in the Poultry, over against the Stocks market: 1679. ADVERTISEMENT BY THE EDITOR. "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom," and "a fountain of life"--the foundation on which all wisdom rests, as well as the source from whence it emanates. Upon a principle …
John Bunyan—The Works of John Bunyan Volumes 1-3 Thirdly, for Thy Actions.
1. Do no evil, though thou mightest; for God will not suffer the least sin, without bitter repentance, to escape unpunished. Leave not undone any good that thou canst. But do nothing without a calling, nor anything in thy calling, till thou hast first taken counsel at God's word (1 Sam. xxx. 8) of its lawfulness, and pray for his blessings upon thy endeavour; and then do it in the name of God, with cheerfulness of heart, committing the success to him, in whose power it is to bless with his grace …
Lewis Bayly—The Practice of Piety Fragrant Spices from the Mountains of Myrrh. "Thou Art all Fair, My Love; There is no Spot in Thee. " --Song of Solomon iv. 7.
FRAGRANT SPICES FROM THE MOUNTAINS OF MYRRH. HOW marvellous are these words! "Thou art all fair, My love; there is no spot in thee." The glorious Bridegroom is charmed with His spouse, and sings soft canticles of admiration. When the bride extols her Lord there is no wonder, for He deserves it well, and in Him there is room for praise without possibility of flattery. But does He who is wiser than Solomon condescend to praise this sunburnt Shulamite? Tis even so, for these are His own words, and were …
Charles Hadden Spurgeon—Till He Come A Believer's Privilege at Death
'For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.' Phil 1:1I. Hope is a Christian's anchor, which he casts within the veil. Rejoicing in hope.' Rom 12:12. A Christian's hope is not in this life, but he hash hope in his death.' Prov 14:42. The best of a saint's comfort begins when his life ends; but the wicked have all their heaven here. Woe unto you that are rich! for ye have received your consolation.' Luke 6:64. You may make your acquittance, and write Received in full payment.' Son, remember that …
Thomas Watson—A Body of Divinity Genesis
The Old Testament opens very impressively. In measured and dignified language it introduces the story of Israel's origin and settlement upon the land of Canaan (Gen.--Josh.) by the story of creation, i.-ii. 4a, and thus suggests, at the very beginning, the far-reaching purpose and the world-wide significance of the people and religion of Israel. The narrative has not travelled far till it becomes apparent that its dominant interests are to be religious and moral; for, after a pictorial sketch of …
John Edgar McFadyen—Introduction to the Old Testament Links Genesis 32:7 NIVGenesis 32:7 NLTGenesis 32:7 ESVGenesis 32:7 NASBGenesis 32:7 KJV
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