Genesis 32:13-23

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Genesis 32:13-23

Jacob, having piously made God his friend by a prayer, is here prudently endeavouring to make Esau his friend by a present. He had prayed to God to deliver him from the hand of Esau, for he feared him; but neither did his fear sink into such a despair as dispirits for the use of means, nor did his prayer make him presume upon God's mercy, without the use of means. Note, When we have prayed to God for any mercy, we must second our prayers with our endeavours; else, instead of trusting god, we... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Genesis 32:13

And he lodged there that same night ,.... At Mahanaim, or some place near it: and took of that which came to his hand ; not what came next to hand, for what he did was with great deliberation, judgment, and prudence; wherefore the phrase signifies what he was possessed of, or was in his power, as Jarchi rightly interprets it: a present for Esau his brother : in order to pacify him, gain his good will, and avert his wrath and displeasure, see Proverbs 18:16 ; though Jacob had prayed... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Genesis 32:14

Two hundred she goats, and twenty he goats, two hundred ewes , and twenty rams. And it seems this proportion of one he goat to ten she goats, and of one ram to ten ewes, is a proper one, and what has been so judged in other times and countries F24 Varro de rustica, l. 2. c. 3. apud Bochart. Hierozoic. par. 1. l. 2. c. 43. Colossians 439 . &c.; 53. Colossians 648 . . read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Genesis 32:15

Thirty milch camels with their colts ,.... Milch camels were in great esteem in the eastern countries; their milk being, as Aristotle F25 Hist. Animal. l. 6. c. 26. and Pliny F26 Nat. Hist. l. 11. c. 41. & 28. 9. say, the sweetest of all milk: forty kine and ten bulls ; one bull to ten cows; the same proportion as in the goats and rams: twenty she asses and ten foals ; and supposing thirty colts belonging to the camels; the present consisted of five hundred and eighty... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Genesis 32:16

And he delivered them into the hand of his servants ,.... To present them to Esau as from him: every drove by themselves ; there seems to have been three droves, see Genesis 32:19 ; very probably the two hundred and twenty goats, male and female, were in the first drove; and the two hundred and twenty sheep, ewes, and rams, were in the second drove; and the thirty camels, with their colts, and the fifty cows and bulls, with the twenty she asses and ten foals, which made in all one... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Genesis 32:17

And he commanded the foremost ,.... He that had the care of the first drove, which consisted of goats, male and female: saying, when Esau my brother meeteth thee ; as there was reason to believe he would, being on the road, and him first of all, being the foremost: and asketh thee, saying, what art thou ? that is, whose servant art thou? to whom dost thou belong? and whither goest thou ? what place art thou travelling to? and whose are these before thee ? whose are these... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Genesis 32:18

Then thou shall say, they be thy servant Jacob's ,.... Both the goats before them, and they themselves that had the care of them, belonged to Jacob, who directed them to speak of him to Esau as his "servant": it is a present sent unto my lord Esau ; which is the answer to the second question: and behold also he is behind us : that is, Jacob: this they were bid to tell, lest he should think that Jacob was afraid of him, and was gone another way; but that he was coming to pay a... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Genesis 32:19

And so commanded he the second and third ,.... Those who had the care of the second and third droves, he ordered them to say the same things, and in the same words as he had the first: and all that followed the droves ; either all that were with the principal driver; that if any of them should happen to be interrogated first, they might know what to answer; or those that followed the other droves, besides the three mentioned, which countenances Aben Ezra's notion of five droves, before... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Genesis 32:20

And say ye moreover, behold, thy servant Jacob is behind us ,.... This is repeated to impress it upon their minds, that they might be careful of all things, not to forget that, it being a point of great importance; for the present would have signified nothing, if Jacob had not appeared in person; Esau would have thought himself, at best, but slighted; as if he was unworthy of a visit from him, and of conversation with him: for he said : that is, Jacob, or "had said" F1 כי אמר ... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Genesis 32:21

So went the present over before him ,.... Over the brook Jabbok, after mentioned, the night before Jacob did: and himself lodged that night in the company ; or "in the camp" F3 במחנה "in castris", Vatablus, Drusius, Schmidt; "in acie sua", Junius & Tremellius; "in exercitu", Piscator. , either in the place called Mahanaim, from the hosts or crowds of angels seen there; or rather in his own camp, his family and servants; or, as Aben Ezra distinguishes, in the camp with his... read more

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