Gênesis 32

1 Jacó também seguiu o seu caminho; e encontraram-no os anjos de Deus.
2 Quando Jacó os viu, disse: Este é o exército de Deus. E chamou �quele lugar Maanaim.
3 Então enviou Jacó mensageiros diante de si a Esaú, seu irmão, � terra de Seir, o território de Edom,
4 tendo-lhes ordenado: Deste modo falareis a meu senhor Esaú: Assim diz Jacó, teu servo: Como peregrino morei com Labão, e com ele fiquei até agora;
5 e tenho bois e jumentos, rebanhos, servos e servas; e mando comunicar isso a meu senhor, para achar graça aos teus olhos.
6 Depois os mensageiros voltaram a Jacó, dizendo: Fomos ter com teu irmão Esaú; e, em verdade, vem ele para encontrar-te, e quatrocentos homens com ele.
7 Jacó teve muito medo e ficou aflito; dividiu em dois bandos o povo que estava com ele, bem como os rebanhos, os bois e os camelos;
8 pois dizia: Se Esaú vier a um bando e o ferir, o outro bando escapará.
9 Disse mais Jacó: o Deus de meu pai Abraão, Deus de meu pai Isaque, ó Senhor, que me disseste: Volta para a tua terra, e para a tua parentela, e eu te farei bem!
10 Não sou digno da menor de todas as tuas beneficências e de toda a fidelidade que tens usado para com teu servo; porque com o meu cajado passei este Jordão, e agora volto em dois bandos.
11 Livra-me, peço-te, da mão de meu irmão, da mão de Esaú, porque eu o temo; acaso não venha ele matar-me, e a mãe com os filhos.
12 Pois tu mesmo disseste: Certamente te farei bem, e farei a tua descendência como a areia do mar, que pela multidão não se pode contar.
13 Passou ali aquela noite; e do que tinha tomou um presente para seu irmão Esaú:
14 duzentas cabras e vinte bodes, duzentas ovelhas e vinte carneiros,
15 trinta camelas de leite com suas crias, quarenta vacas e dez touros, vinte jumentas e dez jumentinhos.
16 Então os entregou nas mãos dos seus servos, cada manada em separado; e disse a seus servos: Passai adiante de mim e ponde espaço entre manada e manada.
17 E ordenou ao primeiro, dizendo: Quando Esaú, meu irmão, te encontrar e te perguntar: De quem és, e para onde vais, e de quem são estes diante de ti?
18 Então responderás: São de teu servo Jacó, presente que envia a meu senhor, a Esaú, e eis que ele vem também atrás dé nos.
19 Ordenou igualmente ao segundo, e ao terceiro, e a todos os que vinham atrás das manadas, dizendo: Desta maneira falareis a Esaú quando o achardes.
20 E direis também: Eis que o teu servo Jacó vem atrás de nós. Porque dizia: Aplacá-lo-ei com o presente, que vai adiante de mim, e depois verei a sua face; porventura ele me aceitará.
21 Foi, pois, o presente adiante dele; ele, porém, passou aquela noite no arraial.
22 Naquela mesma noite levantou-se e, tomando suas duas mulheres, suas duas servas e seus onze filhos, passou o vau de Jaboque.
23 Tomou-os, e fê-los passar o ribeiro, e fez passar tudo o que tinha.
24 Jacó, porém, ficou só; e lutava com ele um homem até o romper do dia.
25 Quando este viu que não prevalecia contra ele, tocou-lhe a juntura da coxa, e se deslocou a juntura da coxa de Jacó, enquanto lutava com ele.
26 Disse o homem: Deixa-me ir, porque já vem rompendo o dia. Jacó, porém, respondeu: Não te deixarei ir, se me não abençoares.
27 Perguntou-lhe, pois: Qual é o teu nome? E ele respondeu: Jacó.
28 Então disse: Não te chamarás mais Jacó, mas Israel; porque tens lutado com Deus e com os homens e tens prevalecido.
29 Perguntou-lhe Jacó: Dize-me, peço-te, o teu nome. Respondeu o homem: Por que perguntas pelo meu nome? E ali o abençoou.
30 Pelo que Jacó chamou ao lugar Peniel, dizendo: Porque tenho visto Deus face a face, e a minha vida foi preservada.
31 E nascia o sol, quando ele passou de Peniel; e coxeava de uma perna.
32 Por isso os filhos de Israel não comem até o dia de hoje o nervo do quadril, que está sobre a juntura da coxa, porquanto o homem tocou a juntura da coxa de Jacó no nervo do quadril.

Gênesis 32 Commentary

Chapter 32

Jacob's vision at Mahanaim, His fear of Esau. (1-8) Jacob's earnest prayer for deliverance, He prepares a present for Esau. (9-23) He wrestles with the Angel. (24-32)

Verses 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.

Verses 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, Re. 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.

Verses 24-32 A great while before day, Jacob being alone, more fully spread his fears before God in prayer. While thus employed, One in the likeness of a man wrestled with him. When the spirit helpeth our infirmities, and our earnest and vast desires can scarcely find words to utter them, and we still mean more than we can express, then prayer is indeed wrestling with God. However tried or discouraged, we shall prevail; and prevailing with Him in prayer, we shall prevail against all enemies that strive with us. Nothing requires more vigour and unceasing exertion than wrestling. It is an emblem of the true spirit of faith and prayer. Jacob kept his ground; though the struggle continued long, this did not shake his faith, nor silence his prayer. He will have a blessing, and had rather have all his bone put out of joint than go away without one. Those who would have the blessing of Christ, must resolve to take no denial. The fervent prayer is the effectual prayer. The Angel puts a lasting mark of honour upon him, by changing his name. Jacob signifies a supplanter. From henceforth he shall be celebrated, not for craft and artful management, but for true valour. Thou shalt be called Israel, a prince with God, a name greater than those of the great men of the earth. He is a prince indeed that is a prince with God; those are truly honourable that are mighty in prayer. Having power with God, he shall have power with men too; he shall prevail, and gain Esau's favour. Jacob gives a new name to the place. He calls it Peniel, the face of God, because there he had seen the appearance of God, and obtained the favour of God. It becomes those whom God honours, to admire his grace towards them. The Angel who wrestled with Jacob was the second Person in the sacred Trinity, who was afterwards God manifest in the flesh, and who, dwelling in human nature, is called Immanuel, ( hosea 12:4 hosea 12:5 ) . Jacob halted on his thigh. It might serve to keep him from being lifted up with the abundance of the revelations. The sun rose on Jacob: it is sun-rise with that soul, which has had communion with God.

Chapter Summary

INTRODUCTION TO GENESIS 32

This chapter informs us of Jacob's proceeding on in his journey, and of his being met and guarded by an host of angels, Ge 32:1,2; of his sending messengers to his brother Esau, acquainting him with his increase, and desiring his favour and good will, Ge 32:3-5, who return and report to him, that Esau was coming to him with four hundred men, which put him into a panic, and after devising ways and means for the security of himself; and those with him, at least a part, if not the whole, Ge 32:6-8; then follows a prayer of his to God, pressing his unworthiness of mercies, and his sense of them, imploring deliverance from his brother, and putting the Lord in mind of his promises, Ge 32:9-12; after which we have an account of the wise methods he took for the safety of himself and family, by sending a present to his brother, dividing those who had the charge of it into separate companies, and directing them to move at a proper distance from each other, he, his wives and children, following after, Ge 32:13-23; when they were over the brook Jabbok, he stopped, and being alone, the Son of God in an human form appeared to him, and wrestled with him, with whom Jacob prevailed, and got the blessing, and hence had the name of Israel, Ge 32:24-28; and though he could not get his name, he perceived it was a divine Person he had wrestled with, and therefore called the name of the place Penuel, Ge 32:29-31; the hollow of his thigh being touched by him with whom he wrestled, which put it out of joint, he halted as he went over Penuel, in commemoration of which the children of Israel eat not of that part of the thigh, Ge 32:31,32.

Gênesis 32 Commentaries

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