_AND JACOB WENT ON HIS WAY, AND THE ANGELS OF GOD MET HIM._ Angels of God met. It is not said whether this angelic manifestation was made in a vision by day, or a dream by night, It was most probably the former-an internal occurrence, a mental spectacle, analogous, as in many similar cases (cf. Gen... [ Continue Reading ]
_AND WHEN JACOB SAW THEM, HE SAID, THIS IS GOD'S HOST: AND HE CALLED THE NAME OF THAT PLACE MAHANAIM._ Mahanaim - two hosts or camps. Two myriads is the number usually employed to denote an indefinite multitude; but here it must have a reference to the two hosts, God's host of angels, and his own c... [ Continue Reading ]
_AND JACOB SENT MESSENGERS BEFORE HIM TO ESAU HIS BROTHER UNTO THE LAND OF SEIR, THE COUNTRY OF EDOM._ Sent messengers - i:e., had sent. It was a prudent precaution to ascertain the present temper of Esau, as the road, on approaching the eastern confines of Canaan, lay near the wild district where... [ Continue Reading ]
_AND HE COMMANDED THEM, SAYING, THUS SHALL YE SPEAK UNTO MY LORD ESAU; THY SERVANT JACOB SAITH THUS, I HAVE SOJOURNED WITH LABAN, AND STAYED THERE UNTIL NOW:_ Thus shall ye speak. The purport of the message was that, after a residence of twenty years in Mesopotamia, he was now returning to his nati... [ Continue Reading ]
_AND I HAVE OXEN, AND ASSES, FLOCKS, AND MENSERVANTS, AND WOMENSERVANTS: AND I HAVE SENT TO TELL MY LORD, THAT I MAY FIND GRACE IN THY SIGHT._ No JFB commentary on this verse.... [ Continue Reading ]
_AND THE MESSENGERS RETURNED TO JACOB, SAYING, WE CAME TO THY BROTHER ESAU, AND ALSO HE COMETH TO MEET THEE, AND FOUR HUNDRED MEN WITH HIM._ The messengers returned. Their report left Jacob in painful uncertainty as to what was his brother's views and feelings. Esau's studied reserve gave him reaso... [ Continue Reading ]
_THEN JACOB WAS GREATLY AFRAID AND DISTRESSED: AND HE DIVIDED THE PEOPLE THAT WAS WITH HIM, AND THE FLOCKS, AND HERDS, AND THE CAMELS, INTO TWO BANDS;_ NO JFB COMMENTARY ON THESE VERSES.... [ Continue Reading ]
_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:_ Jacob said, O God. In this great emergency he had recourse to prayer. This is the first recorded example of prayer in... [ Continue Reading ]
_AND HE LODGED THERE THAT SAME NIGHT; AND TOOK OF THAT WHICH CAME TO HIS HAND A PRESENT FOR ESAU HIS BROTHER;_ He lodged there that same night. The scarcity of water leads traveling companies or caravans to choose their camping ground near a river, fountain, or well (cf. 1 Samuel 30:21). TOOK ...... [ Continue Reading ]
_SO WENT THE PRESENT OVER BEFORE HIM: AND HIMSELF LODGED THAT NIGHT IN THE COMPANY._ Himself lodged - not the whole night, but only a part of it.... [ Continue Reading ]
_AND HE ROSE UP THAT NIGHT, AND TOOK HIS TWO WIVES, AND HIS TWO WOMENSERVANTS, AND HIS ELEVEN SONS, AND PASSED OVER THE FORD JABBOK._ Passed over the ford Jabbok, х_ YABOQ_ (H2999)]. Gesenius quotes Simonis ('Onomast'), who derives it from a root-verb, signifying to pour out, to empty-namely, its w... [ Continue Reading ]
_AND HE TOOK THEM, AND SENT THEM OVER THE BROOK, AND SENT OVER THAT HE HAD._ No JFB commentary on this verse.... [ Continue Reading ]
_AND JACOB WAS LEFT ALONE; AND THERE WRESTLED A MAN WITH HIM UNTIL THE BREAKING OF THE DAY._ There wrestled a man with him until the breaking of the day - an unknown person appeared suddenly to oppose his entrance into Canaan. Jacob engaged in the encounter with all the mental energy, and grasped h... [ Continue Reading ]
_AND AS HE PASSED OVER PENUEL THE SUN ROSE UPON HIM, AND HE HALTED UPON HIS THIGH._ Halted upon his thigh. Since Paul had a thorn in the flesh given to humble him, lest he should be too elevated by the abundant revelations granted him, so Jacob's lameness was to keep him mindful of this mysterious... [ Continue Reading ]
_THEREFORE THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL EAT NOT OF THE SINEW WHICH SHRANK, WHICH IS UPON THE HOLLOW OF THE THIGH, UNTO THIS DAY: BECAUSE HE TOUCHED THE HOLLOW OF JACOB'S THIGH IN THE SINEW THAT SHRANK._ The children of Israel. The descendants of Jacob were designated for the most part by this name, thoug... [ Continue Reading ]