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32 Early in the morning Laban got up, kissed his grandchildren and daughters and blessed them. Then Laban left and returned to his place. While Jacob left on his way, the angels of God met him. Then Jacob said when he saw them, “This is God’s camp”, and he named that place Mahanaim.

Parashat Vayishlach

Jacob Prepares to Meet Esau

Then Jacob sent messengers before him to his brother Esau, to the land of Seir, the field of Edom. He also commanded them saying, “This is what you should say to my lord, to Esau: ‘This is what your servant Jacob said: I’ve been staying with Laban, and have lingered until now. Now I’ve come to possess oxen and donkeys, flocks, male servants and female servants. I sent word to tell my lord, in order to find favor in your eyes.’”

The messengers returned to Jacob saying, “We went to your brother, to Esau, and he’s also coming out to meet you—and 400 men with him.”

So Jacob became extremely afraid and distressed. He divided the people with him, along with the flocks and herds and camels, into two camps, for he thought, “If Esau comes to one camp and strikes it, the camp that’s left will escape.”

10 Then Jacob said, “O God of my father Abraham, and God of my father Isaac, Adonai, who said to me, ‘Return to your land and to your relatives and I will do good with you.’ 11 I am unworthy of all the proofs of mercy and of all the dependability that you have shown to your servant. For with only my staff I crossed over this Jordan, and now I’ve become two camps. 12 Deliver me, please, from my brother’s hand, from Esau’s hand, for I’m afraid of him that he’ll come and strike me—the mothers with the children. 13 You Yourself said, ‘I will most certainly do good with you, and will make your seed like the sand of the sea that cannot be counted because of its abundance.’”

14 So he stayed overnight there. Then from all that had come into his possession he took an offering for Esau his brother: 15 200 female goats, 20 billy goats, 200 ewes, 20 rams, 16 30 milking camels with their young, 40 cows, 10 bulls, 20 female donkeys and 10 male donkeys. 17 He put them in the hands of his servants, each herd by itself, and he said to his servants, “Pass over before me, and put a gap between each of the herds.” 18 Then he commanded the first one saying, “When my brother Esau meets you and asks you saying, ‘To whom do you belong, and where are you going, and to whom do all these before you belong?’ 19 then you are to say, ‘To your servant, to Jacob—it’s an offering sent to my lord, to Esau. And look, he’s also behind us.’” 20 And he also commanded the second one, the third one, and all those who were going behind the flocks, saying, “Say the same exact thing to Esau when you find him. 21 Then you are to say, ‘Look, your servant Jacob is also behind us.’” For he thought, “Let me appease him with the offering that goes ahead of me, and afterward see his face, perhaps he’ll lift up my face.” 22 So the offering passed over ahead of him, while he spent that night in the camp.

23 Then he got up that night and took his two wives, his two female servants, and his eleven sons, and crossed over the ford of the Jabbok. 24 He took them and sent them across the stream, and he sent across whatever he had.

Jacob Wrestles With God

25 So Jacob remained all by himself. Then a man wrestled with him until the break of dawn. [a] 26 When He saw that He had not overcome him, He struck the socket of his hip, so He dislocated the socket of Jacob’s hip when He wrestled with him. 27 Then He said, “Let Me go, for the dawn has broken.”

But he said, “I won’t let You go unless You bless me.”

28 Then He said to him, “What is your name?”

“Jacob,” he said.

29 Then He said, “Your name will no longer be Jacob, but rather Israel, for you have struggled with God and with men, and you have overcome.”

30 Then Jacob asked and said, “Please tell me Your name.”

But He said, “What’s this—you are asking My name?” Then He blessed him there.

31 So Jacob named the place Peniel, “for I’ve seen God face to face, and my life has been spared.”

32 Now the sun rose upon him just as he crossed by Peniel—limping because of his hip. 33 That is why the children of Israel do not eat the tendon of the hip socket, to this very day, because He struck the socket of Jacob’s thigh on the tendon of the hip.

Footnotes

  1. Genesis 32:26 Or, rolled around in the dust.

32 And Ya’akov went on his derech, and the malachim of Elohim met him.

(3) And when Ya’akov saw them, he said, This is Mahaneh Elohim; and he called the shem of that makom (place) Machanayim.

[VAYISHLAH]

(4) And Ya’akov sent malachim before him to Esav achiv unto Eretz Seir, the country of Edom.

(5) And he commanded them, saying, Thus shall ye speak unto adoni Esav; Thy eved Ya’akov saith thus, I have sojourned with Lavan, and stayed there until now;

(6) And I have shor (oxen), and chamor, tzon, and eved, and shifchah; and I have sent to tell adoni, that I may find chen (grace) in thy sight.

(7) And the malachim returned to Ya’akov, saying, We came to Esav achicha, and also he cometh to meet thee, and arba me’ot ish with him.

(8) Then Ya’akov was greatly afraid and distressed; and he divided HaAm that was with him, and the tzon, and bakar, and the gemalim, into two machanot;

(9) And said, If Esav come to the one machaneh, and attack it, then the other machaneh which is left shall escape.

(10) And Ya’akov said, O Elohei Avi Avraham, and Elohei Avi Yitzchak, Hashem which saidst unto me, Shuv l’aretzecha and to thy moledet (kindred), and I will deal well with thee;

10 (11) I am not worthy of the least of all the chasadim, and of all the emes, which Thou hast showed unto Thy eved; for with my makal (rod, staff) I passed over this Yarden; and now I am become two machanot.

11 (12) Save me, now, from the yad achi, from the yad Esav; for I fear him, lest he will come and attack me, em with banim.

12 (13) But Thou saidst, I will surely do thee good, and make thy zera as the chol of the yam, which cannot be numbered for multitude.

13 (14) And he spent there that same night; and took of that which came to his yad a minchah for Esav achiv;

14 (15) Two hundred female goats, and twenty male goats, two hundred rechelim (ewes), and twenty eilim (rams),

15 (16) Thirty nursing gemalim with their colts, forty parot (cows), and ten parim (bulls), twenty female donkeys, and ten male donkeys.

16 (17) And he delivered them into the yad of his avadim, every herd by itself; and said unto his avadim, Pass over before me, and keep a space between herd and herd.

17 (18) And he commanded the rishon, saying, When Esav achi meeteth thee, and asketh thee, saying, Whose art thou? And to where goest thou? And whose are these [animals] before thee?

18 (19) Then thou shalt say, They are of thy eved Ya’akov; it is a minchah sent unto adoni Esav; and, hinei, also he is behind us.

19 (20) And so commanded he the second, and the third, and all that followed the adarim (herds), saying, On this manner shall ye speak unto Esav, when ye find him.

20 (21) And say ye moreover, Hinei, thy eved Ya’akov is behind us. For he said, Akhapperah (I will appease, pacify) his face with the minchah that goeth ahead of me, and afterward I will see his face; perhaps he will accept me.

21 (22) So went the minchah (present) over ahead of him; but he himself stayed balailah in the machaneh.

22 (23) And he rose up that night, and took his two nashim and his two shifchot, and his eleven yeladim, and passed over the ma’avar (ford) Yabbok.

23 (24) And he took them, and sent them over the stream, and sent over [all] that he had.

24 (25) And Ya’akov was left by himself; and there wrestled an ish with him until the shachar (dawn, sunup).

25 (26) And when he saw that he prevailed not against him, he struck his hip socket; so Ya’akov’s hip socket dislocated while he wrestled with him.

26 (27) And he said, Let me go, for shachar breaketh. And he said, I will not let thee go, unless thou make a berakah upon me.

27 (28) And he said unto him, What is shemecha? And he said, Ya’akov.

28 (29) And he said, Shimcha shall be called no more Ya’akov, but Yisroel: for sarita im Elohim ([yisrah=to prevail + El=G-d = Yisroel] ye have striven with Elohim) and with anashim, and hast overcome.

29 (30) And Ya’akov asked him, and said, Tell me, now, shemecha. And he said, Why is it that thou dost ask after shmi? And he made a brocha upon him there.

30 (31) And Ya’akov called the shem of the makom (place) Peniel [Face of G-d): for I have seen Elohim panim el panim, and my nefesh is saved.

31 (32) And as he passed over Penuel the shemesh rose upon him, and he limped upon his hip.

32 (33) Therefore the Bnei Yisroel eat not of the sinew of the thigh vein (sciatic nerve) which is upon the hip socket, unto this day; because he touched the hip socket of Ya’akov in the sinew of the thigh vein.

Jacob Fears Esau

32 Jacob went on his way, and the angels of God met him. And when Jacob saw them he said, “This is God's (A)camp!” So he called the name of that place (B)Mahanaim.[a]

And Jacob sent[b] messengers before him to Esau his brother in the land of (C)Seir, the country of Edom, instructing them, “Thus you shall say to my lord Esau: Thus says your servant Jacob, ‘I have sojourned with Laban and stayed until now. I have oxen, donkeys, flocks, male servants, and female servants. I have sent to tell my lord, in order that (D)I may find favor in your sight.’”

And the messengers returned to Jacob, saying, “We came to your brother Esau, and (E)he is coming to meet you, and there are four hundred men with him.” Then Jacob was (F)greatly afraid and distressed. He divided the people who were with him, and the flocks and herds and camels, into two camps, thinking, “If Esau comes to the one camp and attacks it, then the camp that is left will escape.”

And Jacob said, (G)“O God of my father Abraham and God of my father Isaac, O Lord who (H)said to me, ‘Return to your country and to your kindred, that I may do you good,’ 10 (I)I am not worthy of the least of all the deeds of steadfast love and all the faithfulness that you have shown to your servant, for with only my staff I crossed this Jordan, and now I have become two camps. 11 Please deliver me from the hand of my brother, from the hand of Esau, for (J)I fear him, that he may come and attack me, the mothers with the children. 12 But (K)you said, ‘I will surely do you good, and make your offspring as the sand of the sea, which cannot be numbered for multitude.’”

13 So he stayed there that night, and from what he had with him he took (L)a present for his brother Esau, 14 two hundred female goats and twenty male goats, two hundred ewes and twenty rams, 15 thirty milking camels and their calves, forty cows and ten bulls, twenty female donkeys and ten male donkeys. 16 These he handed over to his servants, every drove by itself, and said to his servants, “Pass on ahead of me and put a space between drove and drove.” 17 He instructed the first, “When Esau my brother meets you and asks you, ‘To whom do you belong? Where are you going? And whose are these ahead of you?’ 18 then you shall say, ‘They belong to your servant Jacob. They are a present sent to my lord Esau. And moreover, he is behind us.’” 19 He likewise instructed the second and the third and all who followed the droves, “You shall say the same thing to Esau when you find him, 20 and you shall say, ‘Moreover, your servant Jacob is behind us.’” For he thought, “I may appease him[c] with the present that goes ahead of me, and afterward I shall see his face. Perhaps he will accept me.”[d] 21 So the present passed on ahead of him, and he himself stayed that night in the camp.

Jacob Wrestles with God

22 The same night he arose and took his two wives, his two female servants, and his eleven children,[e] and crossed the ford of the (M)Jabbok. 23 He took them and sent them across the stream, and everything else that he had. 24 And Jacob was left alone. And (N)a man wrestled with him until the breaking of the day. 25 When the man saw that he did not prevail against Jacob, he touched his hip socket, and Jacob's hip was put out of joint as he wrestled with him. 26 Then he said, “Let me go, for the day has broken.” But Jacob said, (O)“I will not let you go unless you bless me.” 27 And he said to him, “What is your name?” And he said, “Jacob.” 28 Then he said, (P)“Your name shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel,[f] for (Q)you have striven with God and (R)with men, and have prevailed.” 29 Then Jacob asked him, “Please tell me your name.” But he said, (S)“Why is it that you ask my name?” And there he blessed him. 30 So Jacob called the name of the place Peniel,[g] saying, “For (T)I have seen God face to face, and yet my life has been delivered.” 31 The sun rose upon him as he passed (U)Penuel, limping because of his hip. 32 Therefore to this day the people of Israel do not eat the sinew of the thigh that is on the hip socket, because he touched the socket of Jacob's hip on the sinew of the thigh.

Footnotes

  1. Genesis 32:2 Mahanaim means two camps
  2. Genesis 32:3 Or had sent
  3. Genesis 32:20 Hebrew appease his face
  4. Genesis 32:20 Hebrew he will lift my face
  5. Genesis 32:22 Or sons
  6. Genesis 32:28 Israel means He strives with God, or God strives
  7. Genesis 32:30 Peniel means the face of God