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Naghanda si Jacob sa Pakikipagkita kay Esau

32 Habang naglalakbay sina Jacob, sinalubong siya ng mga anghel ng Dios. Pagkakita ni Jacob sa kanila, sinabi niya, “Mga sundalo ito ng Dios.” Kaya pinangalanan niya ang lugar na iyon na Mahanaim.[a]

May mga inutusan si Jacob na mauna sa kanya para makipagkita sa kapatid niyang si Esau roon sa lupain ng Seir, ang lugar na tinatawag ding Edom. Tinuruan niya sila kung ano ang sasabihin nila kay Esau. Sinabi ni Jacob, “Sabihin ninyo kay Esau na matagal akong nanirahan kay Laban at hindi pa ako nakakauwi hanggang ngayon. At sabihin ninyo sa kanya na may mga baka ako, asno, tupa, kambing at mga aliping lalaki at babae. Sabihin ninyo sa kanya na inutusan ko kayo para hilingin sa kanya na maging mabuti na sana ang pakikitungo niya sa akin.”

Pagbalik ng mga inutusan ni Jacob, sinabi nila, “Napuntahan na po namin si Esau, at papunta na po siya rito para salubungin kayo. May kasama siyang 400 lalaki.”

Kinabahan si Jacob at hindi siya mapalagay, kaya hinati niya sa dalawang grupo ang mga kasamahan niya pati ang kanyang mga tupa, baka, kambing at kamelyo. Dahil naisip niya na kung sakaling dumating si Esau at lusubin ang isang grupo, makakatakas pa ang isang grupo.

Nanalangin si Jacob, “Dios ng aking lolo na si Abraham at Dios ng aking ama na si Isaac, kayo po ang Panginoon na nagsabi sa akin na bumalik ako sa mga kamag-anak ko, doon po sa lupain kung saan ako isinilang, at pagpapalain ninyo ako. 10 Hindi po ako karapat-dapat tumanggap ng lahat ng kabutihan at katapatan na ipinakita ninyo sa akin na inyong lingkod. Sapagkat nang tumawid ako noon sa Jordan, wala po akong ibang dala kundi tungkod lang, pero ngayon ay may dalawa na po akong grupo. 11 Hinihiling ko po sa inyo na iligtas nʼyo ako sa kapatid kong si Esau. Natatakot po ako na baka pumunta siya rito at patayin kaming lahat pati na ang mga asawa koʼt mga anak nila. 12 Pero nangako po kayo sa akin na pagpapalain nʼyo ako at pararamihin nʼyo ang aking mga lahi katulad ng buhangin sa tabing-dagat na hindi mabilang.”

13 Kinagabihan, doon natulog sina Jacob. Kinabukasan, pumili si Jacob ng mga hayop na ireregalo kay Esau: 14 200 babaeng kambing at 20 lalaking kambing, 200 babaeng tupa at 20 lalaking tupa, 15 30 inahing kamelyo kasama pa ang kanilang mga bisiro, 40 babaeng baka at sampung toro, 20 babaeng asno at sampung lalaking asno. 16 Ginawang dalawang grupo ni Jacob ang mga hayop, at ang bawat grupo ay may aliping nagbabantay. Sinabihan niya ang kanyang mga alipin, “Mauna kayo sa akin, at lumakad kayo na may pagitan ang bawat grupo.”

17 Sinabihan niya ang mga aliping nagbabantay sa naunang grupo, “Kung makasalubong nʼyo si Esau at magtanong siya kung kanino kayong alipin at kung saan kayo pupunta, at kung kanino ang mga hayop na dala ninyo, 18 sagutin ninyo siya na akin ang mga hayop na ito at regalo ko ito sa kanya. Sabihin din ninyo sa kanya na nakasunod ako sa inyo.”

19 Ganoon din ang sinabi niya sa ikalawa, sa ikatlo at sa lahat ng aliping kasabay ng mga hayop. 20 At pinaalalahanan niya ang mga ito na huwag kalimutang sabihin kay Esau na nakasunod siya sa hulihan. Sapagkat sinabi ni Jacob sa kanyang sarili, “Aalukin ko si Esau ng mga regalong ito na pinauna ko. At kung magkikita kami, baka sakaling patawarin niya ako.” 21 Kaya pinauna niya ang mga regalo niya, pero nagpaiwan siya noong gabing iyon doon sa tinutuluyan nila.

May Nakipagbuno kay Jacob sa Peniel

22 Nang gabing iyon, bumangon si Jacob at isinama ang dalawa niyang asawa, ang dalawang alipin niyang babae at ang 11 anak niya, at pinatawid sila sa Ilog ng Jabok. 23 Ipinatawid din ni Jacob ang lahat ng ari-arian niya. 24 Nang nag-iisa na siya, may dumating na isang lalaki at nakipagbuno sa kanya. Nagbunuan sila hanggang mag-uumaga. 25 Nang mapansin niya na hindi niya matatalo si Jacob, pinisil niya ang balakang ni Jacob at nalinsad ang magkatapat na buto nito. 26 At sinabi ng tao, “Bitawan mo na ako dahil mag-uumaga na.”

Pero sumagot si Jacob, “Hindi kita bibitawan hanggaʼt hindi mo ako babasbasan.”

27 Nagtanong ang tao sa kanya, “Anong pangalan mo?”

Sumagot siya, “Jacob.”

28 Sinabi ng tao, “Simula ngayon hindi na Jacob ang pangalan mo kundi Israel[b] na dahil nakipagbuno ka sa Dios at sa mga tao, at ikaw ay nagtagumpay.”

29 Nagtanong din si Jacob sa kanya, “Sabihin mo rin sa akin ang pangalan mo.”

Pero sumagot ang tao, “Huwag mo nang itanong ang pangalan ko.” Pagkatapos, binasbasan niya si Jacob doon.

30 Pinangalanan ni Jacob ang lugar na iyon na Peniel,[c] dahil sinabi niya, “Nakita ko ang mukha ng Dios pero buhay pa rin ako.”

31 Sumisikat na ang araw nang umalis si Jacob sa Peniel. Pipilay-pilay siya dahil nalinsad ang buto niya sa balakang. 32 Ito ang dahilan kung bakit hanggang ngayon ang mga Israelita ay hindi kumakain ng litid sa magkatapat na buto sa balakang ng hayop. Sapagkat sa bahaging iyon pinisil ng Dios si Jacob.

Footnotes

  1. 32:2 Mahanaim: Ang ibig sabihin, dalawang grupo ng mga sundalo.
  2. 32:28 Israel: Ang ibig sabihin, nakipagbuno sa Dios.
  3. 32:30 Peniel: Ang ibig sabihin, mukha ng Dios.

Chapter 32

Laban rose early in the morning, kissed his grandsons and daughters, and blessed them. Then he left and returned home.

Jacob Prepares To Meet Esau.[a] As Jacob continued his journey, angels of God appeared to him. When Jacob saw them he said, “This is the encampment of God,” and he called the place Mahanaim. Then Jacob sent some messengers ahead to his brother Esau in the land of Seir, the country of Edom. He gave them this command, “Say to my lord Esau, ‘Thus says your servant Jacob, I have sojourned with Laban and I remained there until now. I have come to own oxen, donkeys, flocks, male and female slaves. I am sending my lord this information to seek his favor.’ ”

The messengers returned to Jacob saying, “We went to your brother Esau. Now he is coming to meet you and he has four hundred men with him.” Jacob was terribly afraid and filled with anxiety. He divided the men of his camp into two groups along with the flocks, the herds, and the camels. He thought, “If Esau were to come to one group and destroy it, the other would be safe.”

10 Jacob said, “God of my father Abraham and God of my father Isaac, Lord, who told me, ‘Return to your land, to your homeland, and I will bless you,’ 11 I am not worthy of the goodness and faithfulness that you have shown your servant. When I passed over the Jordan I had nothing but my staff, and now I have become so rich that I could establish two camps. 12 Save me from the hands of my brother Esau because I am afraid of him. Let him not come and kill all of us, even the mothers and children. 13 Besides, you said, ‘I will make you prosper and I will make your descendants like the sand of the sea, so numerous that you cannot count them.’ ”

14 Jacob spent the night there. Then he selected the following gifts from among his possessions for his brother Esau: 15 two hundred she-goats and twenty he-goats, two hundred ewes and twenty rams, 16 thirty nursing camels and their young, forty cows and ten bulls, twenty female donkeys and ten male donkeys. 17 He entrusted them to his servants, in separate groups, and told them, “Go ahead of me and leave some space between the groups.”

18 He gave this order to the first group, “When you meet Esau, my brother, and he asks you, ‘To whom do you belong? Where are you going? Who owns all these animals that you are driving?’ 19 you are to answer, ‘They belong to your servant Jacob. They are a gift for my lord Esau. And Jacob himself is behind us.’ ”

20 He gave the same order to the second group and the third and all the other groups: “These are the words that you shall say to Esau when you meet him. 21 Tell him, ‘Your servant Jacob is coming behind us.’ ” He was thinking, “The gifts that I am sending will calm him down, and then I will come before him. Maybe he will greet me kindly.” 22 Thus, the gifts went ahead of him, while he spent the night in the camp.

23 A Mysterious Struggle.[b] During the night Jacob arose, took his two wives, his two slaves, and his eleven sons and crossed over the ford of the Jabbok. 24 He took them, crossed over the brook and carried over all his possessions. 25 So Jacob remained alone, and a man wrestled with him until the dawn. 26 Seeing that he could not beat him, the man struck Jacob at the hip joint. Jacob’s hip joint became dislocated while he continued to fight with him. 27 The man said, “Let me go because it is dawn.”

Jacob answered, “I will not let go of you until you will have blessed me.”

28 The man asked, “What is your name?”

He answered, “Jacob.”

29 The man then said, “Your name will no longer be Jacob, but Israel[c] because you have wrestled with God and with man and have won.”

30 Jacob said to him, “Give me your name.” He answered, “Why are you asking my name?” And then he blessed him. 31 Jacob called the place Peniel[d] because he said, “I have seen God face to face, and I am still alive.”

32 The sun rose and Jacob left Penuel limping. 33 This is why Israelites to this day do not eat the sinew of the thigh, because the man had struck Jacob’s hip joint and the sinew shrank.

Footnotes

  1. Genesis 32:2 The way that Jacob has taken obliges him to go through the territory of the Edomites, and the suspicious Esau has undoubtedly not yet digested the wicked trick that his brother has played on him (Gen 27:1-45). According to the traditions, Jacob takes measures to save half of his caravan in case of a struggle or to disarm the hatred by gifts; the prayer that the author places on his lips provides the key to his story. Despite his unworthiness, Jacob is the heir of the promises; that is why the Lord protects him and heaps favors upon him. The adventures of the hero as well as those of the chosen people (Ex 3:11; Deut 7:7f) verify a law of the action of God who causes his power to appear through the weakness of human beings.
  2. Genesis 32:23 After the twenty years in Mesopotamia that were meant to purify him and straighten him out, Jacob is ready at last to begin his life as Patriarch of God’s people in the Promised Land. In the stranger who wrestles with him at the ford of the Jabbok without revealing his name, Jacob recognizes the Lord and compels him to give his blessing. This is a confirmation of the patriarchal blessing that he had received from his father (Gen 27:27-29; 28:3-4) and also from the Lord (Gen 28:13-15) when he was beginning his journey abroad. Here the blessing is accompanied by the giving of a new name, an action that indicates a special act of taking possession: from this moment on Jacob will truly be God’s man, who along with the name receives his special mission in life. From now on we see a man who has gradually learned to live by faith (see vv. 10-13, etc.).
  3. Genesis 32:29 Israel: the real etymology is uncertain; it may mean “God is mighty” or “God shows himself mighty.” Here, however, the popular etymology is given: “He has shown his strength by wrestling with God” (see also Hos 12:4-5).
  4. Genesis 32:31 Peniel: a variant of Penuel, a town north of the Jabbok in Gilead (Jdg 8:8f, 17). I have seen God face to face: apart from the present context, this means to present oneself before God in the sanctuary with offerings for worship (see Deut 16:16).

Jacob Prepares to Meet Esau

32 [a]Jacob also went on his way, and the angels of God(A) met him. When Jacob saw them, he said, “This is the camp of God!”(B) So he named that place Mahanaim.[b](C)

Jacob sent messengers(D) ahead of him to his brother Esau(E) in the land of Seir,(F) the country of Edom.(G) He instructed them: “This is what you are to say to my lord(H) Esau: ‘Your servant(I) Jacob says, I have been staying with Laban(J) and have remained there till now. I have cattle and donkeys, sheep and goats, male and female servants.(K) Now I am sending this message to my lord,(L) that I may find favor in your eyes.(M)’”

When the messengers returned to Jacob, they said, “We went to your brother Esau, and now he is coming to meet you, and four hundred men are with him.”(N)

In great fear(O) and distress(P) Jacob divided the people who were with him into two groups,[c](Q) and the flocks and herds and camels as well. He thought, “If Esau comes and attacks one group,[d] the group[e] that is left may escape.”

Then Jacob prayed, “O God of my father Abraham,(R) God of my father Isaac,(S) Lord, you who said to me, ‘Go back to your country and your relatives, and I will make you prosper,’(T) 10 I am unworthy of all the kindness and faithfulness(U) you have shown your servant. I had only my staff(V) when I crossed this Jordan, but now I have become two camps.(W) 11 Save me, I pray, from the hand of my brother Esau, for I am afraid(X) he will come and attack me,(Y) and also the mothers with their children.(Z) 12 But you have said, ‘I will surely make you prosper and will make your descendants like the sand(AA) of the sea, which cannot be counted.(AB)’”

13 He spent the night there, and from what he had with him he selected a gift(AC) for his brother Esau: 14 two hundred female goats and twenty male goats, two hundred ewes and twenty rams,(AD) 15 thirty female camels with their young, forty cows and ten bulls, and twenty female donkeys and ten male donkeys.(AE) 16 He put them in the care of his servants, each herd by itself, and said to his servants, “Go ahead of me, and keep some space between the herds.”(AF)

17 He instructed the one in the lead: “When my brother Esau meets you and asks, ‘Who do you belong to, and where are you going, and who owns all these animals in front of you?’ 18 then you are to say, ‘They belong to your servant(AG) Jacob. They are a gift(AH) sent to my lord Esau, and he is coming behind us.’”

19 He also instructed the second, the third and all the others who followed the herds: “You are to say the same thing to Esau when you meet him. 20 And be sure to say, ‘Your servant(AI) Jacob is coming behind us.’” For he thought, “I will pacify him with these gifts(AJ) I am sending on ahead;(AK) later, when I see him, perhaps he will receive me.”(AL) 21 So Jacob’s gifts(AM) went on ahead of him, but he himself spent the night in the camp.

Jacob Wrestles With God

22 That night Jacob got up and took his two wives, his two female servants and his eleven sons(AN) and crossed the ford of the Jabbok.(AO) 23 After he had sent them across the stream, he sent over all his possessions.(AP) 24 So Jacob was left alone,(AQ) and a man(AR) wrestled with him till daybreak. 25 When the man saw that he could not overpower him, he touched the socket of Jacob’s hip(AS) so that his hip was wrenched as he wrestled with the man. 26 Then the man said, “Let me go, for it is daybreak.”

But Jacob replied, “I will not let you go unless you bless me.”(AT)

27 The man asked him, “What is your name?”

“Jacob,”(AU) he answered.

28 Then the man said, “Your name(AV) will no longer be Jacob, but Israel,[f](AW) because you have struggled with God and with humans and have overcome.”(AX)

29 Jacob said, “Please tell me your name.”(AY)

But he replied, “Why do you ask my name?”(AZ) Then he blessed(BA) him there.

30 So Jacob called the place Peniel,[g] saying, “It is because I saw God face to face,(BB) and yet my life was spared.”

31 The sun rose above him as he passed Peniel,[h](BC) and he was limping because of his hip. 32 Therefore to this day the Israelites do not eat the tendon attached to the socket of the hip,(BD) because the socket of Jacob’s hip was touched near the tendon.

Footnotes

  1. Genesis 32:1 In Hebrew texts 32:1-32 is numbered 32:2-33.
  2. Genesis 32:2 Mahanaim means two camps.
  3. Genesis 32:7 Or camps
  4. Genesis 32:8 Or camp
  5. Genesis 32:8 Or camp
  6. Genesis 32:28 Israel probably means he struggles with God.
  7. Genesis 32:30 Peniel means face of God.
  8. Genesis 32:31 Hebrew Penuel, a variant of Peniel