Testimonia — Early Christian Bible Commentary

Enter a reference such as John 1:1, then press Enter.

Genesis 32 · World English Bible

1Jacob went on his way, and the angels of God met him.

2When he saw them, Jacob said, “This is God’s army.” He called the name of that place Mahanaim.

3Jacob sent messengers in front of him to Esau, his brother, to the land of Seir, the field of Edom.

4He commanded them, saying, “This is what you shall tell my lord, Esau: ‘This is what your servant, Jacob, says. I have lived as a foreigner with Laban, and stayed until now.

5I have cattle, donkeys, flocks, male servants, and female servants. I have sent to tell my lord, that I may find favor in your sight.’”

6The messengers returned to Jacob, saying, “We came to your brother Esau. He is coming to meet you, and four hundred men are with him.”

7Then Jacob was greatly afraid and was distressed. He divided the people who were with him, along with the flocks, the herds, and the camels, into two companies.

8He said, “If Esau comes to the one company, and strikes it, then the company which is left will escape.”

9Jacob said, “God of my father Abraham, and God of my father Isaac, the LORD, who said to me, ‘Return to your country, and to your relatives, and I will do you good,’

10I am not worthy of the least of all the loving kindnesses, and of all the truth, which you have shown to your servant; for with just my staff I crossed over this Jordan; and now I have become two companies.

11Please deliver me from the hand of my brother, from the hand of Esau; for I fear him, lest he come and strike me and the mothers with the children.

12You said, ‘I will surely do you good, and make your offspring as the sand of the sea, which can’t be counted because there are so many.’”

13He stayed there that night, and took from that which he had with him a present for Esau, his brother:

14two hundred female goats and twenty male goats, two hundred ewes and twenty rams,

15thirty milk camels and their colts, forty cows, ten bulls, twenty female donkeys and ten foals.

16He delivered them into the hands of his servants, every herd by itself, and said to his servants, “Pass over before me, and put a space between herd and herd.”

17He commanded the foremost, saying, “When Esau, my brother, meets you, and asks you, saying, ‘Whose are you? Where are you going? Whose are these before you?’

18Then you shall say, ‘They are your servant, Jacob’s. It is a present sent to my lord, Esau. Behold, he also is behind us.’”

19He commanded also the second, and the third, and all that followed the herds, saying, “This is how you shall speak to Esau, when you find him.

20You shall say, ‘Not only that, but behold, your servant, Jacob, is behind us.’” For, he said, “I will appease him with the present that goes before me, and afterward I will see his face. Perhaps he will accept me.”

21So the present passed over before him, and he himself stayed that night in the camp.

22He rose up that night, and took his two wives, and his two servants, and his eleven sons, and crossed over the ford of the Jabbok.

23He took them, and sent them over the stream, and sent over that which he had.

24Jacob was left alone, and wrestled with a man there until the breaking of the day.

25When he saw that he didn’t prevail against him, the man touched the hollow of his thigh, and the hollow of Jacob’s thigh was strained as he wrestled.

26The man said, “Let me go, for the day breaks.” Jacob said, “I won’t let you go unless you bless me.”

27He said to him, “What is your name?” He said, “Jacob”.

28He said, “Your name will no longer be called Jacob, but Israel; for you have fought with God and with men, and have prevailed.”

29Jacob asked him, “Please tell me your name.” He said, “Why is it that you ask what my name is?” So he blessed him there.

30Jacob called the name of the place Peniel; for he said, “I have seen God face to face, and my life is preserved.”

31The sun rose on him as he passed over Peniel, and he limped because of his thigh.

32Therefore the children of Israel don’t eat the sinew of the hip, which is on the hollow of the thigh, to this day, because he touched the hollow of Jacob’s thigh in the sinew of the hip.

World English Bible · World English Bible; source eBible.org.

Notes on Genesis 32

1867 (English edition) | Historical editor/translator (individual note author unspecified)

Gen. xxxii. 24.

Editorial footnote · The Instructor, THE WRITINGS OF CLEMENT OF ALEXANDRIA. / THE INSTRUCTOR. / BOOK I. / CHAPTER VII. WHO THE INSTRUCTOR IS, AND RESPECTING HIS INSTRUCTION., editorial note Footnote_266 · Original source

1867 (English edition) | Historical editor/translator (individual note author unspecified)

Gen. xxxii. 30.

Editorial footnote · The Instructor, THE WRITINGS OF CLEMENT OF ALEXANDRIA. / THE INSTRUCTOR. / BOOK I. / CHAPTER VII. WHO THE INSTRUCTOR IS, AND RESPECTING HIS INSTRUCTION., editorial note Footnote_268 · Original source

1869 (English edition) | Historical editor/translator (individual note author unspecified)

Cf. Gen. xxxii. 29.

Editorial footnote · On First Principles, The Writings of Origen, Vol. 1 of 2 / ORIGEN DE PRINCIPIIS. / BOOK IV. / FROM THE LATIN., editorial note f1015 · Original source

1871 (English edition) | Historical editor/translator (individual note author unspecified)

Israel = "a prince of God;" Peniel = "the face of God" (Gen. xxxii. 28-30).

Editorial footnote · The City of God, THE CITY OF GOD. / BOOK SEVENTEENTH. / ARGUMENT., editorial note Footnote_443_443 · Original source

1885 (historical English edition; transcription printing date uncertain) | Historical editor/translator (individual note author unspecified)

Gen. xxxii. 22–30.

Editorial footnote · Dialogue with Trypho, Chapter LVIII.—The same is proved from the visions which appeared to Jacob., editorial note cite_note-208 · Original source

1885 (historical English edition; transcription printing date uncertain) | Historical editor/translator (individual note author unspecified)

Gen. xxxii. 24, 30.

Editorial footnote · Dialogue with Trypho, Chapter CXXVI.—The various names of Christ according to both natures. It is shown that He is God, and appeared to the patriarchs., editorial note cite_note-497 · Original source

1885 (historical English edition; physical printing year uncertain) | Historical editor/translator (individual note author unspecified)

See Gen. xxxii. 28.

Editorial footnote · The Five Books Against Marcion, Book 4, Chapter 39, editorial note cite_note-19 · Original source

1888 (historical English edition; transcription printing date uncertain) | Historical editor/translator (individual note author unspecified)

Gen. xxxii. 26.

Editorial footnote · Sermon LXXII, Chapter uncertain, editorial note cite_note-16 · Original source

1888 (historical English edition; transcription printing date uncertain) | Historical editor/translator (individual note author unspecified)

Gen. xxxii. 28, xxxv. 10.

Editorial footnote · Sermon LXXII, Chapter uncertain, editorial note cite_note-23 · Original source

1890 (historical English edition; transcription printing date uncertain) | Historical editor/translator (individual note author unspecified)

Gen. xxxii. 28.

Editorial footnote · Book I, Chapter II.—Summary View of the Pre-existence and Divinity of Our Saviour and Lord Jesus Christ.; original source section: Chapter 2, editorial note cite_note-14 · Original source

Date uncertain | Augustine of Hippo

Whoever hopes for this so great good in this world, and in this earth, his wisdom is but folly. Can any one think it was fulfilled in the peace of Solomon's reign? Scripture certainly commends that peace with excellent praise as a shadow of that which is to come. But this opinion is to be vigilantly opposed, since after it is said, "And the son of iniquity shall not humble him any more," it is immediately added, "as from the beginning, from the days in which I appointed judges over my people Israel." For the judges were appointed over that people from the time when they received the land of promise, before kings had begun to be there. And certainly the son of iniquity, that is, the foreign enemy, humbled him through periods of time in which we read that peace alternated with wars; and in that period longer times of peace are found than Solomon had, who reigned forty years. For under that judge who is called Ehud there were eighty years of peace. Be it far from us, therefore, that we should believe the times of Solomon are predicted in this promise, much less indeed those of any other king whatever. For none other of them reigned in such great peace as he; nor did that nation ever at all hold that kingdom so as to have no anxiety lest it should be subdued by enemies: for in the very great mutability of human affairs such great security is never given to any people, that it should not dread invasions hostile to this life. Therefore the place of this promised peaceful and secure habitation is eternal, and of right belongs eternally to Jerusalem the free mother, where the genuine people of Israel shall be: for this name is interpreted "Seeing God;" in the desire of which reward a pious life is to be led through faith in this miserable pilgrimage.

Source passage · edition’s verse reference · The City of God, THE CITY OF GOD. / BOOK SEVENTEENTH. / ARGUMENT., source paragraph 325 · Original source

Date uncertain | Origen

And as to an appearance (which is better than a dream), he speaks as follows about himself: “And Jacob was left alone; and there wrestled a man with him until the breaking of the day. And he saw that he prevailed not against him, and he touched the breadth of his thigh; and the breadth of Jacob’s thigh grew stiff while he was wrestling with him. And he said to him, Let me go, for the day breaketh. And he said, I will not let thee go, except thou bless me. And he said unto him, What is thy name? And he said, Jacob. And he said to him, Thy name shall be called no more Jacob, but Israel shall be thy name: for thou hast prevailed with God, and art powerful with men. And Jacob asked him, and said, Tell me thy name. And he said, Wherefore is it that thou dost ask after my name? And he blessed him there. And Jacob called the name of the place Vision of God: for I have seen God face to face, and my life is preserved. And the sun rose, when the vision of God passed by.” And that he also prophesied by inspiration, is evident from this passage: “And Jacob called unto his sons, and said, Gather yourselves together, that I may tell you what shall befall you in the last days. Gather yourselves together, and hear, ye sons of Jacob; and hearken unto Israel your father. Reuben, my first-born, my might, and the beginning of my children, hard to be born, hard and stubborn. Thou wert wanton, boil not over like water; because thou wentest up to thy father’s bed; then defiledst thou the couch to which thou wentest up.” And so with the rest: it was by inspiration that the prophetic blessings were pronounced. We need not wonder, then, that Daniel sometimes prophesied by inspiration, as when he rebuked the elders sometimes, as you say, by dreams and visions, and at other times by an angel appearing unto him.

Source passage · edition’s verse reference · Letter to Africanus, The Writings of Origen, Vol. 1 of 2 / LETTERS. / A LETTER FROM ORIGEN TO AFRICANUS., source paragraph 373 · Original source