Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on the Whole Bible
back to:
Genesis
Book: Genesis
Chapter: 32
Overview:
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)
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, Ec 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.
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.
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
bones
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, Ho 12:4,5.
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.