Wrestling

Esau angrily gathers his people to pursue Jacob
Jasher 31:64-68
And Esau heard all the words of Laban’s messengers, and his anger was greatly kindled against Jacob, and he remembered his hatred, and his anger burned within him. And Esau hurried and took his children and servants and the souls of his household, being 60 men, and he went and assembled all the children of Seir the Horite and their people, being 340 men, and took all this number of 400 men with drawn swords, and he went to Jacob to smite him. And Esau divided this number into several parts, and he took the 60 men of his children and servants and the souls of his household as one head, and gave them in the care of Eliphaz his eldest son. And the remaining heads he gave to the care of the 6 sons of Seir the Horite, and he placed every man over his generations and children. And the whole of this camp went as it was, and Esau went among them toward Jacob, and he conducted them with speed.

Laban’s messengers tell Rebekah what’s happening
Jasher 31:69-70
And Laban’s messengers departed from Esau and went to the land of Canaan, and they came to the house of Rebecca the mother of Jacob and Esau. And they told her saying, “Behold your son Esau has gone against his brother Jacob with 400 men, for he heard that he was coming, and he is gone to make war with him, and to smite him and to take all that he has.”

Rebekah aids her son by sending Isaac’s servants
Jasher 31:71-77
And Rebecca hurried and sent 72 men from the servants of Isaac to meet Jacob on the road; for she said, “Peradventure, Esau may make war in the road when he meets him.”

And these messengers went on the road to meet Jacob, and they met him on the road of the brook on the opposite side of the brook Jabuk, and Jacob said when he saw them, “This camp is destined to me from God,” and Jacob called the name of that place Machnayim.

And Jacob knew all his father’s people, and he kissed them and embraced them and came with them, and Jacob asked them concerning his father and mother, and they said, “They were well.”

And these messengers said to Jacob, “Rebecca your mother has sent us to you, saying, ‘I have heard, my son, that your brother Esau has gone forth against you on the road with men from the children of Seir the Horite. And therefore, my son, listen to my voice and see with your counsel what you will do, and when he comes up to you, supplicate him, and do not speak rashly to him, and give him a present from what you possess, and from what God has favored you with. And when he asks you concerning your affairs, conceal nothing from him, perhaps he may turn from his anger against you and you will thereby save your soul, you and all belonging to you, for it is your duty to honor him, for he is your elder brother.'”

And when Jacob heard the words of his mother which the messengers had spoken to him, Jacob lifted his voice and wept bitterly, and did as his mother then commanded him.

The angels of YHWH meet with Jacob and Jacob calls the place Mahanaim
Genesis 32:1-2
And Jacob went on his way, and the angels of God met him. And when Jacob saw them, he said, “This is God’s host:” and he called the name of that place Mahanaim.

Jacob sends messengers to Esau to inform him of what’s happening
Genesis 32:3-5, Jasher 32:1-8
And at that time Jacob sent messengers to his brother Esau toward the land of Seir, and he spoke to him words of supplication. And he commanded them, saying, “Thus will you say to my lord, to Esau, ‘Thus says your servant Jacob, “Let not my lord imagine that my father’s blessing with which he did bless me has proved beneficial to me. For I have been these 20 years with Laban, and he deceived me and changed my wages 10 times, as it has all been already told to my lord. And I served him in his house very laboriously, and God afterward saw my affliction, my labor, and the work of my hands, and he caused me to find grace and favor in his sight. And I afterward through God’s great mercy and kindness acquired oxen and donkeys and cattle, and men servants and maid servants. And now I am coming to my land and my home to my father and mother, who are in the land of Canaan; and I have sent to let my lord know all this to find favor in the sight of my lord, so that he may not imagine that I have of myself obtained wealth, or that the blessing with which my father blessed me has benefited me.”‘”

And those messengers went to Esau, and found him on the borders of the land of Edom going toward Jacob, and 400 men of the children of Seir the Horite were standing with drawn swords. And the messengers of Jacob told Esau all the words that Jacob had spoken to them concerning Esau.

Esau responds to the messengers
Jasher 32:9-12
And Esau answered them with pride and contempt, and said to them, “Surely I have heard and truly it has been told to me what Jacob has done to Laban, who exalted him in his house and gave him his daughters for wives, and he begat sons and daughters and abundantly increased in wealth and riches in Laban’s house through his means. And when he saw that his wealth was abundant and his riches great he fled with all belonging to him, from Laban’s house, and he led Laban’s daughters away from the face of their father, as captives taken by the sword without telling him of it. And not only to Laban has Jacob done thus but also to me has he done so and has twice supplanted me, and shall I be silent? Now therefore I have this day come with my camps to meet him, and I will do to him according to the desire of my heart.”

The messengers inform Jacob of Esau’s response
Genesis 32:6, Jasher 32:13-14
And the messengers returned and came to Jacob and said to him, “We came to your brother, to Esau, and we told him all your words, and thus has he answered us, and behold he comes to meet you with 400 men. Now then know and see what you will do, and pray before God to deliver you from him.”

Jacob prepares to be attacked
Genesis 32:7-8, Jasher 32:15
Then Jacob was greatly afraid and distressed: and he divided the people that was with him, and the flocks, the herds, and the camels, into 2 bands; and said, “If Esau come to the one company, and smite it, then the other company which is left will escape.”

Jacob prays to YHWH for deliverance
Genesis 32:9-12, Jasher 32:16-23
And Jacob prayed to the Lord his God, and he said, “O Lord God of my fathers, Abraham and Isaac, you did say to me when I went away from my father’s house, saying, ‘I am the Lord God of your father Abraham and the God of Isaac, to you do I give this land and your seed after you, and I will make your seed as the stars of heaven, and you will spread forth to the 4 sides of heaven, and in you and in your seed will all the families of the earth be blessed.’ And you did establish your words, and did give to me riches and children and cattle, as the utmost wishes of my heart did you give to your servant; you did give to me all that I asked from you so that I lacked nothing. And you did afterward say to me, ‘Return to your parents and to your birthplace and I will still do well with you.’ I am not worthy of the least of all the mercies, and of all the truth, which you have showed to your servant; for with my staff I passed over this Jordan; and now I have become 2 bands. And now that I have come, and you did deliver me from Laban, I will fall in the hands of Esau who will slay me, yes, together with the mothers of my children. Now therefore, O Lord God, deliver me also from the hands of my brother Esau, for I am greatly afraid of him. And you said, ‘I will surely do you good, and make your seed as the sand of the sea, which cannot be numbered for multitude.’ And if there is no righteousness in me, do it for the sake of Abraham and my father Isaac. For I know that through kindness and mercy have I acquired this wealth; now therefore I beseech you to deliver me this day with your kindness and to answer me.”

Jacob divides his group into two camps
Jasher 32:24-26
And Jacob ceased praying to the Lord, and he divided the people that were with him with the flocks and cattle into 2 camps, and he gave the half to the care of Damesek, the son of Eliezer, Abraham’s servant, for a camp, with his children, and the other half he gave to the care of his brother Elianus the son of Eliezer, to be for a camp with his children. And he commanded them, saying, “Keep yourselves at a distance with your camps, and do not come too near each other, and if Esau come to one camp and slay it, the other camp at a distance from it will escape him.”

And Jacob tarried there that night, and during the whole night he gave his servants instructions concerning the forces and his children.

The angels of YHWH confront Esau
Jasher 32:27-40
And the Lord heard the prayer of Jacob on that day, and the Lord then delivered Jacob from the hands of his brother Esau. And the Lord sent 3 angels of the angels of heaven, and they went before Esau and came to him. And these angels appeared to Esau and his people as 2,000 men, riding upon horses furnished with all sorts of war instruments, and they appeared in the sight of Esau and all his men to be divided into 4 camps, with 4 chiefs to them. And 1 camp went on and they found Esau coming with 400 men toward his brother Jacob, and this camp ran toward Esau and his people and terrified them, and Esau fell off the horse in alarm, and all his men separated from him in that place, for they were greatly afraid. And the whole of the camp shouted after them when they fled from Esau, and all the warlike men answered, saying, “Surely we are the servants of Jacob, who is the servant of God, and who then can stand against us?”

And Esau said to them, “O then, my lord and brother Jacob is your lord, whom I have not seen for these 20 years, and now that I have this day come to see him, do you treat me in this manner?”

And the angels answered him saying, “As the Lord lives, were not Jacob of whom you speak your brother, we had not let one remaining from you and your people, but only on account of Jacob we will do nothing to them.”

And this camp passed from Esau and his men and it went away, and Esau and his men had gone from them about a league when the 2nd camp came toward him with all sorts of weapons, and they also did to Esau and his men as the 1st camp had done to them. And when they had left it to go on, behold the 3rd camp came toward him and they were all terrified, and Esau fell off the horse, and the whole camp cried out, and said, “Surely we are the servants of Jacob, who is the servant of God, and who can stand against us?”

And Esau again answered them saying, “O then, Jacob my lord and your lord is my brother, and for 20 years I have not seen his countenance and hearing this day that he was coming, I went this day to meet him, and do you treat me in this manner?”

And they answered him, and said to him, “As the Lord lives, were not Jacob your brother as you did say, we had not left a remnant from you and your men, but on account of Jacob of whom you speak being your brother, we will not meddle with you or your men.”

And the 3rd camp also passed from them, and he still continued his road with his men toward Jacob, when the 4th camp came toward him, and they also did to him and his men as the others had done. And when Esau beheld the evil which the 4 angels had done to him and to his men, he became greatly afraid of his brother Jacob, and he went to meet him in peace. And Esau concealed his hatred against Jacob, because he was afraid of his life on account of his brother Jacob, and because he imagined that the 4 camps that he had lighted upon were Jacob’s servants.

Jacob gathers a gift for Esau
Genesis 32:13-15, Jasher 32:41-42
And Jacob tarried that night with his servants in their camps, and he resolved with his servants to give to Esau a present from all that he had with him, and from all his property; and Jacob rose up in the morning, he and his men, and they chose from among the cattle a present for Esau. And this is the amount of the present which Jacob chose from his flock to give to his brother Esau: and he selected 200 she goats, and 20 he goats, 200 ewes, and 20 rams, and he selected 30 milch camels with their colts, 40 kine, and 10 bulls, 20 she donkeys, and 10 foals.

Jacob gives instructions on how to present the gift
Genesis 32:16-20, Jasher 32:43-46
And he put them all in 10 droves, and he placed each sort by itself, and he delivered them into the hands of 10 of his servants, each drove by itself. And he commanded them, and said to them, “Keep yourselves at a distance from each other, and put a space between the droves, and when Esau and those who are with him will meet you and ask you, saying, ‘Whose are you, and where are you going, and to whom belong all this before you,’ you will say to them, ‘We are the servants of Jacob, and we come to meet Esau in peace, and behold Jacob comes behind us. And that which is before us is a present sent from Jacob to his brother Esau.'”

And so commanded he the 2nd, the 3rd, and all that followed the droves, saying, “On this manner you will speak to Esau, when you find him. And if they say to you, ‘Why does he delay behind you, from coming to meet his brother and to see his face,’ then you will say to them, ‘Surely he comes joyfully behind us to meet his brother, for he said, “I will appease him with the present that goes to him, and after this I will see his face, peradventure he will accept of me.”‘”

M: 9 | D: 11 | Jacob passes over the ford Jabbok
Genesis 32:21-22, Jasher 32:47
So went the present over before him: and himself lodged that night in the company. And he rose up that night, and took his 2 wives, and his 2 womenservants, and his 11 sons, and passed over the ford Jabbok (Jabuk). And he took them, and sent them over the brook, and sent over that he had.

Jacob wrestles with YHWH
Genesis 32:23-25, Jasher 32:48
And Jacob was left alone; and there wrestled a man with him until the breaking of the day. And when he saw that he prevailed not against him, he touched the hollow of his thigh; and the hollow of Jacob’s thigh was out of joint, as he wrestled with him.

Jacob’s name is changed to Israel and Jacob calls that place Penuel
Genesis 32:26-30
And he said, “Let me go, for the day breaks.”

And he said, “I will not let you go, except you bless me.”

And he said to him, “What is your name?”

And he said, “Jacob.”

And he said, “Your name will be called no more Jacob, but Israel: for as a prince have you power with God and with men, and have prevailed.”

And Jacob asked him, and said, “Tell me your name.”

And he said, “Why is it that you ask after my name?”

And he blessed him there. And Jacob called the name of the place Peniel: for I have seen God face to face, and my life is preserved.

Jacob limps as he walks and passed back over the brook
Genesis 32:31-32, Jasher 32:49-51
And at the break of day the man left Jacob Penuel, and he blessed him and went away, and Jacob passed the brook at the break of day, and he halted upon his thigh. And the sun rose upon him when he had passed the brook, and he came up to the place of his cattle and children.

Therefore the children of Israel eat not of the sinew which shrank, which is upon the hollow of the thigh, to this day: because he touched the hollow of Jacob’s thigh in the sinew that shrank.

And they went on until midday, and while they were going the present was passing on before them.

Jacob sees Esau and divides his family into 2 groups
Genesis 33:1-2, Jasher 32:52-53
And Jacob lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold Esau was at a distance, coming along with many men, about 400, and Jacob was greatly afraid of his brother. And Jacob hurried and divided his children to Leah and Rachel and his 2 handmaids, and his daughter Dinah he put in a chest, and delivered her into the hands of his servants. And he put the handmaids and their children foremost, and Leah and her children after, and Rachel and Joseph hindermost.

Jacob bows 7 times before reaching Esau
Genesis 33:3, Jasher 32:54-55
And he passed before his children and wives to meet his brother, and he bowed down to the ground, yes he bowed down 7 times until he approached his brother, and God caused Jacob to find grace and favor in the sight of Esau and his men, for God had heard the prayer of Jacob. And the fear of Jacob and his terror fell upon his brother Esau, for Esau was greatly afraid of Jacob for what the angels of God had done to Esau, and Esau’s anger against Jacob was turned into kindness.