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JPS Torah Commentary

CHAPTER 32
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ANGELS AT MAHANAIM (vv. 13)


The next morning Jacob and Laban part forever. The patriarchal connection with Mesopotamia is finally severed. A new era in the life of Jacob and in the development of the people of Israel is about to open. Just as Jacobs outward journey was marked by the appearance of angels (28:12), so is his return to his native land. In neither case are the angels assigned any role in the narrative, and in this instance there is not even an accompanying divine revelation. Perhaps their mere presence is intended to insinuate the notion of divine protection such as is formulated in Psalms 91:911: Because you took the LORDmy refuge, / the Most Highas your haven, / no harm will befall you, / no disease touch your tent. / For He will order His angels / to guard you wherever you go. A fuller story about Jacob and Mahanaim may have existed in popular tradition. At any rate, in their present form, the angelic appearances provide a literary framework for the Jacob and Laban cycle of stories, which constitutes a distinct unit within the larger biography of the patriarch. 1. his sons That is, his grandsons, as in 31:28, 43. 3. Gods camp In 1 Chronicles 12:22 this phrase connotes a vast throng. Mahanaim The form is not necessarily dual, but the two camps of verses 89 and 11 seem to be a play on the word. The site of Mahanaim has not been identified. It later played a significant role in Israelite history.1 It was one of the Levitical cities of refuge; Ishboshet, son of Saul, was crowned king there; David fled thither during the revolt of Absalom; and in Solomons day, it became a district capital. Mahanaim may well have housed a sacred shrine, the founding of which popular legend associated with Jacob.

Jacob and Esau Once Again (32:433:31)


Va-Yishla

G. A. Danell, Studies in the Name of Israel in the Old Testament (Uppsala: Appelbergs boktryckeri,

1946); Y. Kaufmann, Toledot ha-emunah ha-yisreelit, vols. 67 (Jerusalem: Mosad Bialik, 1947 1948), 134137; M. H. Segal, Masoret u-Bikkoreth (Jerusalem: Kiriat Sefer, 1957), 6175; F. Van Trigt, La signification de la lutte de Jacob pres du Yabboq, Gen. XXXII 2333, OS 12 (1958): 280 309; H. L. Ginsberg, Hoseas Ephraim, More Fool than Knave, JBL 80 (1961): 339347; J. L. McKenzie, CBQ 25 (1963): 7176; J. R. Bartlett, The Rise and Fall of the Kingdom of Edom, PEQ 104 (1972): 2637; A. de Pury, Promesse divine et lgende cultuelle dans le cycle de Jacob (Paris: J. Gabalda, 1975), 1:92ff.; J. P. Fokkelman, Narrative Art in Genesis (Assen: Van Gorcum, 1975), 197 223, 230f.; S. Gevirtz, Of Patriarchs and Puns, HUCA 46 (1976): 5054; B. Dinur, Historical Writings (Hebrew), vol. 3 (Jerusalem: Mosad Bialik, 1977), 1845.
1

Josh. 21:36; 2 Sam. 2:4, 8, 12, 29; 17:24, 2729; 19:33; 1 Kings 2:8; 4:14.

Freed from anxiety about Laban, Jacob resumes his homeward journey. But his relief is shortlived. Long-suppressed memories from his ignoble past intrude upon his consciousness. The specter of a vengeful Esau looms before him. The action divides itself into two main parts: 32:422 describe Jacobs preparations for his encounter with Esau; 33:117 relate the story of the actual meeting of the two brothers. In between is the strange narrative of the struggle between Jacob and a powerful assailant (32:2333).

JACOBS PREPARATIONS (vv. 422)


Jacob, ever a man of action, takes precautionary measures. First he gathers intelligence, then he prepares a stratagem of escape in the event of battle. This is followed by a prayer and, finally, by the dispatch of a handsome gift.

INTELLIGENCE GATHERING (VV. 47)


4. Seir This presupposes that Esau-Edom had by this time migrated east of the Jordan and had either dispossessed the Horites from Seir or was in the process of so doing.2 Seir, the country of Edom The three Hebrew words seir, sadeh, and edom are deliberately used to evoke memories of the hostile relations with Esau, the one covered with hair (sear), a man of the outdoors (sadeh), of ruddy complexion (admoni), who came in from the field (sadeh) and begged for the red stuff (adom), and whose hairiness (sair) played a crucial role in the deception that precipitated Jacobs flight to Laban.3 5. To my lord Esau This prescriptio, or introductory prepositional phrase identifying the recipient, is part of the message.4 It conforms to the standard epistolary style of the ancient Near East. lord servant This mode of address, normally formal and deferential, becomes ingratiating in the mouth of Jacob, who repeatedly refers to Esau as my lord and to himself as Esaus servant. This language, used by a vassal to his lord, is motivated by fear and intended to be conciliatory. Rabbinic sources are divided in criticism or in defense of Jacobs servility.5 I stayed with Laban Here the Hebrew verb g-w-r connotes both temporary residence and deprivation of protection, as explained in the Comment to 12:10. Jacob is tactfully silent on his reasons for going to Laban in the first place. and remained until now This explains why he had not contacted Esau previously.6 6. I have acquired Jacob obliquely hints that he has the wherewithal to pay off his brother, if need be.7 He cleverly lists each item in the singular, which functions as a
2

Cf. Gen. 14:6; 33:14; 36:8f., 30; Deut. 2:4, 12. 25:25, 27, 29, 30; 27:11.

So noted by Ramban. See O. Pardee, An Overview of Ancient Hebrew Epistolography, JBL 97 (1978): 321246.
5

Gen. R. 7:2, 11, Sot. 41b; cf. Ramban. So Sforno, Hoffmann.

Cf. the lists in Gen. 12:16; 24:35; Job 1:3; 42:12. The phrase I send this message, literally I send to tell, without a direct object, occurs in Lachish letter 3.12.

collective. He omits mention of the camels, the most valuable of all his livestock, even though they are listed in verse 8 and part of the gift in verse 16. His purpose is to understate his possessions so that the present will be all that much more of a delightful and spectacular surprise to Esau. 7. The messengers report back that Esauhis brother, not his lordseems to have obtained independent intelligence about Jacobs movements. He is coming to meet him, a phrase that can convey either amity or enmity8 and so underlines the inability to decipher Esaus intentions. four hundred men To judge from such passages as 1 Samuel 22:2, 25:13, and 30:10, 17, this seems to have been the standard size of a militia. The number is therefore ominous.

DEFENSIVE MEASURES (VV. 89)


Jacobs troubled conscience and the memory of Esaus terrible resolve (27:41) lead him to imagine the worst. His fear is intensified by his awareness that retreat would violate his pact with Laban. Flight is impractical because he is encumbered with small children and much livestock. In the event of an attack, the most he can do is to minimize his losses. two camps See Comment to verse 3.

PRAYER (VV. 1013)


The prayer, an expression of absolute faith in a living God, comprises an invocation, a confession, a supplication, and a recollection. 10. The invocation skillfully combines quotations from 28:1315 and 31:3, the divine declarations at Bethel and Haran, which mark the beginning and end of Jacobs twenty-year exile. I will deal bountifully with you This phrase has no parallel in the divine promises. It is clearly an interpretation of 31:3, I will be with you. 11. The confession acknowledges Gods bounteous fidelity in the past and humbly asserts the personal unworthiness and undeserving nature of the recipient. this Jordan Standing on the banks of the Jabbok, he can point to the Jordan clearly visible in the distance. 12. The supplication lays bare the overwhelming terror that seizes Jacob at this moment, a terror doubtless exacerbated by his tormented conscience. 13. The prayer ends with a recollection of divine promises still to be redeemed. The desperate appeal is thereby grounded in Gods steadfast fealty, not in the petitioners merit. At the moment of crisis it is a concern with posterity that is uppermost in Jacobs mind.

THE GIFT (VV. 1422)


A diplomatic initiative aimed at softening Esaus anticipated hostility is the final tactic. A munificent gift that bears the stamp of paying tribute is so arranged that the manner of presentation, a series of increasingly agreeable surprises, achieves the greatest psychological impact through its incremental effect. Esau is bound to be overwhelmed by it all. 14. spending the night there At Mahanaim. presents Hebrew minah may mean a gift in expression of friendship and respect and also a tribute in recognition of the donors subordinate status.9 The ambiguity in its repeated use here is intentional. Esau is free to interpret it as he wishes.
8

Cf. Gen. 24:65; Josh. 9:11; 2 Kings 8:9 with 1 Kings 20:27; 2 Kings 23:29. For minah as a gift, cf. Gen. 43:11, 15, 25f.; as tribute paid by a vassal, cf. 2 Sam. 8:2, 6; 1 Kings

5:1.

1516. There are 550 beasts in all, an extraordinarily lavish presentation. 17. drove by drove Esau just has time to scrutinize and admire the animals and to interrogate the men when the next drove arrives, and so forth. 2122. The repeated use of Hebrew panim, obscured in the translation, and the mention of the night effect the transition to the next scene: the night encounter at Peniel.

THE MYSTERIOUS ASSAILANT (vv. 2333)


The story of Jacobs encounter with Esau is suddenly interrupted. The restless Jacob gets up during the night and promptly decides to transfer his entire camp to the other side of the Jabbok. Left utterly alone, he is attacked by a mysterious assailant who wrestles with him until daybreak when, in desperation, he wrenches Jacobs hip. The patriarch, however, stubbornly holds on to extract a blessing, whereupon the stranger changes Jacobs name to Israel. Refusing to reveal his own name, he vanishes as the suns rays shed their first light on a limping Jacob. In commemoration of the nights events, the site of the encounter is named Peniel, and a dietary restriction is instituted. For an interpretation of the narrative see Excursus 24. 23. his eleven children Only the principal actors in the evolution of the nation are specified because Jacob is about to become Israel, the personification of the tribal confederation. That is why Dinah and the rest of his household are not mentioned. the ford of the Jabbok This river, called by the Arabs Nahr ez-Zarqa (blue river), is one of the most important east of the Jordan. Flowing through a deep ravine on a meandering course, it joins the Jordan River at right angles about 20 miles (32 km.) north of the Dead Sea. Before the construction of bridges, flat stepping-stones or timber would be laid across the shallowest and narrowest part to afford passage. To cross at night with a vast entourage is a difficult and dangerous operation, to be undertaken only by moonlight and only as a matter of great urgency. By moving from the northern to the southern side of the river, Jacob is placing himself all the more quickly in the path of Esau, who is advancing from Seir in the south. His tactic, apparently, is to reduce the interval between Esaus encountering the gifts and his own arrival heralded by his messengers, each in turn. He can thereby better exploit the immediate psychological advantage gained from the mollifying effect of the tribute and at the same time enhance his claim actually to be on his way to meet his brother. He does not want to convey the impression that he is trying to avoid or delay a face-to-face meeting. 25. Jacob was left alone He made repeated crossings of the river until all persons and goods had been safely transported. Now utterly alone in the dead of night, with no one to come to his aid, he must rely solely on his own resources. a man In verses 29 and 31 the person is described as a divine being (elohim). In Hoseas account he is identified as an angel (Hos. 12:4). The interchangeability of these terms is frequent in passages dealing with angels. See Excursus 10. wrestled The Hebrew stem -v-k, which is peculiar to this story, creates a word play with the names Jabbok and Jacob. There may have existed a popular etymology connecting the name of the river with this incident.10 26. As the dawn approaches, the assailant becomes desperate to disengage himself. Unable to overcome Jacob by sheer force, he delivers a sudden, powerful blow to the hollow
The etymology of va-yeavek has not been satisfactorily explained. It has been variously rooted in

10

avak, dust, i.e., to kick up dust, so Rashi (i), Ibn Ezra, Radak, and in avak, to entangle, clasp, so Rashi (ii), Ramban. The suggestion of word play is found in Mid. Sekhel Tov 1.173.

of Jacobs hip, that is, to the acetabulum, the cup-shaped socket in the hipbone that receives the head of the thighbone. But Jacob still refuses to let go. was strained Not dislocated, for then Jacob would have been unable even to limp (v. 32). 27. for dawn is breaking Only now does Jacob realize the supernatural nature of his opponent. 2829. What is your name? A rhetorical question that affords opportunity for Jacob and Israel to be counterposed, thus bringing to mind the contrasting connotation of the names. Since names in the Bible are inextricably intertwined with personality and destiny, the change here signifies a final purging of the unsavory character traits with which yaakov has come to be associated. Israel It is the bestowal of the new name that constitutes the essence of the blessing and the climax of the entire episode. Jacob had feared for his posterity; now he is tacitly assured that he will become the patriarch of a nation named Israel. The meaning of the name Israel is discussed in Excursus 25. with beings divine and human The humans would have been Esau and Laban, or the term may refer to incidents in the patriarchs life that have not been preserved but once had popular currency. Judges 9:13 suggests that, alternatively, the phrase may be a fossilized expression, a merism meaning all and sundry.11 and have prevailed The innovation of the name Israel in the Bible is associated with struggle and triumph in the face of overwhelming odds. Curiously and instructively, the earliest extrabiblical document to mention Israel, the victory hymn of King Merneptah of Egypt (ca. 1207 B.C.E.), reports that Israel is laid waste, his seed is not, while the second, the victory inscription of King Mesha of Moab (ca. 830 B.C.E.), declares Israel has perished forever. 30. In the preexilic period all angels remain anonymous. The story in Judges 13:1718 again illustrates how any attempt to discover the identity of a divine being is turned aside. 31. Peniel Literally, Face of God. The name may already have belonged to the site due to some grotesque rock formation. A promontory on the Phoenician coast that contained the profile of a monstrous face was called Gods Face. Whatever the origin of the name, in our text it is invested with new meaning derived from Jacobs experience. Peniel is most plausibly identified with Tulul adh-Dhahab, which stands on the Jabbok a few miles from where it flows into the Jordan. It was a place of strategic importance. meaning Hebrew ki. See Comment to 4:25. also referred to as elohim (v. 22). I have seen face to face Two idioms are combined here, both inherently ambiguous. To see the face may describe an experience of either cordiality or hostility. Face to face, used only of divine-human encounters, may be an adversary confrontation or an experience of extraordinary intimacy. The deliberate ambiguity simultaneously portrays the perilous and the auspicious nature of the furious struggle. yet my life has been preserved The idea behind this statement forms a recurring theme in the biblical narratives. At the burning bush Moses hides his face, for he was afraid to look at God. Gideon and Manoah both fear death after experiencing Gods self-manifestation. God explicitly tells Moses, Man may not see Me and live! This is the biblical way of expressing the intensity of the experience of the individual encounter with the Divine
11

a divine being Hebrew elohim. In Judges 13 the one repeatedly called an angel is

Cf. Prov. 3:4; Dan. 6:8, 13.

Presencethe utterly overwhelming nature of the mysterious contact with the awesome majesty of the transcendent yet immanent God. 32. The sun rose Jacobs ignominious flight from home was appropriately marked by the setting of the sun; fittingly, the radiance of the sunrise greets the patriarch as he crosses back into his native land. In light of Malachi 3:20, the rising sun may also betoken the healing of Jacobs injury. 33. Appended to the narrative is a historical note tracing the origin of an Israelite dietary abstention to the previously described episode. the children of Israel This is the first biblical usage of this phrase, which here refers to the entire people, not to Jacobs sons.12 to this day This is written from the perspective of a later age. the thigh muscle Venerable Jewish tradition identifies this unique and cryptic term gid hanasheh with the sciatic nerve (nervus ischiadicus).
1

12

Other than Gen. 36:31, which also appears in an Esau-Edomite context, 42:5; 45:21; 46:5, 8 all refer to the sons of Jacob.
1

Sarna, Nahum M.: Genesis. Philadelphia : Jewish Publication Society, 1989 (The JPS Torah Commentary), S. 223

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