Genesis 32:13-21 Meaning: Prayer and Preparation
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.
13And he lodged there that same night; and took of that which came to his hand a present for Esau his brother;
14Two hundred she goats, and twenty he goats, two hundred ewes, and twenty rams,
15Thirty milch camels with their colts, forty kine, and ten bulls, twenty she asses, and ten foals.
16And he delivered them into the hand of his servants, every drove by themselves; and said unto his servants, Pass over before me, and put a space betwixt drove and drove.
17And he commanded the foremost, saying, When Esau my brother meeteth thee, and asketh thee, saying, Whose art thou? and whither goest thou? and whose are these before thee?
18Then thou shalt say, They be thy servant Jacob’s; it is a present sent unto my lord Esau: and, behold, also he is behind us.
19And so commanded he the second, and the third, and all that followed the droves, saying, On this manner shall ye speak unto Esau, when ye find him.
20And say ye moreover, Behold, thy servant Jacob is behind us. For he said, I will appease him with the present that goeth before me, and afterward I will see his face; peradventure he will accept of me.
21So went the present over before him: and himself lodged that night in the company.
13And he lodged there that night, and took of that which he had with him a present for Esau his brother:
14two hundred she-goats and twenty he-goats, two hundred ewes and twenty rams,
15thirty milch camels and their colts, forty cows and ten bulls, twenty she-asses and ten foals.
16And he delivered them into the hand of his servants, every drove by itself, and said unto his servants, Pass over before me, and put a space betwixt drove and drove.
17And he commanded the foremost, saying, When Esau my brother meeteth thee, and asketh thee, saying, Whose art thou? and whither goest thou? and whose are these before thee?
18then thou shalt say, They are thy servant Jacob’s; it is a present sent unto my lord Esau: and, behold, he also is behind us.
19And he commanded also the second, and the third, and all that followed the droves, saying, On this manner shall ye speak unto Esau, when ye find him;
20and ye shall say, Moreover, behold, thy servant Jacob is behind us. For he said, I will appease him with the present that goeth before me, and afterward I will see his face; peradventure he will accept me.
21So the present passed over before him: and he himself lodged that night in the company.
13And he lodgeth there during that night, and taketh from that which is coming into his hand, a present for Esau his brother:
14she-goats two hundred, and he-goats twenty, ewes two hundred, and rams twenty,
15suckling camels and their young ones thirty, cows forty, and bullocks ten, she-asses twenty, and foals ten;
16and he giveth into the hand of his servants, every drove by itself, and saith unto his servants, `Pass over before me, and a space ye do put between drove and drove.'
17And he commandeth the first, saying, `When Esau my brother meeteth thee, and hath asked thee, saying, Whose art thou? and whither goest thou? and whose are these before thee?
18then thou hast said, Thy servant Jacob's: it is a present sent to my lord, to Esau; and lo, he also is behind us.'
19And he commandeth also the second, also the third, also all who are going after the droves, saying, `According to this manner do ye speak unto Esau in your finding him,
20and ye have said also, Lo, thy servant Jacob is behind us;' for he said, `I pacify his face with the present which is going before me, and afterwards I see his face; it may be he lifteth up my face;'
21and the present passeth over before his face, and he hath lodged during that night in the camp.
13And he lodged there that night; and took of what came to his hand a gift for Esau his brother —
14two hundred she-goats, and twenty he-goats; two hundred ewes, and twenty rams;
15thirty milch camels with their colts; forty kine, and ten bulls; twenty she-asses, and ten young asses.
16And he delivered [them] into the hand of his servants, every drove by itself; and he said to his servants, Go on before me, and put a space between drove and drove.
17And he commanded the foremost, saying, When Esau my brother meets thee, and asks thee, saying, Whose art thou, and where goest thou, and whose are these before thee?
18— then thou shalt say, Thy servant Jacob's: it is a gift sent to my lord, to Esau. And behold, he also is behind us.
19And so commanded he the second, and the third, and all that followed the droves, saying, According to this word shall ye speak to Esau when ye find him.
20And, moreover, ye shall say, Behold, thy servant Jacob is behind us. For he said, I will propitiate him with the gift that goes before me, and afterwards I will see his face: perhaps he will accept me.
21And the gift went over before him; and he himself lodged that night in the camp.
Meaning in one sentence
Why does Jacob send a lavish gift to Esau after praying? Explore the meaning of faith, prudence, and reconciliation in Genesis 32:13-21.
Context
Jacob has just finished pouring out his heart to God. He admitted his fear of Esau, reminded God of the promises, and begged for deliverance. Now he stays the night and does something surprising: he carefully selects a massive gift from his flocks and herds. Over five hundred animals, organized in spaced-out droves, sent ahead with specific instructions for his servants. The same man who wrestled in prayer now plans a strategy. This passage shows us Jacob the schemer, but with a new purpose, not to steal a blessing, but to make things right.
Key Words
Three words give this scene its weight. The word for "present" is the same Hebrew term used for an offering brought to God. Jacob gives this gift to his brother as though approaching a king. The word for "appease" literally means "to cover the face", to hide the wrong so it can no longer be seen. That is what Jacob hopes the gift will do: cover over the old wound. And the phrase "accept me" is, in Hebrew, "lift up my face", the opposite of looking away in shame. Jacob is asking Esau to lift his head toward him again. These words turn a delivery of livestock into an act of repentance and hope.
How Christians Read This Verse
Christians have long seen both faith and prudence here. John Calvin insisted Jacob was not doubting God's protection by sending gifts; rather, he used the means God gave him while trusting the outcome to the Lord. Matthew Henry described it as "piously making God his friend, and prudently making Esau his friend." Others, like Adam Clarke, emphasized the element of restitution: Jacob was making amends for the wrong he had done, and restitution is essential where possible. The Anglican Cambridge Bible notes the cultural practice of approaching a superior with presents. Across traditions, readers agree: prayer does not replace practical wisdom, and practical wisdom does not replace trust in God.
A common misunderstanding
Some think Jacob was acting in pure fear, trying to buy Esau's favour because he didn't really trust God's promise. In fact, the text shows Jacob moving from prayer to action in an orderly way. He had just prayed for deliverance; now he uses the resources God gave him to make peace. The gift is not a bribe but a way of honouring Esau and acknowledging the wrong.
Living This Out
This passage asks us a simple question: when we pray about a hard situation, do we then look for wise steps to take? Maybe you have prayed for reconciliation with someone you hurt. After that prayer, is there a gift you could give, not to buy forgiveness, but to show you mean it? A letter, an apology, a practical gesture? Jacob did not let his prayer replace his effort. He did not let his effort replace his prayer. He did both. This week, consider one situation where you can follow your prayers with a concrete act of love or restitution.
Main takeaway: Genuine faith prays to God and then takes every honest step to make things right with others.
For Families
For ages 5, 8
Jacob was scared to meet his brother Esau. He prayed to God, but he also sent a big gift of animals to say sorry. Sometimes we pray, and then we do something kind to show we mean it.
For ages 9, 12
Jacob prayed earnestly for God to help him, but he didn't just sit and wait. He carefully chose hundreds of animals to send ahead as a gift to his brother. This shows us that trusting God doesn't mean doing nothing; it means using the brain and resources God gave us to work toward peace. When you pray about a problem, ask God to help you think of practical steps you can take too.
Questions People Ask
Why does Jacob send a gift to Esau after praying?
Jacob had wronged Esau years ago by stealing his blessing. Now, as he returns home, he fears Esau's anger. After praying for deliverance, he takes practical steps to make amends. The gift is an act of humility and an attempt to appease Esau, showing that faith and wise action can go together.
How many animals did Jacob send as a gift?
Over 550 animals, including goats, sheep, camels, cows, bulls, and donkeys. The specific count is two hundred female goats and twenty male goats, two hundred ewes and twenty rams, thirty milk camels with their young, forty cows and ten bulls, twenty female donkeys and ten male donkeys.
What does it mean that Jacob hoped to 'appease' Esau?
The word 'appease' in Hebrew means 'to cover the face.' Jacob hoped the gift would cover over the offence so that Esau would not see his sin. This is similar to the idea of atonement, covering an error with an offering.
Is it wrong to try to win someone over with gifts?
In this context, Jacob was making restitution for a real wrong, not bribing an innocent party. The gift was a way of showing humility and honour. The motive matters; Jacob's intention was to make peace, not to manipulate. Scripture elsewhere affirms that gifts can open doors and make room for reconciliation.
What does this passage teach about prayer and action?
Jacob both prayed and acted. He did not rely on prayer to avoid taking responsibility, nor did he rely on his own plan without trusting God. This passage encourages believers to pray earnestly and then take wise, concrete steps to resolve conflict.
For pastors & researchers
Hebrew interlinear, 8 commentaries & word study