Genesis 32:13-21 Commentary: Prayer and Prudence in Jacob's Gift

¹³Jacob spent the night there, and from what he had brought with him, he selected a gift for his brother Esau:

¹⁴200 female goats, 20 male goats, 200 ewes, 20 rams,

¹⁵30 milk camels with their young, 40 cows, 10 bulls, 20 female donkeys, and 10 male donkeys.

¹⁶He entrusted them to his servants in separate herds and told them, “Go on ahead of me, and keep some distance between the herds.”

¹⁷He instructed the one in the lead, “When my brother Esau meets you and asks, ‘To whom do you belong, where are you going, and whose animals are these before you?’

¹⁸then you are to say, ‘They belong to your servant Jacob. They are a gift, sent to my lord Esau. And behold, Jacob is behind us.’”

¹⁹He also instructed the second, the third, and all those following behind the herds: “When you meet Esau, you are to say the same thing to him.

²⁰You are also to say, ‘Look, your servant Jacob is right behind us.’” For he thought, “I will appease Esau with the gift that is going before me. After that I can face him, and perhaps he will accept me.”

²¹So Jacob’s gifts went on before him, while he spent the night in the camp.

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.

¹³And when he had slept there that night, he set apart, of the things which he had, presents for his brother Esau,

¹⁴Two hundred she-goats, twenty he-goats, two hundred ewes, and twenty rams,

¹⁵Thirty milch camels with their colts, forty kine, and twenty bulls, twenty she-asses, and ten of their foals.

¹⁶And he sent them by the hands of his servants, every drove by itself, and he said to his servants: Go before me, and let there be a space between drove and drove.

¹⁷And he commanded the first, saying: If thou meet my brother Esau, and he ask thee: Whose art thou? or whither goest thou? or whose are these before thee?

¹⁸Thou shalt answer: Thy servant Jacob's: he hath sent them as a present to my lord Esau; and he cometh after us.

¹⁹In like manner he commanded the second, and the third, and all that followed the droves, saying: Speak ye the same words to Esau, when ye find him.

²⁰And ye shall add: Thy servant Jacob himself also followeth after us; for he said: I will appease him with the presents that go before, and afterwards I will see him, perhaps he will be gracious to me.

²¹So the presents went before him, but himself lodged that night in the camp.