Early in the morning, Laban kissed his sons and daughters sons and daughters See note at 31.28. and bade them good-by; then Laban left on his journey homeward.
Word-by-Word Analysis
וישכם
376
לבן
82
בבקר
304
וינשק
466
לבניו
98
ולבנותיו
510
ויברך
238
אתהם
446
וילך
66
וישב
318
לבן
82
למקמו
216
Genesis 32:2
Gematria: 873
ויעקבהלךלדרכוויפגעובומלאכיאלהים
Jacob went on his way, and messengers of God encountered him.
Word-by-Word Analysis
ויעקב
188
הלך
55
לדרכו
260
ויפגעובו
183
מלאכי
101
אלהים
86
Genesis 32:3
Gematria: 2495
ויאמריעקבכאשרראםמחנהאלהיםזהויקראשםהמקוםההואמחניםפ
When he saw them, Jacob said, “This is God’s camp.” So he named that place Mahanaim. Mahanaim Connected with Heb. maḥaneh “camp.”
Word-by-Word Analysis
ויאמר
257
יעקב
182
כאשר
521
ראם
241
מחנה
103
אלהים
86
זה
12
ויקרא
317
שםהמקום
531
ההוא
17
מחניםפ
228
Genesis 32:4
Gematria: 2521
וישלחיעקבמלאכיםלפניואלעשואחיוארצהשעירשדהאדום
Jacob sent messengers ahead to his brother Esau in the land of Seir, the country of Edom,
and instructed them as follows, “Thus shall you say, ‘To my lord Esau, thus says your servant Jacob: Thus shall you say, ‘To my lord Esau, thus says your servant Jacob…’ Or “Thus you shall say to my lord Esau, ‘Thus says your servant Jacob…’” I stayed with Laban and remained until now;
The messengers returned to Jacob, saying, “We came to your brother Esau; he himself is coming to meet you, and his retinue retinue Trad. “men,” yet women may be in view. See 33.15; cf. 24.59; contrast Judg. 9.49 with Exod. 32.28. See further the Dictionary under ’ish. numbers four hundred.”
Then Jacob said, “O God of my father Abraham’s [house] and God of my father Isaac’s [house], O יהוה, who said to me, ‘Return to your native land and I will deal bountifully with you’!
I am unworthy of all the kindness that You have so steadfastly shown Your servant: with my staff alone I crossed this Jordan, and now I have become two camps.
He instructed the one in front as follows, “When my brother Esau meets you and asks you, ‘Who’s your master? Where are you going? And whose [animals] are these ahead of you?’
He gave similar instructions to the second one, and the third, and all the others who followed the droves, namely, “Thus and so shall you say to Esau when you reach him.
And you shall add, ‘And your servant Jacob himself is right behind us.’” For he reasoned, “If I propitiate him with presents in advance, and then face him, perhaps he will show me favor.”
Word-by-Word Analysis
ואמרתם
687
גם
43
הנה
60
עבדך
96
יעקב
182
אחרינו
275
כיאמר
271
אכפרה
306
פניו
146
במנחה
105
ההלכת
460
לפני
170
ואחריכן
295
אראה
207
פניו
146
אולי
47
ישא
311
פני
140
Genesis 32:22
Gematria: 1329
ותעברהמנחהעלפניווהואלןבלילהההואבמחנה
And so the gift went on ahead, while he remained in camp that night.
That same night he arose, and taking his two wives, his two maidservants, and his eleven sons, sons NJPS “children”; Heb. yeladim. Given the specified number, the reference cannot include Jacob’s daughter(s). English idiom warrants the greater gender specificity. he crossed the ford of the Jabbok.
Word-by-Word Analysis
ויקם
156
בלילה
77
הוא
12
ויקח
124
אתשתי
1111
נשיו
366
ואתשתי
1117
שפחתיו
804
ואתאחד
420
עשר
570
ילדיו
60
ויעבר
288
את
401
מעבר
312
יבק
112
Genesis 32:24
Gematria: 2212
ויקחםויעברםאתהנחלויעבראתאשרלו
After taking them across the stream, he sent across all his possessions.
Word-by-Word Analysis
ויקחם
164
ויעברם
328
אתהנחל
494
ויעבר
288
אתאשרלו
938
Genesis 32:25
Gematria: 2485
ויותריעקבלבדוויאבקאישעמועדעלותהשחר
Jacob was left alone. And a figure figure Or “[divine] agent.” The expectation of divine intervention (see 28.15; 32.10–13) via a nearby agent (see 32.2–3) evokes this extended sense. Cf. 18.2; see further the Dictionary under ’ish; Agent. wrestled with him until the break of dawn.
Word-by-Word Analysis
ויותר
622
יעקב
182
לבדו
42
ויאבק
119
איש
311
עמו
116
עד
74
עלות
506
השחר
513
Genesis 32:26
Gematria: 2121
ויראכילאיכללוויגעבכףירכוותקעכףירךיעקבבהאבקועמו
When he saw that he had not prevailed against him, he wrenched Jacob’s hip at its socket, so that the socket of his hip was strained as he wrestled with him.
Word-by-Word Analysis
וירא
217
כי
30
לא
31
יכל
60
לו
36
ויגע
89
בכףירכו
338
ותקע
576
כףירך
330
יעקב
182
בהאבקו
116
עמו
116
Genesis 32:27
Gematria: 2703
ויאמרשלחניכיעלההשחרויאמרלאאשלחךכיאםברכתני
Then he said, “Let me go, for dawn is breaking.” But he answered, “I will not let you go, unless you bless me.”
Word-by-Word Analysis
ויאמר
257
שלחני
398
כי
30
עלה
105
השחר
513
ויאמר
257
לא
31
אשלחך
359
כי
30
אםברכתני
723
Genesis 32:28
Gematria: 1148
ויאמראליומהשמךויאמריעקב
Said the other, “What is your name?” He replied, “Jacob.”
Said he, “Your name shall no longer be Jacob, but Israel, for you have striven striven Heb. saritha, connected with first part of “Israel.” with beings divine and human, beings divine and human Or “God (Elohim, connected with second part of ‘Israel’) and human beings.” and have prevailed.”
So Jacob named the place Peniel, Peniel Understood as “face of God.” meaning, “I have seen a divine being face to face, yet my life has been preserved.”
Word-by-Word Analysis
ויקרא
317
יעקב
182
שם
340
המקום
191
פניאל
171
כיראיתי
651
אלהים
86
פנים
180
אלפנים
211
ותנצל
576
נפשי
440
Genesis 32:32
Gematria: 2817
ויזרחלוהשמשכאשרעבראתפנואלוהואצלעעלירכו
The sun rose upon him as he passed Penuel, limping on his hip.
That is why the children of Israel to this day do not eat the thigh muscle that is on the socket of the hip, since Jacob’s hip socket was wrenched at the thigh muscle.