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<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><head><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8" /><meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width; initial-scale=1.0; maximum-scale=1.0; user-scalable=0;"/><title>Genesis 32:18 Commentaries: then you shall say, 'These belong to your servant Jacob; it is a present sent to my lord Esau. And behold, he also is behind us.'"</title><link rel="stylesheet" href="/newcom.css" type="text/css" media="Screen" /><link rel="stylesheet" href="/print.css" type="text/css" media="Print" /><script type="application/javascript" src="https://scripts.webcontentassessor.com/scripts/8a2459b64f9cac8122fc7f2eac4409c8555fac9383016db59c4c26e3d5b8b157"></script><script src='https://qd.admetricspro.com/js/biblehub/biblehub-layout-loader-revcatch.js'></script><script id='HyDgbd_1s' src='https://prebidads.revcatch.com/ads.js' type='text/javascript' async></script><script>(function(w,d,b,s,i){var cts=d.createElement(s);cts.async=true;cts.id='catchscript'; cts.dataset.appid=i;cts.src='https://app.protectsubrev.com/catch_rp.js?cb='+Math.random(); document.head.appendChild(cts); }) (window,document,'head','script','rc-anksrH');</script></head> <script async src="https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtag/js?id=G-LR4HSKRP2H"></script> <script> window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; function gtag(){dataLayer.push(arguments);} gtag('js', new Date()); gtag('config', 'G-LR4HSKRP2H'); </script><body><div id="fx"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" id="fx2"><tr><td><iframe width="100%" height="30" scrolling="no" src="../vmenus/genesis/32-18.htm" align="left" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div><div id="blnk"></div><div align="center"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" class="maintable"><tr><td><div id="fx5"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" id="fx6"><tr><td><iframe width="100%" height="245" scrolling="no" src="/bmcom/genesis/32-18.htm" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div></td></tr></table></div><div align="center"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" class="maintable3"><tr><td><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center" id="announce"><tr><td><div id="l1"><div id="breadcrumbs"><a href="http://biblehub.com">Bible</a> > <a href="http://biblehub.com/commentaries/">Commentaries</a> > Genesis 32:18</div><div id="anc"><iframe src="/anc.htm" width="100%" height="27" scrolling="no" frameborder="0"></iframe></div><div id="anc2"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center"><tr><td><iframe src="/anc2.htm" width="100%" height="27" scrolling="no" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div></div></td></tr></table><div id="movebox2"><table border="0" align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tr><td><div id="topheading"><a href="../genesis/32-17.htm" title="Genesis 32:17">◄</a> Genesis 32:18 <a href="../genesis/32-19.htm" title="Genesis 32:19">►</a></div></td></tr></table></div><div align="center" class="maintable2"><table border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center"><tr><td><div id="topverse">Then thou shalt say, <i>They be</i> thy servant Jacob's; it <i>is</i> a present sent unto my lord Esau: and, behold, also he <i>is</i> behind us.</div><div id="jump">Jump to: <a href="/commentaries/barnes/genesis/32.htm" title="Barnes' Notes">Barnes</a> • <a href="/commentaries/benson/genesis/32.htm" title="Benson Commentary">Benson</a> • <a href="/commentaries/illustrator/genesis/32.htm" title="Biblical Illustrator">BI</a> • <a href="/commentaries/calvin/genesis/32.htm" title="Calvin's Commentaries">Calvin</a> • <a href="/commentaries/cambridge/genesis/32.htm" title="Cambridge Bible">Cambridge</a> • <a href="/commentaries/clarke/genesis/32.htm" title="Clarke's Commentary">Clarke</a> • <a href="/commentaries/darby/genesis/32.htm" title="Darby's Bible Synopsis">Darby</a> • <a href="/commentaries/ellicott/genesis/32.htm" title="Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers">Ellicott</a> • <a href="/commentaries/expositors/genesis/32.htm" title="Expositor's Bible">Expositor's</a> • <a href="/commentaries/edt/genesis/32.htm" title="Expositor's Dictionary">Exp Dct</a> • <a href="/commentaries/gaebelein/genesis/32.htm" title="Gaebelein's Annotated Bible">Gaebelein</a> • <a href="/commentaries/gsb/genesis/32.htm" title="Geneva Study Bible">GSB</a> • <a href="/commentaries/gill/genesis/32.htm" title="Gill's Bible Exposition">Gill</a> • <a href="/commentaries/gray/genesis/32.htm" title="Gray's Concise">Gray</a> • <a href="/commentaries/guzik/genesis/32.htm" title="Guzik Bible Commentary">Guzik</a> • <a href="/commentaries/haydock/genesis/32.htm" title="Haydock Catholic Bible Commentary">Haydock</a> • <a href="/commentaries/hastings/genesis/28-16.htm" title="Hastings Great Texts">Hastings</a> • <a href="/commentaries/homiletics/genesis/32.htm" title="Pulpit Homiletics">Homiletics</a> • <a href="/commentaries/jfb/genesis/32.htm" title="Jamieson-Fausset-Brown">JFB</a> • <a href="/commentaries/kad/genesis/32.htm" title="Keil and Delitzsch OT">KD</a> • <a href="/commentaries/king-en/genesis/32.htm" title="Kingcomments Bible Studies">King</a> • <a href="/commentaries/lange/genesis/32.htm" title="Lange Commentary">Lange</a> • <a href="/commentaries/maclaren/genesis/32.htm" title="MacLaren Expositions">MacLaren</a> • <a href="/commentaries/mhc/genesis/32.htm" title="Matthew Henry Concise">MHC</a> • <a href="/commentaries/mhcw/genesis/32.htm" title="Matthew Henry Full">MHCW</a> • <a href="/commentaries/parker/genesis/32.htm" title="The People's Bible by Joseph Parker">Parker</a> • <a href="/commentaries/poole/genesis/32.htm" title="Matthew Poole">Poole</a> • <a href="/commentaries/pulpit/genesis/32.htm" title="Pulpit Commentary">Pulpit</a> • <a href="/commentaries/sermon/genesis/32.htm" title="Sermon Bible">Sermon</a> • <a href="/commentaries/sco/genesis/32.htm" title="Scofield Reference Notes">SCO</a> • <a href="/commentaries/ttb/genesis/32.htm" title="Through The Bible">TTB</a> • <a href="/commentaries/wes/genesis/32.htm" title="Wesley's Notes">WES</a> • <a href="#tsk" title="Treasury of Scripture Knowledge">TSK</a></div><div id="leftbox"><div class="padleft"><div class="comtype">EXPOSITORY (ENGLISH BIBLE)</div><a name="mhc" id="mhc"></a><div class="vheading2"><a href="/commentaries/mhc/genesis/32.htm">Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary</a></div>32:9-23 Times of fear should be times of prayer: whatever causes fear, should drive us to our knees, to our God. Jacob had lately seen his guards of angels, but in this distress he applied to God, not to them; he knew they were his fellow-servants, Re 22:9. There cannot be a better pattern for true prayer than this. Here is a thankful acknowledgement of former undeserved favours; a humble confession of unworthiness; a plain statement of his fears and distress; a full reference of the whole affair to the Lord, and resting all his hopes on him. The best we can say to God in prayer, is what he has said to us. Thus he made the name of the Lord his strong tower, and could not but be safe. Jacob's fear did not make him sink into despair, nor did his prayer make him presume upon God's mercy, without the use of means. God answers prayers by teaching us to order our affairs aright. To pacify Esau, Jacob sent him a present. We must not despair of reconciling ourselves to those most angry against us.<a name="bar" id="bar"></a><div class="vheading2"><a href="/commentaries/barnes/genesis/32.htm">Barnes' Notes on the Bible</a></div>Jacob sends forward a present to Esau. "He lodged there that night." Mahanaim may have been about twenty-five miles from the Jabbok. At some point in the interval he awaited the return of his messengers. Abiding during the night in the camp, not far from the ford of the Jabbok, he selects and sends forward to Esau his valuable present of five hundred and fifty head of cattle. "That which was come into his hand," into his possession. The cattle are selected according to the proportions of male and female which were adopted from experience among the ancients (Varro, de re rust. II. 3). "Every drove by itself," with a space between, that Esau might have time to estimate the great value of the gift. The repetition of the announcement of the gift, and of Jacob himself being at hand, was calculated to appease Esau, and persuade him that Jacob was approaching him in all brotherly confidence and affection. "Appease him." Jacob designs this gift to be the means of propitiating his brother before he appears in his presence. "Lift up my face," accept me. "Lodged that night in the camp;" after sending this present over the Jabbok. This seems the same night referred to in <a href="/genesis/32-14.htm">Genesis 32:14</a>.<a name="jfb" id="jfb"></a><div class="vheading2"><a href="/commentaries/jfb/genesis/32.htm">Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary</a></div>17. he commanded the foremost—The messengers were strictly commanded to say the same words [Ge 32:18, 20], that Esau might be more impressed and that the uniformity of the address might appear more clearly to have come from Jacob himself.<div class="vheading2"><a href="/commentaries/poole/genesis/32.htm">Matthew Poole's Commentary</a></div> Coming to see thy face, and beg thy favour. <span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a name="gil" id="gil"></a><div class="vheading2"><a href="/commentaries/gill/genesis/32.htm">Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible</a></div>Then thou shall say, they be thy servant Jacob's,.... Both the goats before them, and they themselves that had the care of them, belonged to Jacob, who directed them to speak of him to Esau as his "servant": <p>it is a present sent unto my lord Esau; which is the answer to the second question: <p>and behold also he is behind us: that is, Jacob: this they were bid to tell, lest he should think that Jacob was afraid of him, and was gone another way; but that he was coming to pay a visit to him, and might expect shortly to see him, which would prepare his mind how to behave towards him. <a name="gsb" id="gsb"></a><div class="vheading2"><a href="/commentaries/gsb/genesis/32.htm">Geneva Study Bible</a></div><span class="cverse2">Then 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.</span></div></div><div id="centbox"><div class="padcent"><div class="comtype">EXEGETICAL (ORIGINAL LANGUAGES)</div>Genesis 32:18<a name="kad" id="kad"></a><div class="vheading2"><a href="/commentaries/kad/genesis/32.htm">Keil and Delitzsch Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament</a></div>Although hoping for aid and safety from the Lord alone, Jacob neglected no means of doing what might help to appease his brother. Having taken up his quarters for the night in the place where he received the tidings of Esau's approach, he selected from his flocks ("of that which came to his hand," i.e., which he had acquired) a very respectable present of 550 head of cattle, and sent them in different detachments to meet Esau, "as a present from his servant Jacob," who was coming behind. The selection was in harmony with the general possessions of nomads (cf. <a href="/job/1-3.htm">Job 1:3</a>; <a href="/job/42-12.htm">Job 42:12</a>), and the proportion of male to female animals was arranged according to the agricultural rule of Varro (de re rustica 2, 3). The division of the present, "drove and drove separately," i.e., into several separate droves which followed one another at certain intervals, was to serve the purpose of gradually mitigating the wrath of Esau. פּנים כּפּר, <a href="http://biblehub.com/genesis/32-21.htm">Genesis 32:21</a>, to appease the countenance; פּנים נשׁא to raise any one's countenance, i.e., to receive him in a friendly manner. This present he sent forward; and he himself remained the same night (mentioned in <a href="/genesis/32-14.htm">Genesis 32:14</a>) in the camp. <div class="vheading2">Links</div><a href="/interlinear/genesis/32-18.htm">Genesis 32:18 Interlinear</a><br /><a href="/texts/genesis/32-18.htm">Genesis 32:18 Parallel Texts</a><br /><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a href="/niv/genesis/32-18.htm">Genesis 32:18 NIV</a><br /><a href="/nlt/genesis/32-18.htm">Genesis 32:18 NLT</a><br /><a href="/esv/genesis/32-18.htm">Genesis 32:18 ESV</a><br /><a href="/nasb/genesis/32-18.htm">Genesis 32:18 NASB</a><br /><a href="/kjv/genesis/32-18.htm">Genesis 32:18 KJV</a><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a href="http://bibleapps.com/genesis/32-18.htm">Genesis 32:18 Bible Apps</a><br /><a href="/genesis/32-18.htm">Genesis 32:18 Parallel</a><br /><a href="http://bibliaparalela.com/genesis/32-18.htm">Genesis 32:18 Biblia Paralela</a><br /><a href="http://holybible.com.cn/genesis/32-18.htm">Genesis 32:18 Chinese Bible</a><br /><a href="http://saintebible.com/genesis/32-18.htm">Genesis 32:18 French Bible</a><br /><a href="http://bibeltext.com/genesis/32-18.htm">Genesis 32:18 German Bible</a><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a href="/">Bible Hub</a><br /></div></div></td></tr></table></div><div id="mdd"><div align="center"><div class="bot2"><table align="center" width="100%"><tr><td align="center"><div align="center"> <script id="3d27ed63fc4348d5b062c4527ae09445"> (new Image()).src = 'https://capi.connatix.com/tr/si?token=51ce25d5-1a8c-424a-8695-4bd48c750f35&cid=3a9f82d0-4344-4f8d-ac0c-e1a0eb43a405'; </script> <script id="b817b7107f1d4a7997da1b3c33457e03"> (new Image()).src = 'https://capi.connatix.com/tr/si?token=cb0edd8b-b416-47eb-8c6d-3cc96561f7e8&cid=3a9f82d0-4344-4f8d-ac0c-e1a0eb43a405'; </script><br /><br />  <div id='div-gpt-ad-1529103594582-2'> </div><br /><br />  <div id='div-gpt-ad-1529103594582-0' style='max-width: 300px;'> </div><br /><br />  <div id='div-gpt-ad-1529103594582-3'> </div><br /><br />  <div id='div-gpt-ad-1529103594582-1' style='max-width: 300px;'> </div><br /><br />  <div align="center" id='div-gpt-ad-1531425649696-0'> </div><br /><br /> <ins class="adsbygoogle" style="display:inline-block;width:200px;height:200px" data-ad-client="ca-pub-3753401421161123" data-ad-slot="3592799687"></ins> <script> (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); </script><br /><br /> </div> <div id="left"><a href="../genesis/32-17.htm" onmouseover='lft.src="/leftgif.png"' onmouseout='lft.src="/left.png"' title="Genesis 32:17"><img src="/left.png" name="lft" border="0" alt="Genesis 32:17" /></a></div><div id="right"><a href="../genesis/32-19.htm" onmouseover='rght.src="/rightgif.png"' onmouseout='rght.src="/right.png"' title="Genesis 32:19"><img src="/right.png" name="rght" border="0" alt="Genesis 32:19" /></a></div><div id="botleft"><a href="#" onmouseover='botleft.src="/botleftgif.png"' onmouseout='botleft.src="/botleft.png"' title="Top of Page"><img src="/botleft.png" name="botleft" border="0" alt="Top of Page" /></a></div><div id="botright"><a href="#" onmouseover='botright.src="/botrightgif.png"' onmouseout='botright.src="/botright.png"' title="Top of Page"><img src="/botright.png" name="botright" border="0" alt="Top of Page" /></a></div> <div id="bot"><iframe width="100%" height="1500" scrolling="no" src="/botmenubhnew2.htm" frameborder="0"></iframe></div></td></tr></table></div></body></html>