Genesis 32

I'm not sure I'm very fond of old Jacob.

Genesis 32 is kind of transitional.  Jacob has all his wealth on the hoof, and when he hears that Esau is coming to meet him with 400 men, he sends a pretty generous gift and does some serious grovelling (via servants/slaves).

This is also the chapter where he wrestles with God/an angel and has his name changed to Israel.  And the whole dislocated hip thing?  Not sure what's going on there.  Do the children of Israel not eat the sciatic muscle of animals?  Would they want to?

But Jacob is still a sneak.

I think this is a chapter whose main purpose is etiological:  explain why we don't eat the sciatic muscle.  Why Peniel and Mahanaim are so named.  Where the name Israel itself comes from.

Not exactly action-packed.


Interesting word, מלאך (mal-akh), meaning angel or messenger.  There is no way of knowing which meaning is intended when you see the word in Hebrew.

In verse 32.2 (32.1 in English), Jacob is met by the angels of God, מַלְאֲכֵי אֱלֹהִים (malakhey elohim).  Then just two verses later, 32.4 (Eng=32.3), he sends messengers to his brother Esau!  Messengers!!  מַלְאָכִים (malakhim)!!  Very confusing.