The History of the Old Testament Methodized, Chapter 3 · Section 29
SECT. XXIX.
JAcob being ſent away by Laban in peace, continued his Journey towards Canaan; and as he went on, he had a Viſion of an Army of holy Angels, appearing in Humane ſhape, that met him, to encourage him againſt his future fears and dangers; whereupon he called the name of the place Mahanaim, that is, two Hoſts; intimating how two Hoſts there met, viz. one of the holy Angels, the other of his own Company and Followers: And here afterwards was a City built, called by that Name. And being to paſs thorow the Country that was at preſent inhabited by his Brother Eſau (t)Called here the Land of Seir, not from Eſau, but from Seir an Horite, ch. 14.6. and ch. 36.20, 21. which Horites Eſau drave thence, Deus. 2.22. And there now Eſau dwelt, and through which Country Jacob muſt paſs. Eſt Idumaea una orientalis (de qua hoc loco agitur) alia auſtralis. Has Regiones non ſimul ſed viciſſim Idumaei habitarunt. Tandem orientalem deſeruerunt, & auſtralem occuparunt, ante exitum Iſraelitarum ex Aegyto: nam ingreſſis Iſraelitis in terram promiſſam non ibi erant Idumaei ſed Sihon & Og, &c. His adde quod Job erat Idumaeus, & de ſtirpe Eſau, & habitavit in terra Hus quae erat trans Jordanem non procul a monte Galaad. Ergo tum ibi habitarunt Idumaei, inde que poſtea migrarunt. Tantum difficultas eſſe poteſt ex Thren. 4.21. Edom quae habitas in terrâ Hus. Sed veriſimile eſt Idumaeos mutata habitatione nomina priorum locorum multis locis indidiſſe. Bochart.(though he and his Poſterity afterwards removed to the Southern part of Canaan, and there dwelt) he ſent Meſſengers before to him to give him notice of his coming, charging them to addreſs themſelves to him in a very reſpectful and ſubmiſſive manner, and to tell him, that his Servant Jacob had ſojourned with Laban in Meſopotamia for 20 years, and God had now bleſſed Him with Flocks and Herds, and with Men-Servants and Maid-Servants, and therefore He did not come to beg any thing of him, but only deſired his favour, that he might quietly paſs thorow his Country. The Meſſengers having diſpatched their Meſſage, return and tell him, that his Brother Eſau was coming to meet him, attended with 400 men, and 'tis like they poſſeſſed him that they apprehended he came with no good intention towards him. Jacob hearing this, was greatly afraid (his Guard of holy Angels in likelihood being gone) and contriving to ſecure himſelf as well as he could, he divided the people that were with him, and his Flocks into two Bands or Companies, thinking that if Eſau fell upon the one, the other might poſſibly have time to eſcape. And being in this diſtreſs he ſet himſelf to call not upon the Angels (that had lately appeared to him) for their help and mediation, but upon the true and ever living God, praying unto Him after this manner, O God of my Grandfather Abraham, and Father Iſaac, to whom thou haſt made many great and glorious Promiſes, and to their Seed. Thou commandedſt me to leave Meſopotamia, and to return to my Fathers houſe, (u)See Ch. 31.13.and didſt promiſe to deal well with me, and Lo, I am now obeying thy Command. I acknowledge I am altogether unworthy of the great Mercies thou haſt beſtowed on me, and of that Faithfulneſs thou haſt expreſſed towards me. For when I came from my Fathers houſe, I was in a mean and poor Condition; I paſſed over the River Jordan that I have now in mine eye, only with my Staff in my hand, and now behold I am become two Bands. And ſeeing thou haſt hitherto been ſo gracious unto me, I humbly pray thee now help me, and ſave me from my Brother Eſau, who I fear (without thy Interpoſition) will come upon me and ſlay me with my Wives and Children. Lord, thou haſt promis'd to do me good, and to keep me in all places, [Ch. 28.14, 15. & 31.3. and to make my Seed as the Sand of the Sea. Therefore I pray thee of thy great mercy, make good theſe thy gracious Promiſes unto me.
Jacob having thus prayed, and repoſed his Truſt in God, yet He judged it fit to uſe all good and fair means for his own Preſervation. And therefore reſolved with himſelf to ſend a Preſent to his Brother to propitiate and atone him. And accordingly he cull'd out ſome of all his Cattel for this purpoſe, but the approaching of the night, and his haſt to prevent his Brothers coming, would not ſuffer him to make any curious choice. However he took out of his Flocks 200 She-Goats, and 20 He-Goats, 200 Ews, and 20 Rams, 30 Milch-Camels with their Colts, 40 Kine and 10 Bulls, 20 She-Aſſes and and 10 Foles, in all 580 Head of Cattel; a rich and noble Preſent, being an excellent and large Stock for breed. Theſe ſeveral ſorts of Cattel he delivered into the hands of ſo many ſeveral Servants, and charged them to paſs over the Ford of Jabbok with them, and to put a good diſtance and ſpace between Drove and Drove, that ſo his Preſent might make the fairer ſhew, and that by degrees the heat of his Brothers Rage might abate and cool. Then he charged the firſt Servant that went with the firſt Flock, that when he met Eſau, and he ſhould ask him, Whence he came, and to whom he belonged, he ſhould ſay, This is a Preſent of thy Servant Jacob, ſent to my Lord Eſau, and behold he himſelf is behind coming to wait upon my Lord. And he charged the reſt of the Servants that went with the other Flocks to do accordingly. And he thought with himſelf that by this means (in all likelihood) he ſhould appeaſe his Brother, and melt his Rage, and diſpoſe him to be kind and favourable to him. The Preſent being ſent away, His next care was to paſs his Wives and Children, and his Company, and his Flocks and Subſtance over the River Jabbok, but he himſelf ſtayed behind, that he might ſpend the night in private prayer unto God. And having wreſtled with the Lord ſeveral hours by fervent prayer, not without many tears, [as we read, Hoſ. 12.4. He wept, and made Supplication, &c.] at laſt the Son of God, the Angel of the Covenant appeared to him in an humane ſhape, and ſet upon him, and wreſtled with him, and he was pleaſed not to prevail over him with that meaſure of ſtrength which in that aſſumed Body he did take and uſe at that time, to intimate to him, and to aſſure him, that though he was to wreſtle with many Difficulties, and many Afflictions, yet he ſhould be Victor in them all; However to keep him humble, and that he ſhould not be exalted above meaſure, but know by whoſe Indulgence he did prevail, he touched the hollow of his Thigh, and put it out of joynt, and the Sinews ſhrank, ſo that he halted of it for the preſent; to intimate to him that it was not the hand of a meer man that ſtrove with him. Then the Angel ſpeaking to him after the manner of men, ſaid. Let me go, for the day breaketh; but Jacob now perceiving the Perſon he wreſtled with to be more than a meer man, ſaid, I will not let thee go except thou bleſs me. Then the Angel asked him his Name (which he knew well enough) but to take occaſion for what he meant to ſay concerning the change of his Name. He anſwers, Jacob. The Angel replies, That his Name ſhould henceforth not only be called Jacob but Iſrael; (x)The Jews are never called Jacobites but Iſraelites.that is, One that hath Princely Power with God, [Gen. 46.2. & Ch. 35.10.] and ſhould alſo prevail over men. Then Jacob deſired the Angel to tell him his Name, (y)Some Angels had names as Gabriel. Luk. 1.19. Chriſt the Angel of the Covenant is called Michael, Dan. 10.21. Jude v. 9. Apoc. 12.7.hoping he would have given him ſome peculiar Name, whereby he might have the clearer knowledge of Him, and might better remember and honour him. The Angel refuſed to ſatisfie his curioſity in that, (as likewiſe He did, Judg. 13.17, 18.) but he bleſsed him. So Jacob called the name of the Place Peniel, becauſe he had there ſeen the Son of God in an humane ſhape, face to face, who had there manifeſted himſelf more clearly to him than ever before, and he had eſcaped death, notwithſtanding this glorious ſight, which the Godly us'd to fear when they ſaw Viſions of God. See Exod. 20.19. Judg. 6.22, 23. & 13.22. And now he looked upon his life as ſafe, and that God would preſerve him from Eſau. Then the Sun riſing, Jacob paſſed over to his Company, and he halted upon his Thigh. But 'tis probable he was ſuddenly cured of it by the Angel before he came at his Brother Eſau. Therefore the Iſraelites to perpetuate the memory of this Honour which God vouchſaf'd to Jacob in this Conflict, did forbear (even till Moſes time, and after) to eat of that Sinew in the Thigh of any Creature, which in Jacob was Sinew-ſhrunk.
Gen. 32. whole Chapter.