The anceis of God meet Jacob, 1. He calls them God's hoſt, and the pipes Mahonaim, 2. Sends meſſengers to his brother Eſau, | aaa} They return, and bring word that Eſau comes to meet him with four _ re men, 6. Fncob is afraid ; divides his people and cattle into two banas, 7; Gives erders concerning them,8. Prays to God in a very fervent and "_ 2 MANNEF, === 12. Sends preſents to his brother, with direfFions, gets his wives and children over the foord by night, 13--=-23- Facob wreſtles with God, and prevails ; is called Iſrael : God bleſſeth him ;, he enquires efer Gods name ; calls the place Peniel. Jacob halrs, 24-31. The Jews 06=
ſervation in memorial of it, 32. A ND Jacob went on his way, and theangels of God
met him 4, 2 In viſible, humane, and glorious ſhape,as they frequently ap- peared to the Patriarchs.
| 2 And when Jacob ſaw them, he ſaid, This is God's +That;s, hoſts: and he called che name of chat place 5 Maha-
' wo hoſts or NA1M c. : noniog | b. So the Angelsare juſtly called for their great number, Dan. 7.
10. Luke 2. 13. excellent order, mighty power, and for, their uſe and ſervice ro God, and to his Church, for whoſe proteQtion they are ſent. See 2 Kings 6. 17. Pſalm 34. 7.c (i.e. ) L£wo hoſts; ſo cal- led, either becruſe the Angels divided themſelves into two com- panies,& placed themſelves ſome before,others behind him,or ſome on each iide of him,for his greater comfort and ſecurity;or becauſe the Angels made one hoſt, and his Family another. : : And Jacob ſent metſengers before him to Eſau his
p brother, unto the land of Seir d, the + countrey of
Edom es, oy -
d Of which ſee Gen: 14: 6.and 36: 9, 20, 21. whither Eſau had removed his habitation from Canaan, partly out of diſcontent at | his Parents ; partly as moſt convenient for his courſe of life ; and principally by dire&ion of Divine'Providence, that Canaan might be left free and clear for Jacob and his poſterity. e So that Seir and
Edom either are one and the ſame place ; or rather Seir was a part of
Edom. Some ſay both names are put here ſor diſtin&ion. For they make two Lands of Edom,the one Southward from Canaan, the other Eaſtward, and this latter they underſtand here, alledging that the other or Southern was ſo remote from Mount G:lea#, whence Jacob was now deſcending, that Jacob need not fear Eau at that diſtance, nor ſend to him. Bur as thar diſtin&tion ſeems to be without ſolid ground,ſo this reaſon ſeems to have bur little weight 1n it,both be- cauſe though this Hiſtory immediatly follows his deſcent from Mount Gilead, yet it might be done ſome competent time after it, and becauſe Facob in his journey to thoſe parts where his father 1/aac lived, and whither he was going,was ſtill drawing nearer and near-
er to Eſau. - | x ye And he commanded them, ſaying, Thus ſhall ye ; ſpeak unto my lord f Eſau, Thy ſervant Jacob faith
thus ; I have ſojourned with Laban, and ſtayed there
until now g, | I ne f Which Title being but a civil reſpet commonly given in Scri- pture to ſuch perſons as have no authority nor ſuperiority over them : who uſe it, as Gen: 23: 6: and 24. 18. Jacob doth not hereby re- nounce his Right of Primogeniture which was devolved upon him, nor return it to Eſau, Nor if he did hereby acknowledge Eſau his ) Superioc for the preſent, would this have been injurious to thar . Right, becauſe Jacob was not yet in aCtual poſſeſſion of it, for it | was not to commence till his Father's death ; and indeed did more belong to his poſterity than to his perſon ; and asto his perſon,did more reſpett his ſpiritual advantages, than his worldly greatneſs. See Gen. 27. 29. g As a ſtrangerand exile, and ſoa more proper obje& for thy pity, than for thy envy. 5 And I have oxen, and aſles, flocks, and men-ſer- vants, and women-ſervants h: and I have ſent to tell my Lord 7, that I may find grace in thy ſight &,
h Yet in my exile God hath blefſed me with a competency of worldly goods, and therefore I am not likely to be either a burden to thee, or adiſgrace to our Family. i To acquaint him with my coming, and with the ſtate of my Affairs. E Thar I may obtain pardon for my former errors, and thy favour and friendſhip for the future.
6 And the meſſengers returned to Jaceb,faying, We came to thy brother Eſau /, and alſo * he cometh to meet thee, and four hundred men with him x.
{ Who gave them but an imperfe& and a doubtfiil anſwer, as ap- pears from Facob's fear, ver. 9. m Which he brought either as his uſual guard, he being then a great man in thoſe parts; or in oſten- cation of his power and greatneſs, in ſpight of all the injury which his Father or Brother did him ; or becauſe at firſt he deſigned miſ- chief to Jacob, as may ſeem by his diſmiſſing of his meſſengers without any teſtimony ofhis favour ; though afterwards upon Ja- cob's prayer, God changed his mind. OC
7 Then Jacob was greatly afraid », and diſtreſſed, and he divided the people that wes with him, and the Hocks, and. herds, and the camels into two bands,
» Notwithſtanding the renewed promiſe of God, and thi late apparition of Angels; wherein he ſhewed the werknels of his Faith,
**Chap.33. *2,
at 4-7
Chron.18. 2, ©. I rather
all meats are uſually. comprehended in Scrip- .
ro confirm Covenants by a |.
| dred, and TI will deal well with thee :
ESIS. to which God left him for his Trial and Exerciſe, and to quicken
him to prayer, that ſo God might have more Glory, and he more: Comfort in the Mercy.
8 And ſaid, If Eſau cometo the one company, and Imite it, then the other company which is left, {hall e- ſcape s | |
o Either by flight, or becauſe he ſuppoſed Z/au's Revenge would be ſatisfied with thefirit ſlaughter.
9 And Jacob ſaid, O God p of my father Abraham, and God of my father Iſaac, the LORD which faid(t
. - - 4 b unto me, * Return unto thy countrey, and to thy kin- ; Chap-31