³Jacob sent messengers^r ahead of him to his brother Esau^s in the land of Seir,^t the country of Edom.^u ⁴He instructed them: “This is what you are to say to my lord^v Esau: ‘Your servant^w Jacob says, I have been staying with Laban^x and have remained there till now. ⁵I have cattle and donkeys, sheep and goats, male and female servants.^y Now I am sending this message to my lord,^z that I may find favor in your eyes.^a’ ”

⁶When the messengers returned to Jacob, they said, “We went to your brother Esau, and now he is coming to meet you, and four hundred men are with him.”^b

⁷In great fear^c and distress^d Jacob divided the people who were with him into two groups,^c^e and the flocks and herds and camels as well. ⁸He thought, “If Esau comes and attacks one group,^d the group^e that is left may escape.”

⁹Then Jacob prayed, “O God of my father Abraham,^f God of my father Isaac,^g Lord, you who said to me, ‘Go back to your country and your relatives, and I will make you prosper,’^h ¹⁰I am unworthy of all the kindness and faithfulnessⁱ you have shown your servant. I had only my staff^j when I crossed this Jordan, but now I have become two camps.^k ¹¹Save me, I pray, from the hand of my brother Esau, for I am afraid^l he will come and attack me,^m and also the mothers with their children.ⁿ

Read in Logos

Genesis 32:10: I am not worthy of the least of all the deeds of steadfast love and all the faithfulness that you have shown to your servant, for with only my staff I crossed this Jordan, and now I have become two camps.

Footnotes

cOr camps
dOr camp
eOr camp

Cross references

r Nu 21:21; Jdg 11:17
sSee Ge 27:41–42
tSee Ge 14:6; See Nu 24:18
uSee Ge 25:30; See 36:16
vSee Ge 24:9
wSee Ge 18:3
x Ge 31:41
ySee Ge 12:16
zSee Ge 24:9
a Ge 33:8, 10, 15; 34:11; 47:25, 29; 50:4; Ru 2:13
b Ge 33:1
cver 11
d Ge 35:3; Ps 4:1; 77:2; 107:6
ever 10; Ge 33:1
fSee Ge 24:12
gSee Ge 28:13
hSee Ge 26:3; 31:13
iSee Ge 24:27
j Ge 38:18; 47:31; Nu 17:2
kSee ver 7
lSee ver 7
m Ge 43:18; Ps 59:2
nSee Ge 27:41