1. Now as Jacob was proceeding on his journey to the land of Canaan,
angels appeared to him, and suggested to him good hope of his future
condition; and that place he named the Camp of God. And being desirous
of knowing what his brother's intentions were to him, he sent
messengers, to give him an exact account of every thing, as being
afraid, on account of the enmities between them. He charged those that
were sent, to say to Esau, "Jacob had thought it wrong to live together
with him while he was in anger against him, and so had gone out of the
country; and that he now, thinking the length of time of his absence
must have made up their differences, was returning; that he brought with
him his wives, and his children, with what possessions he had gotten;
and delivered himself, with what was most dear to him, into his hands;
and should think it his greatest happiness to partake together with his
brother of what God had bestowed upon him." So these messengers told him
this message. Upon which Esau was very glad, and met his brother with
four hundred men. And Jacob, when he heard that he was coming to meet
him with such a number of men, was greatly afraid: however, he committed
his hope of deliverance to God; and considered how, in his present
circumstances, he might preserve himself and those that were with him,
and overcome his enemies if they attacked him injuriously. He therefore
distributed his company into parts; some he sent before the rest, and
the others he ordered to come close behind, that so, if the first were
overpowered when his brother attacked them, they might have those that
followed as a refuge to fly unto. And when he had put his company in
this order, he sent some of them to carry presents to his brother. The
presents were made up of cattle, and a great number of four-footed
beasts, of many kinds, such as would be very acceptable to those that
received them, on account of their rarity. Those who were sent went at
certain intervals of space asunder, that, by following thick, one after
another, they might appear to be more numerous, that Esau might remit of
his anger on account of these presents, if he were still in a passion.
Instructions were also given to those that were sent to speak gently to
him.
2. When Jacob had made these appointments all the day, and night came
on, he moved on with his company; and, as they were gone over a certain
river called Jabboc, Jacob was left behind; and meeting with an angel,
he wrestled with him, the angel beginning the struggle: but he prevailed
over the angel, who used a voice, and spake to him in words, exhorting
him to be pleased with what had happened to him, and not to suppose that
his victory was a small one, but that he had overcome a divine angel,
and to esteem the victory as a sign of great blessings that should come
to him, and that his offspring should never fall, and that no man should
be too hard for his power. He also commanded him to be called Israel,
which in the Hebrew tongue signifies one that struggled with the divine
angel. 37 These promises were made at the prayer of Jacob; for when he
perceived him to be the angel of God, he desired he would signify to him
what should befall him hereafter. And when the angel had said what is
before related, he disappeared; but Jacob was pleased with these things,
and named the place Phanuel, which signifies, the face of God. Now when
he felt pain, by this struggling, upon his broad sinew, he abstained
from eating that sinew himself afterward; and for his sake it is still
not eaten by us.
3. When Jacob understood that his brother was near, he ordered his wives
to go before, each by herself, with the handmaids, that they might see
the actions of the men as they were fighting, if Esau were so disposed.
He then went up to his brother Esau, and bowed down to him, who had no
evil design upon him, but saluted him; and asked him about the company
of the children and of the women; and desired, when he had understood
all he wanted to know about them, that he would go along with him to
their father; but Jacob pretending that the cattle were weary, Esau
returned to Seir, for there was his place of habitation, he having named
the place Roughness, from his own hairy roughness.