Genesis 32:20 · Clearspring

Your notes

Private to you. Anything you write on this verse, here or while reading, shows up here and in My study.

Other translations

WEBBE

You shall say, ‘Not only that, but behold, your servant, Jacob, is behind us.’” For, he said, “I will appease him with the present that goes before me, and afterward I will see his face. Perhaps he will accept me.”

BSB

You are also to say, ‘Look, your servant Jacob is right behind us.’” For he thought, “I will appease Esau with the gift that is going before me. After that I can face him, and perhaps he will accept me.”

KJV

And say ye moreover, Behold, thy servant Jacob is behind us. For he said, I will appease him with the present that goeth before me, and afterward I will see his face; peradventure he will accept of me.

ASV

and ye shall say, Moreover, behold, thy servant Jacob is behind us. For he said, I will appease him with the present that goeth before me, and afterward I will see his face; peradventure he will accept me.

BBE

And you are to say further, Jacob, your servant, is coming after us. For he said to himself, I will take away his wrath by the offering which I have sent on, and then I will come before him: it may be that I will have grace in his eyes.

Original Hebrew

Look up a word

Tap a word to see what it means and everywhere else it's used.

וַאֲמַרְתֶּם va·'a·mar·tem and you will say H559 גַּם gam also H1571 הִנֵּה hi·neh there H2009 עַבְדְּךָ 'av·de·kha servant your H5650 יַעֲקֹב ya·'a·ko Jacob H3290 אַחֲרֵינוּ 'a·cha·rei·nu [is] behind us H310 כִּי־ ki- for H3588 אָמַר 'a·mar he said H559 אֲכַפְּרָה 'a·kha·pe·rah I will cover H3722 פָנָיו fa·nav face his H6440 בַּמִּנְחָה ba·min·chah by the gift H4503 הַהֹלֶכֶת ha·ho·le·khet that is going H1980 לְפָנָי le·fa·nai (to) before me H6440 וְאַחֲרֵי־ ve·'a·cha·rei- and after H310 כֵן khen thus H3651 אֶרְאֶה 'er·'eh I will see H7200 פָנָיו fa·nav face his H6440 אוּלַי 'u·lai perhaps H194 יִשָּׂא yi·sa' he will lift up H5375 פָנָי fa·nai face my H6440

Commentary

Matthew Henry · Verses 9–23

Times of fear should be times of prayer: whatever causes fear, should drive us to our knees, to our God. Jacob had lately seen his guards of angels, but in this distress he applied to God, not to them; he knew they were his fellow-servants, Re 22:9. There cannot be a better pattern for true prayer than this. Here is a thankful acknowledgement of former undeserved favours; a humble confession of unworthiness; a plain statement of his fears and distress; a full reference of the whole affair to the Lord, and resting all his hopes on him. The best we can say to God in prayer, is what he has said to us. Thus he made the name of the Lord his strong tower, and could not but be safe. Jacob's fear did not make him sink into despair, nor did his prayer make him presume upon God's mercy, without the use of means. God answers prayers by teaching us to order our affairs aright. To pacify Esau, Jacob sent him a present. We must not despair of reconciling ourselves to those most angry against us.

Read Matthew Henry on Genesis 32 →

Cross-references

11

People & places

Israel