The Bible, Douay-Rheims Part 21

31:55. But Laban arose in the night, and kissed his sons and daughters, and blessed them: and returned to his place.

Genesis Chapter 32

Jacob's vision of angels; his message and presents to Esau; his wrestling with an angel.

32:1. Jacob also went on the journey he had begun: and the angels of G.o.d met him.

32:2. And when he saw them, he said: These are the camps of G.o.d, and he called the name of that place Mahanaim, that is, Camps.

32:3. And he sent messengers before him to Esau, his brother, to the land of Seir, to the country of Edom:

32:4. And he commanded them, saying: Thus shall ye speak to my lord Esau: Thus saith thy brother Jacob: I have sojourned with Laban, and have been with him until this day:

32:5. I have oxen, and a.s.ses, and sheep, and menservants, and womenservants: and now I send a message to my lord, that I may find favour in thy sight.

32:6. And the messengers returned to Jacob, saying: We came to Esau, thy brother, and behold he cometh with speed to meet thee with four hundred men.

32:7. Then Jacob was greatly afraid; and in his fear divided the people that was with him, and the flocks, and the sheep, and the oxen, and the camels, into two companies,

32:8. Saying: If Esau come to one company, and destroy it, the other company that is left, shall escape.

32:9. And Jacob said: O G.o.d of my fahter Abraham, and G.o.d of my father Isaac: O Lord who saidst to me, Return to thy land, and to the place of thy birth, and I will do well for thee.

32:10. I am not worthy of the least of all thy mercies, and of thy truth which thou hast fulfilled to thy servant. With my staff I pa.s.sed over this Jordan; and now I return with two companies.

32:11. Deliver me from the hand of my brother Esau, for I am greatly afraid of him; lest perhaps he come, and kill the mother with the children.

32:12. Thou didst say, that thou wouldst do well by me, and multiply my seed like the sand of the sea, which connot be numbered for mult.i.tude.

32:13. And when he had slept there that night, he set apart, of the things which he had, presents for his brother Esau,

32:14. Two hundred she goats, twenty he goats, two hundred ewes, and twenty rams,

32:15. Thirty milch camels with their colts, forty kine, and twenty bulls, twenty she a.s.ses, and ten of their foals.

32:16. And he sent them by the hands of his servants, every drove by itself, and he said to his servants: Go before me, and let there be a s.p.a.ce between drove and drove.

32:17. And he commanded the first, saying: If thou meet my brother Esau, and he ask thee: Whose art thou? or whither goest thou? or whose are these before thee?

32:18. Thou shalt answer: Thy servant Jacob's: he hath sent them as a present to my lord Esau; and he cometh after us.

32:19. In like manner he commanded the second, and the third, and all that followed the droves, saying: Speak ye the same words to Esau, when ye find him.

32:20. And ye shall add: Thy servant Jacob himself also followeth after us; for he said: I will appease him with the presents that go before, and afterwards I will see him, perhaps he will be gracious to me.

32:21. So the presents went before him, but himself lodged that night in the camp.

32:22. And rising early, he took his two wives and his two handmaids, with his eleven sons, and pa.s.sed over the ford of Jaboc.

32:23. And when all things were brought over that belonged to him,

32:24. He remained alone; and behold, a man wrestled with him till morning.

A man, etc... This was an angel in human shape, as we learn from Osee 12.4. He is called G.o.d, ver. 28 and 30, because he represented the person of the Son of G.o.d. This wrestling, in which Jacob, a.s.sisted by G.o.d, was a match for an angel, was so ordered (ver. 28,) that he might learn by this experiment of the divine a.s.sistance, that neither Esau, nor any other man, should have power to hurt him.-It was also spiritual, as appeareth by his earnest prayer, urging and at last obtaining the angel's blessing.

32:25. And when he saw that he could not overcome him, he touched the sinew of his thigh, and forthwith it shrank.

32:26. And he said to him: Let me go, for it is break of day. He answered: I will not let thee go, except thou bless me.

32:27. And he said: What is thy name? He answered: Jacob.

32:28. But he said: Thy name shall not be called Jacob, but Israel; for if thou hast been strong against G.o.d, how much more shalt thou prevail against men?

32:29. Jacob asked him: Tell me by what name art thou called? He answered: Why dost thou ask my name? And he blessed him in the same place.

32:30. And Jacob called the name of the place Phanuel, saying: I have seen G.o.d face to face, and my soul has been saved.

Phanuel... This word signifies the face of G.o.d, or the sight, or seeing of G.o.d.

32:31. And immediately the sun rose upon him, after he was past Phanuel; but he halted on his foot.

32:32. Therefore the children of Israel, unto this day, eat not the sinew, that shrank in Jacob's thigh: because he touched the sinew of his thigh and it shrank.

Genesis Chapter 33

Jacob and Esau meet: Jacob goeth to Salem, where he raiseth an altar.

33:1. And Jacob lifting up his eyes, saw Esau coming, and with him four hundred men: and he divided the children of Lia and of Rachel, and of the two handmaids.

33:2. And he put both the handmaids and their children foremost: and Lia and her children in the second place: and Rachel and Joseph last.

33:3. And he went forward and bowed down with his face to the ground seven times, until his brother came near.

33:4. Then Esau ran to meet his brother, and embraced him: and clasping him fast about the neck, and kissing him, wept.

33:5. And lifting up his eyes, he saw the women and their children, and said: What mean these? And do they belong to thee? He answered: They are the children which G.o.d hath given to me, thy servant.

33:6. Then the handmaids and their children came near and bowed themselves.

33:7. Lia also, with her children, came near and bowed down in like manner; and last of all, Joseph and Rachel bowed down.

33:8. And Esau said: What are the droves that I met? He answered: That I might find favour before my lord.

33:9. But he said: I have plenty, my brother, keep what is thine for thyself.

33:10. And Jacob said: Do not so I beseech thee, but if I have found favour in thy eyes, receive a little present at my hands: for I have seen thy face, as if I should have seen the countenance of G.o.d: be gracious to me,

33:11. And take the blessing which I have brought thee, and which G.o.d hath given me, who giveth all things. He took it with much ado at his brother's earnest pressing him,