Thematic Bible
Thematic Bible
Prayer » Answered » Jacob, for deliverance from esau
Then Jacob prayed, "O God of my father Abraham, O God of my father Isaac, O LORD, you who told me, "Return to your country and to your relatives and I'll cause things to go well for you.' I'm unworthy of all your gracious love, your faithfulness, and everything that you've done for your servant. When I first crossed over this river, I had only my staff. But now I've become two groups. Deliver me from my brother Esau's control, because I'm terrified of him, and I'm afraid that he's coming to attack me, the mothers, and their children. read more.
Now, you promised me that "I'm certainly going to cause things to go well with you, and I'm going to make your offspring as numerous as the sand of the sea, which cannot be counted.'" Jacob spent the night there. Out of everything that he had brought with him, he chose a gift for his brother Esau 200 female goats, 20 male goats, 200 ewes, 20 rams, 30 milking camels with their young, 40 cows with ten bulls, and 20 female donkeys with ten male donkeys. He entrusted them into the care of his servants, one herd at a time. Then he told his servants, "Go in front of me, making sure there's plenty of space between herds." To the first group he said, "When you meet my brother Esau, if he asks, "To whom do you belong? Where are you going? And to whom do these herds belong?' then you are to reply, "We're from your servant Jacob. The herds are a gift. He's sending them to my master, Esau. Look! There he is, coming along behind us.'" He issued similar instructions to the second and third group, as well as to all the others who drove the herds that followed: "This is how you are to speak to Esau when you find him. You are to tell him, "Look! Your servant Jacob is coming along behind us.'" Jacob was thinking, "I'll pacify him with the presents that are being sent ahead of me. Then, when I meet him, perhaps he'll accept me." So the presents went ahead of him, while he spent that night in the camp. Later that night, he woke up, quickly took his two wives, his two women servants, and his eleven children, and forded the river at Jabbok. He took them across the river, along with all his possessions. And so Jacob was left alone, and he struggled with a man until daybreak. When the man realized that he hadn't yet won the struggle, he injured the socket of Jacob's thigh, dislocating it as he wrestled with him, and said, "Let me go, because the dawn has come." "I won't let you go," Jacob replied, "unless you bless me." Then the man asked him, "What's your name?" "Jacob," he responded "Your name won't be Jacob anymore," the man replied, "but Israel, because you exerted yourself against both God and men, and you've emerged victorious." "Please," Jacob inquired, "Tell me your name." But he asked, "Why are you asking about my name?" And he blessed Jacob there. Jacob would later call that place Peniel, because "I saw God face to face, but my life was spared." The sun was rising above Jacob as he crossed over from Peniel, limping due to his wounded thigh. Therefore, to this day the Israelis do not eat the hip tendon that connects to the thigh socket, because he had injured the socket of the thigh where the tendon connected to Jacob's hip.
Now, you promised me that "I'm certainly going to cause things to go well with you, and I'm going to make your offspring as numerous as the sand of the sea, which cannot be counted.'" Jacob spent the night there. Out of everything that he had brought with him, he chose a gift for his brother Esau 200 female goats, 20 male goats, 200 ewes, 20 rams, 30 milking camels with their young, 40 cows with ten bulls, and 20 female donkeys with ten male donkeys. He entrusted them into the care of his servants, one herd at a time. Then he told his servants, "Go in front of me, making sure there's plenty of space between herds." To the first group he said, "When you meet my brother Esau, if he asks, "To whom do you belong? Where are you going? And to whom do these herds belong?' then you are to reply, "We're from your servant Jacob. The herds are a gift. He's sending them to my master, Esau. Look! There he is, coming along behind us.'" He issued similar instructions to the second and third group, as well as to all the others who drove the herds that followed: "This is how you are to speak to Esau when you find him. You are to tell him, "Look! Your servant Jacob is coming along behind us.'" Jacob was thinking, "I'll pacify him with the presents that are being sent ahead of me. Then, when I meet him, perhaps he'll accept me." So the presents went ahead of him, while he spent that night in the camp. Later that night, he woke up, quickly took his two wives, his two women servants, and his eleven children, and forded the river at Jabbok. He took them across the river, along with all his possessions. And so Jacob was left alone, and he struggled with a man until daybreak. When the man realized that he hadn't yet won the struggle, he injured the socket of Jacob's thigh, dislocating it as he wrestled with him, and said, "Let me go, because the dawn has come." "I won't let you go," Jacob replied, "unless you bless me." Then the man asked him, "What's your name?" "Jacob," he responded "Your name won't be Jacob anymore," the man replied, "but Israel, because you exerted yourself against both God and men, and you've emerged victorious." "Please," Jacob inquired, "Tell me your name." But he asked, "Why are you asking about my name?" And he blessed Jacob there. Jacob would later call that place Peniel, because "I saw God face to face, but my life was spared." The sun was rising above Jacob as he crossed over from Peniel, limping due to his wounded thigh. Therefore, to this day the Israelis do not eat the hip tendon that connects to the thigh socket, because he had injured the socket of the thigh where the tendon connected to Jacob's hip.
When Jacob looked off in the distance, there was Esau coming toward him, accompanied by 400 men! So Jacob divided Leah's children, Rachel, and the children of the two servants into separate groups. Then he positioned the women servants and their children first, then Leah and her children next, and then Rachel and Joseph after them. Then he went out to meet Esau, passing in front of all of them, and bowed low to the ground seven times as he approached his brother. read more.
Esau ran to meet Jacob and embraced him. Then he fell on his neck and kissed him. And they wept. When Esau eventually looked around, he saw the women and the children. "Who are these people with you?" he asked. "The children, whom God has graciously given your servant," he answered. Then the women servants approached, accompanied by their children, and bowed low. Leah also approached, and she and her children bowed low. After this, Joseph and Rachel approached and bowed low. Then Esau asked, "What are all these livestock for?" "To solicit favor from you, sir," Jacob answered. But Esau replied, "I already have so much, my brother, so keep what belongs to you." "Please," Jacob implored him, "don't refuse. If I'm to receive favor from you, then receive this gift from me, because seeing your face is like seeing the face of God, since you have favorably accepted me. So receive my blessing, which has been sent to you, since God has been gracious to me. Besides, I have enough." Because Jacob kept pressing him, Esau accepted the gifts. Then Esau suggested, "Let's set out and travel together, but let me go in front of you." "Sir, you know that the children are frail," Jacob suggested, "and the ewes and cows with me are still nursing their young. If they're driven even for a day, the entire flock will die. So allow yourself to go ahead of your servant while I travel more slowly, letting the herds set their own pace with the children until I arrive to see my lord in Seir." Esau said, "Let me leave with you some of the people who are with me." "Why do that?" Jacob asked. "I've already found favor in your sight, sir." So Esau set out that very day back on his way to Seir, but Jacob set out for Succoth, built a house there, and constructed some cattle shelters. He named the place Succoth.
Esau ran to meet Jacob and embraced him. Then he fell on his neck and kissed him. And they wept. When Esau eventually looked around, he saw the women and the children. "Who are these people with you?" he asked. "The children, whom God has graciously given your servant," he answered. Then the women servants approached, accompanied by their children, and bowed low. Leah also approached, and she and her children bowed low. After this, Joseph and Rachel approached and bowed low. Then Esau asked, "What are all these livestock for?" "To solicit favor from you, sir," Jacob answered. But Esau replied, "I already have so much, my brother, so keep what belongs to you." "Please," Jacob implored him, "don't refuse. If I'm to receive favor from you, then receive this gift from me, because seeing your face is like seeing the face of God, since you have favorably accepted me. So receive my blessing, which has been sent to you, since God has been gracious to me. Besides, I have enough." Because Jacob kept pressing him, Esau accepted the gifts. Then Esau suggested, "Let's set out and travel together, but let me go in front of you." "Sir, you know that the children are frail," Jacob suggested, "and the ewes and cows with me are still nursing their young. If they're driven even for a day, the entire flock will die. So allow yourself to go ahead of your servant while I travel more slowly, letting the herds set their own pace with the children until I arrive to see my lord in Seir." Esau said, "Let me leave with you some of the people who are with me." "Why do that?" Jacob asked. "I've already found favor in your sight, sir." So Esau set out that very day back on his way to Seir, but Jacob set out for Succoth, built a house there, and constructed some cattle shelters. He named the place Succoth.
Seir » A range of hills southwest of the dead sea » Later inhabited by the descendants of esau after they destroyed the horim people
Then Jacob sent messengers ahead of him into the land of Seir (that is, into the territory of Edom) to meet his brother Esau.
and command this people, "You are about to pass through the territory of your relatives, the descendants of Esau who live around Seir. They will be afraid of you so be very careful. Don't fight them, because I won't give you any part of their land, not even the size of a footprint. I have given Mount Seir to Esau as their property.
The Horites used to live in Seir before the descendants of Esau dispossessed them, exterminated them, and settled there instead, just as Israel will do in the land of its possession, which the LORD gave them.)
Edom will be a conquered nation and Seir will be Israel's defeated foe, while Israel performs valiantly.
This is what he did for the descendants of Esau who live in Seir, when he destroyed the Horites before them. So they dispossessed them and settled there in their place, where they live to this day.
So allow yourself to go ahead of your servant while I travel more slowly, letting the herds set their own pace with the children until I arrive to see my lord in Seir."
"Why do that?" Jacob asked. "I've already found favor in your sight, sir." So Esau set out that very day back on his way to Seir,
So Esau lived in Mount Seir. (Esau was also known as Edom.) This is a record of the family history of Esau, the ancestor of the Edomites of Mount Seir.