\\INTRODUCTION TO GENESIS 32\\

This chapter informs us of Jacob's proceeding on in his journey, and of
his being met and guarded by an host of angels, \\#Ge 32:1,2\\; of his
sending messengers to his brother Esau, acquainting him with his
increase, and desiring his favour and good will, \\#Ge 32:3-5\\, who return
and report to him, that Esau was coming to him with four hundred men, which
put him into a panic, and after devising ways and means for the security of
himself; and those with him, at least a part, if not the whole,
\\#Ge 32:6-8\\; then follows a prayer of his to God, pressing his
unworthiness of mercies, and his sense of them, imploring deliverance
from his brother, and putting the Lord in mind of his promises,
\\#Ge 32:9-12\\; after which we have an account of the wise methods he
took for the safety of himself and family, by sending a present to his
brother, dividing those who had the charge of it into separate
companies, and directing them to move at a proper distance from each
other, he, his wives and children, following after, \\#Ge 32:13-23\\;
when they were over the brook Jabbok, he stopped, and being alone, the
Son of God in an human form appeared to him, and wrestled with him,
with whom Jacob prevailed, and got the blessing, and hence had the name
of Israel, \\#Ge 32:24-28\\; and though he could not get his name, he
perceived it was a divine Person he had wrestled with, and therefore
called the name of the place Penuel, \\#Ge 32:29-31\\; the hollow of
his thigh being touched by him with whom he wrestled, which put it out
of joint, he halted as he went over Penuel, in commemoration of which
the children of Israel eat not of that part of the thigh, \\#Ge 32:31,32\\.