Matthew Henry on Genesis 32:9-23

Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · Matthew Henry · CC0 1.0 Universal

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.

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commentaryThe Pulpit Commentary on Genesis 32:1-23EXPOSITIONJoseph S. Exell and contributors commentaryThe Pulpit Commentary on Genesis 32:1-23Mahanaim, or preparing for Esau. I. THE ANGELIC APPARITION. 1. The time when it occurred. 2. The impression which it made. Whether completely surrounding him, or divided into two companies, one on either side of him, Ja…Joseph S. Exell and contributors commentaryJacob's Prayer. (b. c. 1739.)JACOB'S PRAYER. (B. C. 1739.) Our rule is to call upon God in the time of trouble; we have here an example to this rule, and the success encourages us to follow this example. It was now a time of Jacob's trouble, but he…Matthew Henry commentaryThe Pulpit Commentary on Genesis 32:9-12Jacob's prayer. 1. It was the prayer of humility. 2. Of faith—faith in a covenant God, faith in him who had already revealed himself, faith in promises made to the individual as well as to God's people generally, faith…Joseph S. Exell and contributors commentaryThe Pulpit Commentary on Genesis 32:9-12And Jacob said,—the combined beauty and power, humility and boldness, simplicity and sublimity, brevity and comprehensiveness of this prayer, of which Kalisch somewhat hypercritically complains that it ought to have bee…Joseph S. Exell and contributors commentaryJacob's Present to Esau. (b. c. 1739.)JACOB'S PRESENT TO ESAU. (B. C. 1739.) Jacob, having piously made God his friend by a prayer, is here prudently endeavouring to make Esau his friend by a present. He had prayed to God to deliver him from the hand of Esa…Matthew Henry commentaryThe Pulpit Commentary on Genesis 32:13And he lodged there that same night; and took—not by random, but after careful selection; separavit (Vulgate)—of that which came to his hand—not of those things which were in his hand, ω}n e!feren (LXX.), such as he had…Joseph S. Exell and contributors commentaryThe Pulpit Commentary on Genesis 32:13-23The crisis at hand. Jacob understood the human heart. I. KINDNESS WILL WORK WONDERS. "I will appease him with the present that goeth before me, and afterward I will see his face." It gave Esau time to think of an altere…Joseph S. Exell and contributors