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Please read the Introductory Notes to this commentary.

Maps, when used, are are from BibleAtlas.org. Created using BibleMapper 3.0.
Additional data from OpenBible.info. Source of Dates Used

בְּרֵאשִׁ֖ית • B'resheet
(“In Beginning” or “At First”)
The First Book of Moses,
Commonly Called
Genesis

Genesis: Introduction • Videos
1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9  10  11  12  13  14  15  16  17  18  19  20  21  22  23  24  25 
26  27  28  29  30  31  32  33  34  35  36  37  38  39  40  41  42  43  44  45  46  47  48  49  50
Yosef as a type of Yeshua    Source of Dates Used

Parashot: Index   1. B'resheet   2. Noach   3. Lech Lecha   4. Vayera   5. Chayei Sarah
6. Toldot   7. VaYetze   8. VaYishlach   9. VaYeshev   10. Miketz   11. Vayigash   12. Vayechi
 

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~ 32 ~

Parashah 7: VaYetze (continued)
(“He went out”) Gen 28:10 –32:2
(Small Roman numerals in the text indicate each 'aliyah.)

7. Angels at Machanayim (32:1-2)

(Maftir) 1 (31:55) Ya'akov also went on his way, and the angels of Elohim[GN] met him.[1] 2 (1) When he saw them, Ya'akov said, “This is Elohim’s encampment.” So he nameed that place Machanayim“two camps”. [MAP]

[Continue Reading Chapter 32]

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Now that you’ve read VaYetze,
watch Rabbi Greg Hershberg’s teaching

 
[TO PARASHAH TOP] 
 

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Haftarah

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Haftarah Vayetze is Hoshea (Hoshea) 11:7–12:12(11) (S);
12:13(12)–14:10(9) (A)

Listen to Haftarah Vayetze (A) read
from the Complete Jewish Bible

11 7 My people are determined to turn from Me.
Though they call to the Most High,
he certainly won’t exalt them.

8 “How can I give you up, Ephraim?
How can I hand you over, Isra'el?
How can I make you like Admah?
How can I make you like Zeboiim?

My heart is turned within Me,
my compassion is aroused.
9 I will not execute the fierceness of My anger.
I will not return to destroy Ephraim,
for I am God, and not man—the Holy One among you.
I will not come in wrath.
10 They will walk after Y^ehovah,
Who will roar like a lion;
for He will roar, and the children will come trembling from the west.
11 They will come trembling like a bird out of Egypt,
and like a dove out of the land of Assyria;

And I will settle them in their houses,” says Y^ehovah.

12 Ephraim surrounds me with falsehood,
and the house of Isra'el with deceit.
Y’hudah still strays from God,
and is unfaithful to the Holy One.

12 1 Ephraim feeds on wind,
and chases the east wind.
He continually multiplies lies and desolation.
They make a covenant with Assyria,
and oil is carried into Egypt.
2 Y^ehovah also has a controversy with Y’hudah,
and will punish Ya'akov according to his ways;
according to his deeds he will repay him.
3 In the womb he took his brother by the heel,
and in his manhood he contended with God.
4 Indeed, he struggled with the Angel, and prevailed;
he wept, and made supplication to Him.
He found Him at Bethel, and there he spoke with Us —
5 even Y^ehovah, the God of Hosts.
Y^ehovah is his name of renown!
6 Therefore turn to Eloheka.
Keep kindness and justice,
and wait continually for Eloheka.

7 A merchant has dishonest scales in his hand.
He loves to defraud.
8 Ephraim said, “Surely I have become rich.
I have found myself wealth.
In all my wealth they won’t find in me any iniquity that is sin.”

“But I am Y^ehovah Eloheka from the land of Egypt.
I will yet again make you dwell in tents,
as in the days of the solemn feast.
10 I have also spoken to the prophets,
and I have multiplied visions;
and by the ministry of the prophets I have used parables.
11 If Gilead is wicked,
surely they are worthless.

In Gilgal they sacrifice bulls.
Indeed, their altars are like heaps in the furrows of the field.

12:13(12)–14:10(9) (A)

12 Ya'akov fled into the country of Aram.
Isra'el served to get a wife.
For a wife he tended flocks and herds.
13 By a prophet Y^ehovah brought Isra'el up out of Egypt,
and by a prophet he was preserved.
14 Ephraim has bitterly provoked anger.
Therefore his blood will be left on him,
and his Adonai will repay his contempt.

13 1 When Ephraim spoke, there was trembling.

He exalted himself in Isra'el,

but when he became guilty through Baal, he died.

2 Now they sin more and more,

and have made themselves molten images of their silver,

even idols according to their own understanding,

all of them the work of the craftsmen.

They say of them, ‘They offer human sacrifice and kiss the calves.’

3 Therefore they will be like the morning mist,

like the dew that passes away early,

like the chaff that is driven with the whirlwind out of the threshing floor,

and like the smoke out of the chimney.

 

4 “Yet I am Y^ehovah Eloheka from the land of Egypt;

and you shall acknowledge no god but me,

and besides me there is no savior.

5 I knew you in the wilderness,

in the land of great drought.

6 According to their pasture, so were they filled;

they were filled, and their heart was exalted.

Therefore they have forgotten me.

7 Therefore I am like a lion to them.

Like a leopard, I will lurk by the path.

8 I will meet them like a bear that is bereaved of her cubs,

and will tear the covering of their heart.

There I will devour them like a lioness.

The wild animal will tear them.

9 You are destroyed, Isra'el, because you are against me,

against your helper.

10 Where is your king now, that he may save you in all your cities?

And your judges, of whom you said, ‘Give me a king and princes’?

11 I have given you a king in my anger,

and have taken him away in my wrath.

12 The guilt of Ephraim is stored up.

His sin is stored up.

13 The sorrows of a travailing woman will come on him.

He is an unwise son,

for when it is time, he doesn’t come to the opening of the womb.

14 I will ransom them from the power of Sheol.* Sheol is the place of the dead.

I will redeem them from death!

Death, where are your plagues?

Sheol, where is your destruction?

 

“Compassion will be hidden from my eyes.

15 Though he is fruitful among his brothers, an east wind will come,

the breath of Y^ehovah coming up from the wilderness;

and his spring will become dry,

and his fountain will be dried up.

He will plunder the storehouse of treasure.

16 Samaria will bear her guilt,

for she has rebelled against her God.

They will fall by the sword.

Their infants will be dashed in pieces,

and their pregnant women will be ripped open.”

14 1 Isra'el, return to Y^ehovah Eloheka;

for you have fallen because of your sin.

2 Take words with you, and return to Y^ehovah.

Tell him, “Forgive all our sins,

and accept that which is good;

so we offer bulls as we vowed of our lips.

3 Assyria can’t save us.

We won’t ride on horses;

neither will we say any more to the work of our hands, ‘Our gods!’

for in you the fatherless finds mercy.”

 

4 “I will heal their waywardness.

I will love them freely;

for my anger is turned away from them.

5 I will be like the dew to Isra'el.

He will blossom like the lily,

and send down his roots like Lebanon.

6 His branches will spread,

and his beauty will be like the olive tree,

and his fragrance like Lebanon.

7 Men will dwell in his shade.

They will revive like the grain,

and blossom like the vine.

Their fragrance will be like the wine of Lebanon.

8 Ephraim, what have I to do any more with idols?

I answer, and will take care of him.

I am like a green cypress tree;

from me your fruit is found.”

 

9 Who is wise, that he may understand these things?

Who is prudent, that he may know them?

For the ways of Y^ehovah are right,

and the righteous walk in them,

but the rebellious stumble in them.

 

 
[TO PARASHAH TOP] 
 

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Ketuvei HaShalichim (Apostolic Writings)

B’rit Hadashah suggested reading for Parashah Vayetze is Yochanan (John) 1:43–51

43The next day, He decided to set out for the GalilGalilee. Finding Philip, Yeshua said to him, “Follow me.” 44Now Philip was from Beit-TzaidahBethsaida, the villiage of Andrew and Kefa. 45Philip found Natan'elNathanael, and told him, “We have found Him of whom Moshe wrote about in the Torah, and the prophets foretold: Yeshua of Natzeret, the son of YosefJoseph.”

46Natan'elNathanael said to him, “Can any good thing come out of NatzeretNazareth?”

Philip said to him, “Come and see.”

47When Yeshua saw Natan'elNathanael coming toward Him, He said about him, “Here is a true Isra'elite, in whom is no deceit!”

48“How do you know me?” Natan'elNathanael asked Him.

Yeshua answered him, “Before Philip called you, I saw you under the fig tree.”

49Nathanael answered Him, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God! You are King of Isra'el!”

50Yeshua answered him, “Do you believe just because I told you, ‘I saw you underneath the fig tree’? You will see greater things than these!” 51Then He said, “Omein, omeinMost certainly,[GN] I tell you, you will see heaven opened, and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man.”

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The Blessing After the Ketuvei HaShalichim Click here to listen to this canted by Jeremiah Greenberg of Messianic Liturgical Resources. Page numbers refer to his Messianic Shabbat Siddur.
Ba-rookh ah-tah, Adonai Eh-lo-hay-noo, meh-lekh hah-oh-lahm, ah-sher na-tahn la-noo Ha-d'var Ha-eh-met v'cha-yaye oh-lahm na-ta b'toe-chey-noo. Ba-rooch ah-ta Adonai, no-tain Ha-breet Ha-cha-da-sha. Blessed are You, O Lord our God, King of the Universe, Who has given us the Word of Truth and has planted life everlasting in our midst. Blessed are you O Lord, Giver of the New Covenant.

 

The Blessing of the Messiah Click here to listen to this canted by Jeremiah Greenberg of Messianic Liturgical Resources. Page numbers refer to his Messianic Shabbat Siddur.
Ba-rookh ah-tah Adonai Eh-lo-hay-noo, meh-lekh hah-oh-lahm, ah-sher na-tahn la-noo ha-deh-rech l'y'shoo-ah b'ma-she-ahch Yeshua. Ah-mein. Blessed are You, O Lord our God, King of the Universe, Who has given us the way to salvation in Messiah Yeshua. Amen.

 

 

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Listen to VaYishlach read from the CJB

VIII. Parashah 8: Vayishlach (He sent) 32:3 –36:43

A. Reunion with Esau

1. Ya'akov Fears Esau (32:3-23)

[Near Mahanaim [MAP] 1710 BCE]

(i) 4 (3) Ya'akov sent messengers ahead of him to his brother 'Esav, to the land of Se'ir“hairt” or “shaggy” [MAP] in the country of Edom.[3] 5 (4) He instructed them, “This is what you are to say to my master 'Esav: ‘Your servant Ya'akov says, “I have been living as a foreigner with Lavan, and remained there until now. 6 (5) I have cattle, donkeys, flocks, manservants, and maidservants. I have sent this message to my master, so that I may find favor in your sight.’”

7 (6) When the messengers returned to Ya'akov, they said, “We went to your brother 'Esav. He is coming to meet you with four hundred men.”[6]

8 (7) Then Ya'akov was greatly afraid and distressed. He divided his people into two camps, along with the flocks, the herds, and the camels. 9 (8) He thought, “If 'Esav comes and attacks one camp, then other camp can escape.” 10 (9) Then Ya'akov said, “God of my father Avraham, and God of my father Yitz'chak, Y^ehovah Who told me, ‘Return to your country, and to your kindred, and I will cause you to prosper,’ 11 (10) I am not worthy of all the lovingkindness and faithfulness You have shown to Your servant; indeed I crossed over the YardenJordan River with just this staff, and now I have become two camps. 12 (11) Please deliver me from the hand of my brother 'Esav, for I am afraid of him; otherwise he may come and attack me, the mothers, and their children. 13 (12) You have said, ‘I will surely cause you to prosper, and make your offspring like the sand of the sea, which can’t be counted because there are so many.’”

 
[TO PARASHAH TOP] 
 

 

(ii) 14 (13) He stayed there that night, and took part of what he had with him as a gift for his brother 'Esav: 15 (14) two hundred female goats and twenty male goats, two hundred ewes and twenty rams, 16 (15) thirty milk camels and their young, forty cows, ten bulls, twenty female donkeys and ten male donkeys.[15] 17 (16) He entrusted them to his servants as separate herds and told them, “Go on ahead of me and leave some distance between the herds.” 18 (17)He instructed the one in the lead, “When my brother 'Esav meets you and asks you, ‘Who do you belong to? Where are you going? Whose animals are these before you?’ 19 (18) Then tell him, ‘They belong to your servant Ya'akov. They are a gift sent to my lord 'Esav. Hinneh,[GN] he also is behind us.’” 20 (19) He also instructed the second one, and the third, and everyone who was walking behind the animals, “Say the same thing to 'Esav when you find him. 21 (20) You are also to say, ‘Hinneh, your servant Ya'akov is right behind us.’” For he thought, “I want to appease 'Esav with the gift that is going ahead of me. After that I can face him, and maybe he will forgive me.”

22 (21) So the gift was sent on ahead of him while he spent that night in the camp.

23 (22)During the night he got up and took his two wives, his two maidservants, and his eleven sons, and crossed over the ford of the Yabbok.[22] 24 (23) He took them, and sent them accross the stream, along with all his possessions.

2. Ya'akov Wrestles with HaShem (32:24-26)

25 (24) So Ya'akov was left all alone, and a Man wrestled with him until daybreak. 26 (25) When the Man saw that He couldn’t defeat Ya'akov, the Man stuck Ya'akov’s hip socket as they wrestled, and dislocated his hip. 27 (26) Then the Man said, “Let Me go, for it’s daybreak.”

Ya'akov answered, “I won’t let You go unless You bless me.”

a. Ya'akov’s New Name (32:27-32)

28 (27) “What is your name?” the Man asked.

“Ya'akov,” he replied.

29 (28) Then the Man said, “Your name will no longer be Ya'akov. It will be Isra'elGod strives; because you have struggled with Elohim and with men, and you have prevailed.”

30 (29) Ya'akov asked Him, “Please tell me Your name.”

He said, “Why do you ask what My name is?” And He blessed him there.

 
[TO PARASHAH TOP] 
 

(iii) 31 (30) So Ya'akov named the place Penielface of God, saying, “I have seen Elohim face to face, and my life is preserved.”[30] 32 (31) The sun rose on him as he passed over Peniel, and he was limping because of his hip. 33 (32) That is why, to this day, the children of Isra'el don’t eat the thigh muscle that is at the hip socket, because He struck Ya'akov’s hip socket at the thigh muscle.

Chapter 33

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  1. Chapter and paragraph numbers are slightly different in English Bibles than in Hebrew Bibles. Verse numbers in parentheses are the English Bible numbering. [BACK]

 3. Edom (אֱדֹם, “red”) [MAP] is the area southeast of the Dead Sea, named after Ya'akov’s brother 'Esav, who was also called Edom (Gen 25:30). The descendants of 'Esav/Edom are called Edomites, and were later called Idumeans by the Greeks. Note the similarity between Hebrew “Edom” and Greek “Idumea.”  [BACK]

 6. Four hundred men. Perhaps 'Esav had followed in his father’s footsteps and created a “caravan business” with a “security department.” See note 2 on Gen 13 and notes 14 and 15a on Gen 14. “Four hundred men” is not to be taken literally; it is a Hebrew idiom indicating a large number of armed men. [BACK]

15. This speaks to Ya'akov’s enormous wealth. This was far more than most tribal chieftans of the era had to their name, but it was only a small portion (perhaps a tithe?) of his possessions that he was going to offer as a gift to 'Esav. [BACK]

22. The Yabbok, יַבֹּֽק (yab·bōq, “emptying”) [MAP] is a stream which intersects the mountain range of Gilead and falls into the Jordan River on the east about midway between the Sea of Galilee and the Dead Sea. [BACK]

30. Nobody can see the face of God and live (Exod 33:20-23). Because no one has ever seen God the Father at any time (John 1:18, 1 John 4:12), we know that all physical manifestations of God are God the Son, the pre-incarnate Yeshua HaMashiach. We therefore know that it was Yeshua that Ya'akov wrestled with. [BACK]

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Other commentaries on Genesis 32
Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers
Pulpit Commentary
Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary
Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

Originally posted on Monday, 30 August 2021
Revised and updated on Sunday, 16 October 2022

Page last updated on Sunday, 27 August 2023 06:22 PM (Updates are generally minor formatting or editorial changes. Major content changes are identified as "Revisions”) ANXIOUSLY WATCHING FOR MASHIACH’S RETURN, SPEEDILY AND IN OUR DAY. MARANA, TA!

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