Category: Books of the Bible

Articles Discussing Specific Books of the Bible

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Psalm 005 with Footnotes

Psalm 5

1. To the overcomer1 unto the executors.2 A ballad3 to David.4

 

2. Ear5 my sayings, Yehovah. Understand my meditation.6

 

3. Prick-up7 to the voice of my plea-for-help, my King and my Gods! 8 For I will pray9 unto Thee.

 

4. Yehovah, morning,10 Thou shalt hearken-to my voice. Morning,10 I will order11 to Thee, and I have closely-watched! 12, 13

 

5. For Thou art not a Mighty-One14 delighting-in culpability.15 Bad16 will not sojourn Thee.17

 

6. Boasters shall not take a stand straight-in-front-of18 Thine eyes. Thou hated all workers of willful-lust! 19

 

7. Thou shalt damn20 speakers of a lie.21 Yehovah will abominate22 a man of bloods23 and deceit!

 

8. And I, I will come, Thy House,24 in the multiplicity of Thy Grace! 25 I will worship26 unto the Temple of Thy Holy-[One]27 in Thy fear!28

 

9. Yehovah, favour me via Thy righteousness for-the-sake-of29 my overlords.30 Straighten Thy Way to my faces.31

 

10. For there is no establishment32 in his mouth. Their approach is ruins.33 Their throat is an open sepulchre.34 Their tongue shall divide.35

 

11. Incriminate36 them, Elohim! 37 They shall fall from their counsels! Thrust-them-out via multiplicity of their transgressions! 38 For they were bitter39 into40 Thee!

 

12. And all refugees in Thee have rejoiced to Hider! He will ululate! And Thou blanketed upon them! And He exulted! Lovers of Thy Name are in Thee!

 

13. For Thou, Thou shalt bless a righteous-[one], Yehovah! Thou shalt crown him desirability41 as a piercing-shield.42

 

__________________ 

NOTE: Some footnote topics cover numerous texts. They have been recorded, and will be copied into documents discussing those topics. If you see footnote repetition from one text to another, this will explain why.

 

Regarding the accuracy of these conclusions: Were I gifted by the Spirit of Yehovah to do this work, it would be infallible, as was the case for all ministerially gifted persons in the Bible. No true prophet of God ever erred while prophesying. No true teacher of God ever taught any erroneous teaching. The standards of God have not changed, and the Spirit of God hasn’t weakened over the centuries. Since I am not gifted, my conclusions contain numerous errors, and must be considered and challenged if you (the reader) will not be deceived. I know some answers are correct, but I will have to change some answers as I learn more and as folks like you show me that my proposed answers need changing. If you don’t like this factor of uncertainty, ask Yehovah to give me a ministerial gift along these lines in His Word so that I can give infallible responses. If He does so, you will then be responsible to believe whatever He communicates through me. In the meantime, don’t be a sucker.

 

Regarding Hebrew words: If you see what appears to be computer nonsense when a Hebrew word is being discussed, your computer does not have the font to view it. If you desire to see the same article with the Hebrew word being visible and correct, let me know; I will send you a PDF form of the same document. (You will need an Adobe Acrobat reader to see it, which is freely available from the Adobe web site.) I have tried to remove all Hebrew words from the document I placed on the web to minimize this confusion.

 

1 The root of overcomer according to Gesenius’ lexicon means to excel, be bright, be preeminent, be perpetual, be overseer, be enduring; to act as overseer or superintendent or director or chief. The noun form has the following acceptations (according to Gesenius): eminence, perpetuity, strength, victory, enduring, everlastingness; endurance in time, perpetual, continual, unto the end. Biblical usage, however, directed me toward overcomer, one who is victorious and who endures. This has connected with numerous other texts throughout the Bible.

 

2 These executors are female. They will make sure inheritances are properly divided. How did I derive this definition for this Hebrew word? Lexicographers thought this word referred to a musical instrument. I did not agree. I noticed that this word appeared related to another word meaning inheritance. The verb root of this word means to inherit. One form (the Hebrew form called hiphil) is causative, meaning that this verb form causes to occur whatever the verb means. It often obtains the yod in the position of the word we are considering. If the verb means to inherit, the causative means to cause to inherit. One who causes others to inherit is an executor. Since this noun is feminine, plural, I rendered it the way I did.

 

3 A ballad is a story in song that tells of a person’s acts. While ballads can be mythical, Biblical ballads are never mythical, giving infallible information in their stories. Biblical ballads are nearly always future events, recorded as if they have already occurred.

 

4 David literally means beloved, but comes from a root supposedly meaning to boil. It is more like a lover, showing intense passion (not necessarily bad if the relationship is appropriate).

 

5 Ear is a coined word (a word I made up). While the ear of a human or animal is a noun, this is a verb in the Hebrew. Any noun in Hebrew can be made into a verb, and vice versa! This is intentional and part of Yehovah’s design of the language. To ear is to cause one’s own ear(s) to pick up what is being communicated, and it is also cause one’s own internal ear (of the mind) to pick up the message being communicated.

 

6 A meditation is a deep, relaxed thought. It is sometimes pictured by rumination in ruminants (like sheep and cattle) that chew, swallow, then bring up what they swallow into another stomach area to again ingest more. One who Biblically meditates on the Word of God thinks carefully about it literally, desiring to understand its implications and connections.

 

7 This is a ‘childism’ in the Bible, an expression that a child would understand better than many adults. When some animals hear a faint or unusual noise that might be significant, they make their ears stand up and/or focus on the sound. This is pricking-up.

 

8 Elohim means gods. When Elohim refers to Yehovah, it is describing Him as being all the true Gods there are. He is God of the mountains, God of the heavens, God of the seas, God of fruitfulness, God of justice, etc. The word is still plural, but normally demands a singular verb. When Elohim refers to false gods, it can also take a singular verb (when those referring to elohim are speaking of their gods), but often takes plural verb forms.

 

9 Prayer (of this type) comes from a root verb meaning to intervene, interpose, pray, to mediate, judge, to intercede. The main flavour can be described this way: rolling out details in order to properly determine what is appropriate. The Bible has several different words describing different types of prayer. This is the most common.

 

10 English would demand “in the morning,” but this would change the meaning. The focus is not so much on Yehovah’s hearkening in the morning (versus at any other time), but rather on the prophetic morning that the Word of God has indicated that Yehovah will turn all things around for the speaker. The text is worded in a way that makes it sound like the speaker is out of breath! (That is what occurs when the wording becomes very short.)

 

11 Ordering is not telling Yehovah or anyone else what to do, but rather is setting things in order in preparation for something. The speaker will be placing all things in order, waiting for Yehovah to arrive and to do what He has promised.

 

12 The verb I rendered closely watch could also be rendered by the coined word perspicuate from an already existent word perspicuous. It means to see through something that would be hard to penetrate or to see. This word carries with it the flavour of one expecting to see something that will (at least at first) be quite difficult to clearly see. It is like what a wolf does when it looks toward a sound, standing very still with immobile focus.

 

13 Whenever a past-tense verb immediately follows a future-tense verb in a related sequence in Hebrew, the past-tense verb shows result and will certainly follow once the future act is done. For example, one might say in English, “I will go to the store, and I will pick up some bread.” Biblical Hebrew would word it, “I will go to the store, and I have picked up some bread.” This construction shows certainty that the past-tense action will follow the future-tense action.

 

14 The Hebrew word el literally means mighty-one, and can refer to a human as well as to God. It is only indirectly related to elohim (which normally refers to God/gods). A mighty one is known for great deeds of power and other abilities. I am not familiar with el referring to females.

 

15 Culpability indicates guilt/responsibility for an act (usually bad) at any level of guilt. A person who spills sugar is culpable of spilling sugar; a person who murders thousands is culpable of murdering thousands. Culpability does not indicate intensity. Folks who actually murder others are culpable; folks who could have rescued some who were murdered, but didn’t, are also culpable.

 

16 The Hebrew word ra means bad, and refers to any type of harm or destruction. It never refers to moral or ethical evil. Moral and ethical Evil is expressed in the Hebrew word tlwa, pronounced ‘evelet,’ from the root pronounced ‘evil’ (believe it or not!). It is used far less than ra, bad.

 

If a city is destroyed, bad would be used. If a person’s finances go to indebtedness, bad would be used. The results of sin are bad. Sin itself is a great evil.

 

17 English grammar would demand the construction, “Bad will not sojourn with Thee” or “Bad will not sojourn in Thee.” Either one will change the meaning, however. Yehovah is the Place in several Scriptural texts. If you care to know more, use your tools to look this up.

 

18 The Hebrew word neged means straight-in-front-of, but also carries with it a secondary and very important flavour: equality. Yehovah saw that Adam had no one straight-in-front-of him to help him, so He took Eve out of him. Another Hebrew word with the simple meaning of to the faces of (‘in front of’) is used far more often.

 

19 The word Iniquity is aven, and has the following acceptation, according to the lexicon: trouble, wickedness, sorrow, idolatry. Yet, other Hebrew words carried these definitions. I sought a related word to find what it actually meant, and found eevah meaning desire, lust, will, and not necessarily with an evil connotation (used one time of Yehovah!). Yet, aven always carries an evil connotation. Thus, I propose that this word means willful-lust in an evil sense, that extremely strong desire to have one’s own way at any cost to anyone and everyone else. This is the basis and foundation of all idolatry!

 

20 The Hebrew word has the following acceptations according to the lexicon: perish, vanish, go astray, be destroyed, be exterminated, to blot out, do away with. Since another word rightly covers blot out, I have chosen another acceptation that combines perish with do away with. This is to damn. This word goes beyond execution, having to do with the everlasting state of destruction for some. Perish doesn’t quite have the force of this word.

 

21 Lie is almost always singular in the Bible. The Bible seems to refer to one lie in particular. We researched this lie, and determined (to our satisfaction) that it referred to the original lie: that man, by knowing good and evil, can be as Elohim (Gods). Determine this for yourself.

 

22 To abominate is to consider something or someone morally and/or ethically disgusting, contemptible.

 

23 Bloods is plural, because the killing of one person also destroys all that person’s potential offspring (having different bloods—Yehovah knew that different persons had different blood types and different genetic compositions). The killing of many is the destruction of bloods. A man of bloods is a man who either delights in shedding blood or has been a successful warrior. King David was a man of bloods without being guilty before Yehovah in his legitimate warfare.

 

24 English would demand that ‘into’ or ‘to’ be added: “I will come into Thy House” or “I will come to Thy House.” These both change the meaning. “I will come, Thy House” identifies the speaker and the House!

 

1 Peter 4:17 For the time is that judgment must begin at the House of God. And if it first is at us, what shall the end be of them who obey not the gospel of God?

 

25 Grace is a fervent, ardent zeal by which one is actuated. Defined a little simpler, grace is a very strong, burning zeal (conviction and drive to do something) by which one is motivated to take action regarding anything. That action can be on behalf of someone or something, or it can be against someone or something. It is like a mother who is both protecting her baby from an attacker (grace toward her baby) and is attacking the attacker at the same time (grace against the attacker). Many have rightly heard that Salvation is by grace (though few know what this means), but very few know that damnation is by the very same grace! Yehovah’s fervency and zeal is against those who spurn the price He paid in His grace, and who spurn His grace.

 

26 Worship, without exception, means to prostrate (lay flat, face down) oneself before another. This act can be performed for several reasons including: (a) to show humility before another, (b) to make an urgent request, (c) to demonstrate the willingness to fully serve another, (d) to surrender to another, (e) beg for mercy.

 

27 (Technical Explanation) Translators ignored the Hebrew construction of a noun followed by an adjective with a connected pronominal ending, choosing to render it as if it were a noun with a pronominal ending followed by an adjective. This ignores Biblical Hebrew grammar rules. The adjective that has a pronominal ending becomes a nominal adjective (an adjective that behaves as a noun). An English example of this is the adjective green. “The grass was green.” Yet it can become as a noun: “They golfed on the green.” I maintain that the two following examples greatly differ:

 

His Holy mountain

 

Mountain of His Holy-[one]

 

The first describes who owns the holy mountain. The second shows that the holy one that he owns in turn owns the mountain.

 

I do not know why translators have traditionally ignored the Hebrew grammar. I refuse to ignore what I see in the Hebrew. I believe that the Word of God (in the original manuscripts) is infallible. Why should I ignore anything?

 

28 Fear (as of God) in the Bible never means ‘reverential awe’ since this is far too weak a definition. It is a very strong emotional and ethical response against bringing wrath against oneself by displeasing another, along with a knowledge of what terrible things that other can do,and is often combined with a very strong emotional and ethical desire to please another if that other is good, along with a knowledge of the good things that other can do. The proper fear of Yehovah always prods a person to refuse to sin, and to do good works.

 

29 For-the-sake-of in English means for the benefit of, but the Hebrew does not necessarily mean that. It also carries the flavour, ‘in order to teach a lesson to’.

 

30 Overlords are cruel taskmasters.

 

31 Faces is always plural in Hebrew; every living thing has more than one face (depending on the being’s rank, responsibility, mood, etc.), and the singular of face would mean turn (as in “He turned a corner”). To my faces indicates a position where the speaker is looking.

 

32 The word nachon in Hebrew is used for ‘true’ in modern Hebrew. It really means established, however, from the root to establish.

 

33 Ruins are as expected in English; they can refer to the results of a destroyed city.

 

34 That is an open grave or an open grave building.

 

35 You must determine what their (plural) tongue (singular) will divide.

 

36 Incriminate here means to cause to be found guilty of great wrong.

 

37 Elohim means gods. When Elohim refers to Yehovah, it is describing Him as being all the true Gods there are. He is God of the mountains, God of the heavens, God of the seas, God of fruitfulness, God of justice, etc. The word is still plural, but normally demands a singular verb. When Elohim refers to false gods, it can also take a singular verb (when those referring to elohim are speaking of their gods), but often takes plural verb forms.

 

38 A transgression is crossing over a command’s boundary by doing more than the command allowed or by doing less than the command stipulated. Trans means cross, and gress means go. The term transgress is only used for violations of commands that amount to sin (against God or against a ruler).

 

39 Bitterness may seem far less serious than rebellion. Rather than being far less serious, however, it is different. Rebellion is taking a stand against authority. It isn’t merely disobeying that authority, but taking a stand against it. Bitterness is the result of a lasting hurt or offense, and can be accompanied by an unrelenting anger. Most bitterness is destructive. An exception occurs with Naomi (Book of Ruth) whose bitterness leads to Ruth’s Salvation and the lineage of King David (and thus, the Messiah). Apart from such an exception, bitterness that is not put away often leads to sin and to the determination to harm the innocent. Bitterness is the cause of some Moslems’ becoming suicide destroyers. Their deity has not taken action the way they thought, so they have determined in their bitterness to help their deity, and supposedly to obtain a reward. Almost all acts of violence arise from bitterness. Thus, rebellion’s initial seed is bitterness.

 

40 Bitterness isn’t so much against a target as it is the desire to do harm into a target! It is that personal.

 

41 English would demand, “Thou shalt crown him with desirability.” This would change the force, however. Him and desirability are being made identical (as if they are the same thing). If the statement had been, “Thou shalt crown him king,” no one would read it as if it were saying, “Thou shalt crown him with king”; that would make no sense. Him and king become identical; he will be king. In the same manner, he will be desirability in Yehovah’s eyes, and in the eyes of others. This desirability will act as a piercing-shield (see the next footnote).

 

42 (Technical) The meaning of the Hebrew word tzinah seemed shrouded in mystery. Lexicographers and translators thought it was a defensive weapon, like a shield. Yet, it also seemed to be like a barb of some type. The following text shows the difficulty:

 

Psalm 35:2 Take hold of shield and buckler (tzinah), and stand up for mine help.

 

If Yehovah will stand to help, He will not have two defensive weapons, but at least one offensive weapon. A buckler is a small shield. Will Yehovah stand up with two shields? But the next verse (Psalm 35:3) states,

 

Psalm 35:3 And draw out the spear!

 

Thus, He could use more than one form of shielding for the sake of the speaker, but Yehovah is not in need Himself of any defense. He is providing it for the speaker. I propose that He will have an instrument that will act as a shield of the speaker, a barb against the enemy. And His spear will be in addition to that so that He can slaughter. Yeshua is a shield to His own, and a piercer and slaughterer to His enemies (who refuse to turn).

 

I considered the root of the word tzinah, looking at tzin and tziah, the latter referring to dryness. (Mount Zion’s name comes from this.) I thought of the Hebrew shin, the word for tooth, and it seemed related (because in Hebrew, similar-sounding words are often related).

 

The lexicographer’s acceptations of tzinah were the following: something piercing, hook, barb; coolness, cold (of snow); shield. I saw that a shield and a barb were opposites in weaponry, unless a shield was constructed with a barb. I could not easily reconcile coldness of snow with these, until we considered that snow can act as a shield (especially if it covers footprints) and as a weapon in that it can slow pursuit.

 

In this Psalm 5 text, Yehovah is crowning the righteous-one with desirability as a tzinah. If a tzinah (whatever it means) is used both defensively and offensively, it is a very desirable item, for it can keep one safe in the heat of battle or attack.

 

Since magan means shield, I did not desire to use the same meaning twice. Thus, I put piercing shield (Angela’s proposal) to give this idea.

 

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Genesis 35 – Death Questions and Proposed Answers

Death

Background and Printed Text: Genesis 35

 

1And Elohim said unto He-Will-Heel (Jacob), “Arise! Ascend House-Of-Mighty-[One]. And dwell there. And make an altar there to Mighty-[One] the Appearer unto thee in thy fleeing from the faces of Hairy thy brother.”

 

2And He-Will-Heel (Jacob) said unto his house and unto all who are with him, “Put-ye away the gods of the foreigner that are in your midst. And make yourselves clean. And change your garments. 3And we have arisen. And we have ascended House-Of-Mighty-[One]. And I have made an altar there to Mighty-[One] the Answerer of me in the day of my tribulation. And He was with me in the way that I walked.”

 

4And they gave unto He-Will-Heel (Jacob) all the gods of the foreigner that are in their hand and the earrings that are in their ears. And He-Will-Heel (Jacob) concealed them under the oak that is with Shoulder. 5And they journeyed. And the terror of Elohim was upon the cities that are round about them. And they did not pursue after the sons of He-Will-Heel (Jacob). 6And He-Will-Heel (Jacob) came toward Devious that is in the land of Merchant—he is House-Of-Mighty-[One])—he and all the people that is with him. 7And he built an altar there. And he called to the place Mighty-[One] House-Of-Mighty-[One]. For there the Gods were revealed unto him in his fleeing from the faces of his brother.

 

8And Bee (Deborah), Multiplied-Decanting’s (Rebekah’s) nurse, died. And she was buried from under to House-Of-Mighty-[One] under the oak. And he called his name Oak of Weeping.

 

9And Elohim appeared unto He-Will-Heel (Jacob) again in his coming from High Extension. And He blessed him. 10And Elohim said to him, “Thy name is He-Will-Heel (Jacob). Thy name shall not again be called He-Will-Heel (Jacob), but rather He-Will-Prince-Mighty-[One] (Israel) shall be thy name.” And He called his name He-Will-Prince-Mighty-[One] (Israel). 11And Elohim said to him, “I am Mighty-[One] My-Breasts (El Shaddai). ‘Fruit’ and multiply. A race and a congregation of races—he shall be from thee. And kings shall exit from thy loins. 12And the land that I gave to Father-Of-A-Multitude (Avraham) and to He-Will-Laugh (Isaac)—I will give her to thee and to thy seed after thee. I will give the land.” 13And Elohim ascended from upon him in the place where He spoke with him.

 

14And He-Will-Heel (Jacob) positioned a pillar in the place where he spoke with him, a pillar of stone. And he poured a pouring upon her. And he flowed oil upon her. 15And He-Will-Heel (Jacob) called the name of the place that Elohim spoke with him there House-Of-Mighty-[One] (Bate-El).

 

16And they journeyed from House-Of-Mighty-[One] (Bate-El). And there was yet a measure of the land to come to I-Will-Fruit-Her (Ephrat). And Ewe (Raquel) childed. And she was snared in her childing. 17And he was in her being snared in her childing. And the childer (midwife) said to her, “Fear not. For also this is to thee a son.” 18And he was in the exiting of her being. For she died. And she called his name Son-of-my-Exhaustion (Ben Onee). And his father called to him Son-Of-Right (Ben Yameen, Benjamin).

 

19And Ewe (Raquel) died. And she was buried on the way to I-Will-Fruit-Her (Ephrat). He is House-of-Bread (Bate-Lekhem, Bethlehem). 20And He-Will-Heel (Jacob) positioned a pillar upon her grave. He is the Pillar of Ewe’s (Raquel’s) Grave unto today.

 

21And He-Will-Prince-Mighty-[One] (Israel) journeyed. And he stretched her tent from beyond to Flock Tower.

 

22And he was in He-Will-Prince-Mighty-[One’s] (Israel’s) abiding in that land. And They-Saw-A-Son (Reuben) walked. And he lay with Via-Languishing (Bilhah) his father’s concubine. And He-Will-Prince-Mighty-[One] (Israel) heard.

 

And the sons of He-Will-Heel (Jacob) were twelve.

 

23The sons of Weary (Leah):

 

The firstborn of He-Will-Heel (Jacob) is They-Saw-A-Son (Reuben),

 

And

 

Hearkening (Shimon)

 

And

 

My-Near-[one] (Levi)

 

And

 

He-Confessed-Yehovah (Judah)

 

And

 

There-Is-A-Wage (Issachar)

 

And

 

They-Cohabited (Zebulun).

 

24The sons of Ewe (Raquel):

 

He-Will-Gather (Joseph)

 

And

 

Son-Of-Right (Benjamin).

 

25And the sons of Via-Languishing (Bilhah), Ewe’s (Raquel’s) slavewoman:

 

He-Adjudicated (Dan)

 

And

 

My-Wrestling (Naphtali).

 

26And the sons of Her-Trickling (Zilpah), Weary’s (Leah’s) slavewoman:

 

Troop (Gad)

 

And

 

Happy (Asher).

 

These are the sons of He-Will-Heel (Jacob) who were childed to him in High Extension.

 

27And He-Will-Heel (Jacob) came unto He-Will-Laugh (Isaac) his father to Bitter-Causer (Mamre), City of the Four (Kiryat Arba). He is Friendship (Hebron) where Father-Of-A-Multitude (Avraham) and He-Will-Laugh (Isaac) sojourned. 28And the days of He-Will-Laugh (Isaac) were a hundred year and eighty year. 29And He-Will-Laugh (Isaac) expired. And he died. And he was gathered old and full of days unto his peoples. And his sons Hairy (Esau) and He-Will-Heel (Jacob) buried him.

 

 

 

I. The Instructions (verse 1)

 

(Two of Jacob’s sons had murdered the males of an entire city. Jacob knew that the Canaanites and Perizzites would pursue him and his family to take vengeance. Jacob did not know what to do. Yehovah now told him what to do.)

 

Elohim told Jacob to arise and ascend to Bate El (Bethel), and to dwell there. He commanded him to make an altar to Mighty One Who had appeared to him when he fled from the faces of Esau.

 

Questions

 

1. Why did Elohim tell Jacob to arise and to ascend Bethel (as if he must run) instead of telling him to remain while He (Elohim) delivered him from all his neighbours and enemies?

 

  • Elohim did not desire Jacob’s sons to mix with the population of the land.
  • Yehovah sometimes gives escape rather than delivering. No person should consider running necessarily an act of cowardice.
  • The neighbours of Jacob would have remained bitter if he had remained in the area.
  • Jacob would have had no peace in that area after what his sons had done.
  • Jacob now has widows and fatherless children of those slain in his group; he didn’t need them being enemies with help from the neighbours—internal strife with folks from the outside.
  • Cattle and sheep need changes of pasture.
  • Had Yehovah defended Jacob, and thus His sons, Yehovah would have been declaring that the action of his sons was right. Jacob had to leave to avoid this problem.

 

2. What is the purpose of making and using an altar and doing a sacrifice in the Bible? Animal sacrifices to Yehovah in the Bible show a picture (like in show-and-tell) of an innocent person or group dying to aid, rescue or save another person or group (who may be guilty or who also may be innocent). All sacrifices that involve animals are of this nature. Thus, if a person considers each sacrifice, then learns what will occur during the Tribulation, that person will understand events in the Tribulation, since these sacrifices almost always (or perhaps always) refer to heroism during the Tribulation. (I will explain the Tribulation below.)

 

Most sacrifices of animals in the Bible are not for sin, but are for other reasons. This is true in this case. Jacob did not sin, and he will do a sacrifice in Bethel to Yehovah.

 

I propose that this text teaches that Jacob (that is, Israel—part of Israel) will return to Bethel during the Tribulation. Some of the folks helping that part of Israel come to Bethel will give their lives for Israel to help Israel flee from enemies. Elohim will memorialize their heroism through these sacrifices centuries before they even are born.

 

Eating from sacrificed animals shows participation with the sacrificed animals, but even more, with the heroes and heroines that the animals typify. Those who eat of the sacrifice are joining themselves to those who will sacrifice themselves.

 

Yehovah never commanded to eat or drink blood from any sacrifice; that would be an abomination (a terrible and disgusting thing) before Yehovah. The only blood participation that the Bible shows is about Messiah’s blood; He is the only One Who can give His life via His blood so that others will live. Messiah’s sacrifice is for physical and Spiritual Salvation, whereas these heroes and heroines will be sacrificing themselves for physical salvation (rescue from death), and not for everlasting Salvation. Yeshua is the only one who can do that.

 

Thus, every altar and every sacrifice that Saints did in the Bible were always for show-and-tell, picturing future events.

 

About the Tribulation: The Bible describes the Tribulation in many texts. I will give some characteristics of the Tribulation that I have learned so far.

 

  • The Tribulation will occur many centuries from now. We are nowhere near the Tribulation. Yehovah promised to keep His Covenant to a thousand generations; the Tribulation will occur in the 999th generation.
  • The Tribulation lasts seven years.
  • Yehovah causes the Tribulation to begin. He is very angry with Israel, having given the Israelis many centuries to come to the right conclusions by studying history and the Bible. When the leadership in Israel does a great wrong, Yehovah starts the Tribulation, strongly attacking and slaughtering Israelis, but also determining to maintain them and to save those who will come to faith.
  • When the races around Israel see the attacks from Yehovah against Israel, some decide that this is a good time to get rid of Israel, Yehovah and Messiah Yeshua at once. Thus, they attack Israel.
  • Yehovah is so angry at the attacking groups, that He attacks among the races throughout the world. This intense slaughter kills the largest number of humans that I have heard—one slaughter kills more than a billion persons. (He doesn’t kill anyone who would come to faith or who would help Israel; He only kills those who either are enemies of Israel or don’t care.)
  • Before the Tribulation, a world leader will arise who will take over all governments on the face of the earth. He will be known as the antichrist, because he is against Christ—against the Messiah (Christ being from the Greek language, and Messiah being from the Hebrew language, but meaning the same thing: one who is anointed, and thus assigned by God to do something). The Bible calls the antichrist the Assyrian, since he will be from the race of Assyria.
  • This world leader, the Assyrian, will later determine that Israel must be destroyed, since the God of Israel is messing up the planet, and thus the kingdom of the Assyrian. A second in command under the Assyrian will be a man called the false prophet. He will be the leader who directly attacks Jerusalem during the Tribulation.
  • Many terrible things will occur during the Tribulation; it will be the worst time the world has ever seen. Yehovah will do many great miracles during the Tribulation; greater miracles than what Yeshua did will be done by common folks.
  • Israelis/Jews will be scattered all over the world during the Tribulation. They will be treated from very bad to very well, depending on whether folks who find them are with or against the Assyrian.
  • A main point of the Tribulation will be to bring the Israelis to Mount Zion. Mount Zion must become much bigger than it is now, and Yehovah will do that during the second part of the Tribulation.
  • All who are non-Jewish who help the Jews during the Tribulation will be risking their lives and families. Yehovah will remember them as heroes and heroines, and will reward them. All who refuse to help the Jews will be killed and damned by the end of the Tribulation.
  • All the Israelis will finally turn in faith before the Tribulation ends. The number of Israelis will be much smaller after the Tribulation than before it, since Yehovah will remove and kill all who will not believe. The populations of the races will be just as dramatically cut down by the end of the Tribulation. Some among the races will believe.
  • Some who are not Jewish will be heroes and heroines without knowing who the Gods of Israel is/are. They are guaranteed to be given life, then everlasting life, since they risked all to save Yeshua’s property, Israel.
  • Messiah Yeshua’s arrival on Mount Zion will stop the Tribulation; it will have lasted seven years. Yet, so many strange, frightening and wonderful things will have happened during that time. Folks from all the races will sing songs of the events that occurred during the Tribulation, and those songs will be sung for a thousand years!

I could say so much more about the Tribulation, but this document would be too long. If you have questions, please ask.

 

3. Why did Elohim tell Jacob to make an altar to “Mighty One the Appearer unto thee” instead of making the altar to Yehovah, to Elohim, or to some other description of God? This is strange, because Yehovah’s name is not used in the description, “Mighty One the Appearer unto thee.” Elohim is speaking to Jacob, but Elohim didn’t even tell Jacob to make an altar to Elohim. Instead, He uses this curious description: “Mighty One the Appearer unto thee.” I propose that the use of this description is because when the event is fulfilled during the Tribulation, the Israelis who experience this will still not know who this God is. They will know that this is the God who appeared to Jacob, but they still won’t know that this is Yeshua.

 

Every name and/or title used for God in every text is deliberate, carefully planned, and descriptive of what those who experience the fulfillment of the show-and-tell will experience and understand.

 

4. Will later Israelis flee from Esau, and if so, will there be an appearance of the Mighty One at that time? The Israelis will flee from Esau’s descendents, the Edomites, who will hate them. (The Edomites are some of the occupants of a country next to Israel known as Jordan.) Yehovah will appear as the Mighty One at that time. This way, the Israelis will begin ‘to connect the dots’ to see the picture: This present God is the same as the God Who appeared to Jacob! Every experience noted in the Bible is there to teach about future things.

 

 

II. Jacob’s Commands (verses 2-3)

 

(Jacob now had a very much larger household. All the Hivite women and children left alive were now part of his people, taken captive by his sons.)

 

Jacob commanded his house and all who were with him, “Put-ye away the gods of the foreigner that are in your midst.” He also commanded, “Make yourselves clean. And change your garments.”

 

He told them the plan, once they had changed their garments: “And we have arisen. And we have ascended House-Of-Mighty-[One]. And I have made an altar there to Mighty-[One] the Answerer of me in the day of my tribulation.”

 

Jacob stated, “And He was with me in the way that I walked.”

 

Questions

 

1. Why did Jacob’s house (that is, his wives, children, slaves, and all others who are with him, including the women and children who were added as a result of the slaughter done by Jacob’s sons) have idols in the first place? Didn’t they know that Jacob feared and believed in Yehovah? Wouldn’t Jacob have insisted that no one will keep or have an idol? Saints in the Bible never destroyed or removed any idols from others unless Yehovah directly commanded it. Yehovah once commanded the destruction of idolaters, not just their idols, when they had become vile (extremely bad and sinful). He also commanded the Israelis to kill any idolaters among the Israelis!

 

Jacob knew that his wives and others had idols. This did not interfere in his very good relationships with them.

 

Jacob was a prophet. This is usually not known about him, but the words he spoke that are recorded are often prophetic. (Prophetic words are words that will occur exactly as they describe, and are given by God. One major purpose of prophecy is so that lives will be saved.)

 

What Jacob experienced will be exactly like what parts of Israel will experience later during the Tribulation.

 

During the Tribulation, parts of Israel will be idolatrous. They will be told to put away the gods of the foreigner in the same way, and they will respond just as Jacob’s household responded.

 

Jacob’s entire house knew what Jacob believed, but Jacob never forced his faith on anyone. Any person who is wise will never force his or her faith on someone else.

 

2. Who or what are the gods of the foreigner, and who is this foreigner? The gods of the foreigner are not the Gods of Israel.

 

Yehovah does not have a bad view of idolatrous folks from other countries. He treats them very well. A person whose idolatry leads to great sin and murder is a foreigner to Yehovah.

 

When the Bible uses foreigner, it is often a strongly negative (bad) term. He never considers one who fears Him as a foreigner. A foreigner is almost always an idolater who does great sin. He or she isn’t just a sojourner, but a very bad (vile) idolater.

 

He spoke of the gods of the foreigner in this way showing readers that the House of Jacob had borrowed gods from other groups that were vile (very bad) in their idolatry. The Israelis have borrowed gods of a foreigner to this day; they picked up those gods in Babylon during the Babylonian captivity, and they have maintained those gods through Judaism.

 

The Bible doesn’t identify a particular foreigner, but uses this expression as if there is only one.

 

3. What were they supposed to do with those gods? They didn’t know, so they gave them to Jacob!

 

4. Why did Jacob desire that they put the gods away? Why didn’t Jacob tell them to destroy them? Jacob was prophesying. The instructions he gave will be the most useful during the Tribulation.

 

He didn’t tell them to destroy them because that takes time, and they were valuable—often made of gold. He didn’t want them to continue carrying even the gold and other parts of value, since they easily could associate the other parts with the gods. He desired them entirely gone.

 

Jacob desired his entire household to be presentable before Yehovah. Jacob knew that this didn’t mean that they were no longer idolaters; anyone can be an idolater with or without an idol.

 

5. What does “make yourselves clean” mean and involve? This involves bathing themselves in water, and changing (or washing) their garments. It is a physical act that pictures a spiritual event.

 

Do not relate this to baptism. It isn’t related.

 

In order for a group to be clean before Yehovah, that group must be doing what is right. Every sin truly makes a person unclean.

 

Several acts made the Israelis physically unclean, including touching a dead body, drinking from a container where a bug had died, touching someone else who is unclean, etc. These acts weren’t sin. They were types that teach by show-and-tell. (Can you figure what touching a dead body pictures?)

 

Jacob did not command them to become Spiritually clean, but only physically clean. (This clean is not the opposite of dirty, but instead is the opposite of unclean. A person can be unclean, yet be physically quite clean.)

 

6. What does changing garments typify? It typifies (pictures) putting on righteousness.

 

Revelation 7:13 And one of the elders answered, saying unto me, “What are these who are arrayed in white robes, And from where did they come?” 14And I said unto him, “Sir, thou knowest.” And he said to me, “These are they who came out of great tribulation. And they have washed their robes! And they made them white in the blood of the Lamb! 15Therefore they are before the throne of God…”

 

That blood of Messiah covers and removes sin. Yehovah never commanded the Israelis to use blood to cleanse garments, however; water was right to picture making clean.

 

7. Was House of Mighty One a house like what you know? It was a location with nothing on it (as far as I know) at this time. Yet, this name prophesies that the House of the Mighty One of Israel (Yeshua) will be located there at a future time.

 

Every name in the Bible indicates something. Folks named locations according to events that happened there or persons who came there. This location was named according to an event that will happen far into the future.

 

When that event occurs, either a building by that name will be constructed there, or more likely, a group of individuals who together make up the House of the Mighty One of Israel will gather there and will do great miracles, showing great love for each other as heroes and heroines.

 

The Bible also uses the word house for a group that is related (also including slaves as part of the house).

 

8. Why did Jacob call God “Mighty One the Answerer of me in the day of my tribulation”? Jacob is a prophet! He is prophesying what will happen during the Tribulation to various groups of Israel and those joined to Israel as they go toward Mount Zion, the only safe place on the planet.

 

Most Israelis and others won’t know Yehovah very well. They will see the works of a being whom they will know as the Mighty One, and even as the Mighty One of Israel, but who is he? He will answer Israel in the day of the Tribulation by doing exactly what they request! This is one of the ways they will come to know Yeshua.

 

9. Jacob said, “He was with me in the way that I walked.” What did Jacob mean, and what happened while he walked? The way a person walks in the Bible has to do with the person’s conduct in life on a daily basis.

 

Does the person do right? Does the person do wrong? Does the person sometimes do right, and sometimes do wrong?

 

Is the person selfish? Is the person thoughtful of others? Is the person sometimes selfish, and sometimes thoughtful of others?

 

Does the person do justice (when doing justice will be costly, like standing up for an unpopular person whom others are mistreating)? Does the person refuse to do justice when it will be costly (like when the person will now also be mistreated by others who are cruel)? Does the person sometimes do justice, and sometimes decide not to do justice (when justice can be done)?

 

A person who does wrong has a bad walk, and if bad enough, an evil walk. A person who does right has a good walk; if they do good consistently (all the time), they have a righteous walk.

 

A person who sometimes does right and sometimes does wrong has a bad or an evil walk. All the good this person does is completely gone for the bad that this person does even if the good far outweighs the bad.

 

Jacob determined to do good at all times. Yehovah was with Jacob in the way he walked.

 

Jacob had some very bad experiences. Yehovah was very much with Jacob while he experienced those very bad experiences. Thus, having Yehovah with a person doesn’t mean that the person will avoid very bad experiences. Anyone who has a good walk will refuse to do bad even when experiencing very bad things.

 

 

III. The Real God (verses 4-7)

 

All in Jacob’s group gave to him all the gods of the foreigner that were in their hand, and the earrings that were in their ears. Jacob concealed them under the oak that was with Shechem, the city named after the leader who was killed.

 

They then journeyed. Instead of the Canaanites and the Perizzites gathering together to slaughter Jacob and his men, Elohim put terror into all the surrounding inhabitants. They did not pursue the sons of Jacob.

 

Jacob came toward Luz, the old name for Bate El (Bethel) in the land of Canaan. He built the altar there and renamed the place Mighty One House of Mighty One (El Bate El). That was the place where the Gods had been revealed to him while he fled from the faces of his brother.

 

Questions

 

1. Did they also give Jacob their own gods—gods that were not of the foreigner? All the gods that were not Yehovah were gods of the foreigner!

 

Yehovah is never in the form of an image or statue. All pictures of ‘Jesus’ show a man who isn’t the Biblical ‘Jesus’ (Yeshua). Those pictures are the same as statues and idols.

 

Yehovah commanded the Israelis to not make any images of Him. All images of Him, except for humans themselves, are violations of one of the Ten Statements (known as the Ten Commandments).

 

2. Why did they also give the earrings in their ears??? Their earrings were as much part of idolatry as their images.

 

This does not mean that earrings are wrong. Most earrings are fine, and some are very pretty. Earrings that are associated with a foreign god are wrong.

 

3. Why did Jacob conceal them under a tree? Jacob was not interested in destroying them, and he didn’t want to leave them open to view, knowing that others would find them and use them. Concealing (hiding) them was quick. If any of the idolaters in Jacob’s group truly desired to find and pick up their gods again, they could. Jacob was not about to force them away from their gods.

 

4. What caused the terror that kept the locals from pursuing the sons of Jacob? The text states that it was the terror of Elohim, indicating either that Elohim caused the terror, or that the locals became very frightened of Elohim. I cannot tell which it was—or whether it was both. While the Bible doesn’t give the cause of the terror—that is, what terrified the locals, they did not pursue Jacob’s sons. They knew that pursuing Jacob’s sons would end in some terrible disaster.

 

5. Why would a city be named Devious? Its name came from some person or experience. A reader cannot know unless the Bible, a local history, or the Spirit of God Himself tells why.

 

6. Did anyone else take part in building the altar with Jacob? I cannot tell from the text whether anyone else helped—slave or free—by gathering stones for Jacob.

 

7. Why did he call to the place? What does that mean? When one names another or an object, one calls to the person or the object. We would just say that he called it—whatever, but that doesn’t really mean that he named it that. Calling to the place also indicates that he is speaking to the place; he is speaking to it and naming it.

 

8. Why did he call the place “Mighty One House of Mighty One”? Isn’t that an odd and long name? It isn’t a long name in Hebrew: El Bate-El. Jacob associated that place with the future House of Mighty One, where the Mighty One will be the One Yehovah assigned to be the Salvation of Israel: Messiah Yeshua.

 

A Messiah is one who has been anointed—who has been assigned to a task by Yehovah. That anointing often takes the form of a prophet pouring oil on the top of the head of a person, showing that the person has been anointed, and also showing that the anointing is from God through the prophet.

 

Anyone or anything that is anointed has an oil or a cream poured or rubbed on the area being anointed.

 

A lamb’s or a goat’s head is anointed with an oil to keep bugs out of its ears so that it won’t be bothered and distracted by pesky creatures that can drive an animal crazy. Thus, it can do its assignment of eating grass and drinking water without distraction so that it will grow good wool.)

 

It will be called the House of Mighty One, since all in that household, all who come who are good guys, will belong to the Mighty One of Israel.

 

The place is called “Mighty One House of Mighty One” because the Mighty One will also be there—not just His household.

 

The text states, “For there the Gods were revealed unto him in his fleeing from the faces of his brother.” Thus, he named it also as a reminder of the Gods Who revealed themselves unto him when he originally fled from his brother.

 

 9. Elohim (Gods) is plural in Hebrew, yet it usually takes a singular verb (a verb showing that there is just one doing the action, not more than one). This text is different, since Elohim is plural as usual, but the verb is also plural! Why is this text written this way? Jacob saw more than one appearance of God when he saw the ladder. He saw Yehovah at the top, and he saw the ladder itself, a picture of Messiah Yeshua Himself:

 

Genesis 28:12 And [Jacob] dreamed. And behold, a ladder is set up on the land, and the top of it reached to the heavens. And behold the angels of God are ascending and descending on it. 13And, behold, Yehovah stood above it.

 

John 1:51 And [Yeshua] says unto him, “Faith! I say faith unto you hereafter ye shall see the heavens open and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of man!”

 

Thus, Jacob saw both Yehovah and Yeshua in that dream; the Gods were revealed unto him.

 

 

IV. Death (verse 8)

 

Deborah, Rebekah’s nurse, was greatly loved. Her death greatly affected everyone. She was buried “from under to” (down yonder from) Bethel, under the oak tree. The oak was named Oak of Weeping.

 

Questions

 

1. What is a nurse in the Bible? It is a woman who breastfeeds an infant of another woman. She often participates in rearing the child (teaching the child and taking care of the child).

 

2. How can a reader know that some in Jacob’s group greatly loved Deborah? Jacob named the place Oak of Weeping, telling readers that there was much weeping by and under that oak tree—weeping for Deborah.

 

3. If a person is greatly loved so that there is much weeping at the person’s death, what did the person do to be so greatly mourned? Great mourning means that the person greatly benefited others in very personal ways.

 

Regular mourning often occurs over the death of a father, a mother, a sister, a brother, a girlfriend, etc. Great mourning, however, occurs for a person who was a listener, who cared and who did acts that showed that he or she cared, and who invested in the lives of others.

 

Consider those around you right now. If a person died, would you greatly mourn, or would you just feel sad, would you feel happy, or would you feel nothing? Would you soon go back to the way you felt before you heard that the person died?

 

How can you live to guarantee that you will be greatly mourned when you die?

 

4. If Deborah was Rebekah’s nurse, what was their relationship? Deborah was likely a slavewoman of Rebekah. She would be much older, of course, since she probably breastfed Rebekah, and she certainly tended her from the time she was young. She would therefore be very much like Rebekah’s mother in so many decisions and thoughts in life. A person usually could confide in (tell a secret to) a nurse, and could count on that nurse in so many situations.

 

5. Why did many have nurses? Why didn’t their own mothers behave as their nurses? Their own mothers were their nurses, but daily life was hard. A nurse worked with the mother, but also freed up the mother to tend to other children, to the husband, and to run the household. When a girlchild grew up and married, the nurse often went with the new wife to help her so that the new wife could make wise decisions and learn new skills.

 

Nurses sometimes married, and they also sometimes had children of their own. Nurses who were slaves would still tend and work with and for the children of the owners, and the owners therefore easily became very attached to the nurses as their own mothers. It was a win-win situation in many cases.

 

 

V. Another Appearance (verses 9-13)

 

Elohim again appeared to Jacob in his journey from Padan Aram. He blessed him. Elohim then said to Jacob, “Thy name is Jacob. Thy name shall not again be called Jacob, but rather Israel shall be thy name.” Then Elohim called his name Israel.

 

Elohim next re-identified Himself: “I am Mighty-[One] My-Breasts (El Shaddai).” With that identification in mind, He said, “‘Fruit’ (become fruitful and bear fruit) and multiply. A race and a congregation of races—he shall be from thee. And kings shall exit from thy loins.”

 

Elohim promised to give the land that He gave to Avraham and to Isaac also to Jacob and to Jacob’s seed after Jacob. Elohim then ascended “from upon him” in the very place where He spoke with him.

 

Questions

 

1. Why did Elohim again appear unto Jacob? He appeared to bless him and to give him more information and commands.

 

2. What does bless mean? It means to give a benefit to another by which that person must benefit others.

 

Suppose a father blessed a daughter with a well of water—with a spring that produces good water without having to be pumped. Since he blessed her with it, it is now her responsibility to benefit others using that spring. Thus, she might make the water available to folks who desire to come and obtain the very good water. She might also plant a garden for sojourners using the water. She cannot keep it for herself alone. Blessings are not for that purpose.

 

Suppose that a mother blesses a son with an automobile. The son then must use the automobile wisely, and must benefit others—perhaps by driving folks who cannot drive to places where they need to go.

 

A blessing is not like a gift; it is more of a responsibility given freely to the person to whom it is given.

 

The word bless in Hebrew also means to invoke—to call to or into someone to do something or be something, or to prophesy what the person or offspring of the person will later do.

 

3. The text states that Elohim told Jacob, “Thy name is Jacob. Thy name shall not again be called Jacob, but rather Israel shall be thy name.” In Genesis 32:28, the man wrestling with Jacob already told him this. Why did Elohim say the same thing the man said?

 

  • This tells the reader that the man in Genesis 32:28 was Elohim, in case the reader didn’t know that.
  • Since Elohim said it twice, it must be very important information for readers of the Bible and for Jacob to know.
  • This is the only case of twice giving the same name change. Yet, Yehovah still called this man Jacob at times, and Israel at other times.
  • Jacob will truly prince (coronate—that is, crown) the Mighty One of Israel—Messiah Yeshua.

 

4. Elohim said, “Thy name shall not again be called Jacob, but rather Israel shall be thy name.” Did Elohim stop calling this man Jacob? No, He didn’t. The permanent change of name will occur just before the Millennium. The name Israel means He will prince Mighty One. That will occur some time between Messiah’s arrival to this planet on Mount Zion and His ruling as King for a thousand years (during the Millennium which means thousand years).

 

Since Yehovah still calls him Jacob, this prophecy will be fulfilled at a future time.

 

5. Why did Elohim identify Himself as Mighty One My Breasts (El Shaddai)? Every name and title used for God is very important in every text. Elohim describes Himself as both the Mighty One (of Israel) and ‘My Breasts,’ referring to Israel as if Israel is a breastfeeding baby, and referring to Him as if He, Elohim, is the mother who is breastfeeding Israel the baby. Since breast milk normally has everything that the baby needs to properly grow, and since it also gives the baby what it needs to overcome many diseases (it inoculates the baby), breastfeeding gives the right picture of Elohim and Israel during the Tribulation.

 

Israel at that time will be as vulnerable (in danger of being harmed or killed) as a baby. Elohim will save Israel, and will provide food, drink, shelter and clothing for Israel so that His promises to Avraham will occur. This is the only way Israel will be able to ‘fruit’ and multiply.

 

6. What does ‘fruit’ mean in verse 11? I am using it in a way that you mustn’t! I am using it as a verb (a word showing action) rather than as a noun (a person, place or thing). I am using it as if it means, “bear and produce fruit.”

 

7. What will happen if Israel ‘fruits’? Anyone in the Bible who produces good fruit is ‘fruiting,’ and does some action that is ethically or morally right.

 

Ethics are right actions and behaviour in one’s work and culture—whatever is proper and legal.

 

Morality is a set of beliefs by which one always does right actions and behaviours in the treatment of others—does whatever is proper and helpful to others who are doing right. Morality is never sinful or destructive. Morality must always include a god/God, since only a god/God can define what is good and what is right. (Different gods differ on what is right.)

 

When Israel ‘fruits,’ the Israelis as individuals, as groups, and as one large group will do actions that will save lives, save from harm, will benefit others in the other races, and will work for the benefit of others who are not hardened doers of evil. Thus, Israelis will risk their lives (or even lose their lives) to save the lives of children, the elderly, imprisoned innocent ones, those who are sick, etc. They will help innocent folks escape to Mount Zion, and they will refuse to stand with their own families if their families refuse to help the innocent.

 

8. How can Israel multiply? Israel (the race) can have more children. Some from other races will join themselves to Israel to become part of the People of Israel; Israel will also multiply in this way.

 

9. What is a race? It is any very large group of individuals who all have a common great great… great grandfather. (The number of ‘greats’ isn’t important.) For example, if a large group of individuals can trace their ancestry back to Avraham, they are a race. A race usually also includes one mother, but not always. Jacob had four women as wives, yet his sons all produced one race.

 

10. What is a congregation of races? It is a congregation (a large group gathered for one purpose) of races.

 

Thus, many races who all get together at various times will all trace their ancestry back to Jacob.

 

11. What does “kings shall exit from thy loins” mean? This means that Jacob’s offspring somewhere down the line will produce kings. Kings will be able to trace their ancestry back to Jacob.

 

12. If Elohim will give Jacob and Jacob’s seed the land that He promised Avraham and Isaac, doesn’t He have to take the land away from Avraham and Isaac to do this? No, He doesn’t. They will all be owners of the same land, and they will enjoy the land, its inhabitants, and its visitors together!

 

13. Who is this seed? It is Messiah Yeshua, as another text explains:

 

Galatians 3:16 Now, the promises were made to Avraham and his seed. He doesn’t say, “And to seeds,” as of many; but “And to thy seed” as of one, which is Messiah!

 

14. Why did Elohim say, “I will give the land”? He is making clear to all careful readers that the Israelis will not be able to get that land on their own, no matter what they do or try. He alone must give that land—the Land of Israel—to them.

 

15. What did Elohim look like? I propose that He looked like Yeshua after Yeshua was resurrected, but without the holes from nails and sword. Elohim is Yeshua.

 

16. The text states that Elohim ascended from upon Jacob. What does that mean? The word upon is the same as by in Hebrew, but it is more personal—coming right into a person’s personal ‘space.’ It is like when an adult speaks closely and firmly with a child—the child feels like the adult is upon him or her! Elohim appeared to Jacob as the Mighty One; Jacob understood that this was a ‘big Man’—who is God.

 

 

VI. A Pillar and a Name (verses 14-15)

 

Jacob positioned a stone pillar in the place where Elohim spoke with him. He poured a pouring upon the stone, and he ‘flowed’ oil upon the stone. He called that place where God had spoken to him Bate El.

 

Questions

 

1. Why did Jacob position a stone pillar in the place where Elohim spoke with him? The word pillar (matzevah in Hebrew) comes from the verb meaning to take a stand, like what a person would do who is determined to remain and not budge from a place, or not budge from a decision. I propose that Jacob’s offspring in the Tribulation will do exactly that in this very location: they will take a stand and refuse to budge. If this is correct, what happens next with the oil pouring will also occur at that time.

 

2. What did Jacob pour upon her? Who is she? Why did Jacob do this? This part of the verse gives two different actions: Jacob poured something, and he flowed something. I propose that Jacob poured oil upon the stone (feminine in gender, and thus, her), and I propose that it pictures the Spirit of the Holy One of Israel being poured on the stone.

 

If the stone pictures Messiah, this pouring is the act of anointing—assigning a work and a responsibility. While extremely few Jewish folks today believe that Yeshua is the anointed One of Yehovah, they will come to recognize this during the Tribulation. This location and this event pictures some very important change in the Israelis. I propose that they will come to recognize that Yeshua is the Anointed One of Yehovah—as if they are anointing Him personally.

 

3. What does oil picture in the Bible? I propose that oil pictures preparedness—being prepared for some assignment, including being given the power to do it and to keep away all distractions that would stop it from being done.

 

4. If the above is true, why anoint a rock? If that Rock is Messiah, and if the timing of the fulfillment of this event will be the Tribulation, that Rock will be where folks who are part of the House of the Mighty One of Israel will congregate (gather). They will be given an assignment or assignments and plenty of power to do what is required!

 

When the Israelis experience edible oil coming out of a rock in which they found safety from their enemies, they will remember what Jacob did when he poured oil on the rock.

 

 

VII. The Hard Birth (verses 16-18)

 

They journeyed from House of God, and had a little way to go to come to Ephrat (known also as Bethlehem). Raquel was pregnant, and she gave birth. The child was not coming out properly. The midwife finally got the child out, and it was a boy. She spoke to the greatly pained and weakened Raquel, telling her to not fear; this child was also a son. Raquel was dying, however. She called the child Son of my Exhaustion (Ben Onee). Jacob called the little one Son of my Right (Benjamin).

 

Questions

 

1. What was the distance from Bethel to Ephrat?

 

Jacob's Journeys 

On the map (copyright Access Foundation, Zaine Ridling, Ph.D., Editor), find Bethel and Bethlehem (which is Ephrat). It was about 30 miles.

 

2. What does “Raquel childed” mean? This means that she began to give birth.

 

3. What does “she was snared in her childing” mean? I propose that this is a breech birth, where the feet or buttocks appear first. This birth can lead to injury of the baby or the mother. Babies usually need to come out head-first; otherwise the arms with the head can get stuck.

 

4. What does “he was in her being snared in her childing” mean? This means that what happened next was during the time of the baby being snared—being stuck. They were trying to turn the little one around, or were trying to get the baby out in the breech position.

 

5. What is a midwife? A midwife is a woman who has experience birthing a child. She has training in its complications, and she can greatly help in this process whether there is or isn’t a doctor or birthing nurse available.

 

The word for midwife used in this text literally means childer, indicating a person who helps bring a child from the womb.

 

6. Why did the midwife tell Raquel not to fear? The midwife knew that Raquel was being strained to death. If Raquel could relax she would be able to make it—or she had a better chance of making it. Knowing that she had a son might give Raquel the stamina (ability to make it) that she needed.

 

7. What does “he was in the exiting of her being” mean? This tells the reader that the next event occurred while Raquel was dying. The exiting of her being is the time when the soul and the spirit exit from the person’s physical body.

 

The soul of the person is the real person; you are a soul. The soul is where the personality is found.

 

The physical body of a person is like a house for the soul.

 

The spirit of the person is the life-giving breath, as well as the character that the person has determined to live.

 

The spirit that gives the physical body life returns to Yehovah; He alone gives life to every living thing in this universe.

 

8. Who is she in, “And she called his name Ben Onee”? She is Raquel. She named the child just before she died.

 

9. Why didn’t Jacob honour the name she gave to the child?

 

  • Jacob did not desire the name of the child to remind him or others of this terrible and sorrowful incident.
  • The name of the child was prophetic. Yehovah desired the child to have the right name.

10. What does right mean in, “Son-Of-Right”? It refers to direction: right versus left. It is not right versus wrong.

 

11. Why did Jacob name this child Ben Yameen? Jacob was a prophet. The Spirit of Yehovah directed him to name the child. Apart from this, I cannot tell.

 

 

VIII. Another Pillar (verses 19-20)

 

Raquel died. She was buried on the way to Ephrat (also known as Bethlehem, House of Bread). Jacob positioned a pillar upon her grave. That is the Pillar of Raquel’s Grave to this very day.

 

Questions

 

1. Did Raquel die in Bethlehem? No, she didn’t; she died on the way to Bethlehem.

 

2. What other famous person was born in this area of Israel? Yeshua was born in Bethlehem centuries after Raquel died.

 

3. What does Bethlehem mean? It means House of Bread. That can refer to a bakery where bread is made, or it can refer to a city named after a place that had bread when folks needed it. It can refer to a number of possibilities. The most important reason for its name is because Yeshua, later called the bread of life, was born there so that all could obtain the bread that gives everlasting life.

 

John 6:35 And Yeshua said unto them, “I am the bread of life. He who comes to me shall never hunger! And he who believes on me shall never thirst!”

 

4. Why did Jacob position a pillar upon her grave? He determined to mark the spot where she was buried—perhaps to be able to find it again later.

 

5. Was Jacob sad? Jacob had worked for her for fourteen years. He had then worked so hard for six more years. Now, he had gotten free, and had spent some time with her; then the incident with Dinah caused them to move. She died so suddenly. Jacob would have been very sad.

 

6. If we go to Israel to look for this Pillar of Raquel’s grave, will we find it? No. Most landmarks in Israel are false, made up so that tourists think they are seeing something from centuries ago. (The Israelis haven’t done this; the landmarks were there before the present State of Israel was established.)

 

There is a possibility of the real marker being found, but it is a very remote (unlikely) possibility. Someone wanting a souvenir may have taken the real maker centuries ago. The Bible speaks of it as if it can be found right where Jacob placed it.

 

 

IX. Settling (verses 21-22)

 

Israel journeyed. He stretched (set up) her tent just beyond a location called Flock Tower.

 

During the time that Israel abode in that land, Reuben walked and lay with Bilhah, his father’s concubine. Israel heard about this.

 

Questions

 

1. Where is Flock Tower? According to one dictionary that I sought, it is “a tower between Bethlehem and Hebron.” See the map above to find these two locations.

 

2. The text states, “he stretched her tent…” Whose tent did he stretch? Jacob stretched the tent of Raquel, as far as I could tell. The text didn’t identify which woman’s tent. This may have been a way for him to grieve for her if it was Raquel’s tent.

 

3. What happened in verse 22? Israel abode in the land (he stayed there for a while). Reuben, Jacob’s firstborn son walked. He went in to Bilhah (I expect into her tent), and he had sexual intercourse with her. Bilhah was Jacob’s concubine. Israel heard what had occurred.

 

4. What is a concubine? It is a woman who is like a wife in many ways, but neither she nor her children inherit anything from the man.

 

5. Was what Reuben did wrong? Yes! It was quite wrong! It was the kind of action that occurred before the flood in Noah’s day, when men took whatever or whomever they desired. What Reuben did was a son having sex with his mother, though Bilhah wasn’t Reuben’s mother; she was a stepmother.

 

I cannot find any command against this, yet. Yehovah will later command against this when He gives Israel the commandments.

 

6. Why didn’t Bilhah scream or fight? The text doesn’t say. She may have desired this. She may have felt like she had been raped. She may have had many other possible reactions and feelings. The text doesn’t say.

 

7. Why did Reuben do this? Reuben’s act was against his father. He showed great contempt for his father. I suspect that Reuben was still furious over what had happened to his natural and direct sister, Dinah.

 

8. Why didn’t Jacob do anything about this? What could Jacob do? Could he execute his firstborn son? Could he send him away? Jacob again waited. Nothing will be done about the terrible act of Reuben until Yehovah gives Jacob prophecy over what will become of Reuben’s offspring in Genesis 49.

 

9. From whom did Jacob hear this? The text again doesn’t tell the reader.

 

 

X. The List (verses 22-26)

 

The Bible now gave a list of the twelve sons of Jacob with their mothers.

 

Leah: Reuben, Shimon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, Zebulun

 

Raquel: Joseph, Benjamin

 

Bilhah: Dan, Naphtali

 

Zilpah: Gad, Asher

 

These sons were ‘childed’ to Jacob in Padan Aram.

 

Questions

 

1. Memorize the names of the twelve sons in order as given in this text. (No question.)

 

2. Now, place the meanings of the names of the twelve sons in order. They are:

 

They-Saw-A-Son Hearkening My Near [one] He Confessed Yah There is a wage They Cohabited He will Gather Son of Right He Adjudicated My Wrestling Troop Happy.

 

3. I will now string them together to see if sentences are present. (Hebrew sentence order is a little different from English sentence order.) Compare the answer above with this below:

 

They saw a son hearkening. My near one confessed Yah! There is a wage! They cohabited. Son of Right will gather. He adjudicated my wrestling. A troop is happy!

 

This tells a story, if I have correctly divided it.

 

Its story starts out, “They saw a son hearkening.” That has been what Yehovah has desired from the Israelis from the very beginning.

 

Then, “My near one confessed Yah!” Another Jewish person (perhaps) confessed Yah, stating that he (or she) now knows that Yehovah exists, and that he (or she) believes in Yehovah.

 

Next, the declaration, “There is a wage!” shows that the Israelis will begin to realize that they will be rewarded for doing right and well. They will obtain a wage for their service to Yehovah!

 

“They cohabited.” The Israelis will form into small groups, and they will do everything together in these groups. They will all need to seek shelter and bedding, often all being in the very same bed as if they were brothers and sisters, husbands and wives, just to survive.

 

“Son of Right will gather.” Yehovah’s Son Who sits at His Right hand, Yeshua, will gather all Israel that is scattered, along with all who have been friends to Israel during the Tribulation.

 

“He adjudicated my wrestling.” He, Yehovah, will formally judge the struggle that the entire People of Israel has had with Yehovah and with His Messiah.

 

“A troop is happy!” The Israelis are finally truly right (righteous) before Yehovah. They are gaining only victories over their enemies at this time during the last part of the Tribulation. They will go out in troops; they will rescue and save lives; they will come and go, a very happy troop of soldiers (including men and women).

 

I propose the above based on many other texts I have seen. That doesn’t mean that it is right. I cannot prove this particular gathering of these names.

 

4. I will again string them together, but with the names of the parents involved, to see if sentences are present. The following are the names:

 

He-Will-Heel Weary They-Saw-A-Son Hearkening My-Near-[One] He-Confessed-Yah There-Is-A-Wage They-Cohabited Ewe He-Will-Gather Son-Of-Right Via-Languishing He-Adjudicated My-Wrestling Her-Trickling Troop Happy

 

I propose this, stringing it all together:

 

He will heel, weary. They saw a son hearkening. My near one confessed Yah! There is a wage! They cohabited. Son of Right will gather a ewe via languishing. He adjudicated my wrestling. Her trickling troop is happy!

 

This also tells a story.

 

“He will heel, weary.” To ‘heel’ is to go for the heel of another, including to trip the person or to at least bring the person down. Jacob (Israel, the people) is very weary at this time. This is the only type of warfare that can be done because the enemies are too strong to be attacked in the open. This is earlier in the Tribulation, I propose.

 

“They saw a son hearkening.” That has been what Yehovah has desired from the Israelis from the very beginning.

 

Then, “My near one confessed Yah!” Another Jewish person (perhaps) confessed Yah, stating that he (or she) now knows that Yehovah exists, and that he (or she) believes in Yehovah.

 

Next, the declaration, “There is a wage!” shows that the Israelis will begin to realize that they will be rewarded for doing right and well. They will obtain a wage for their service to Yehovah!

 

“They cohabited.” The Israelis will form into small groups, and they will do everything together in these groups. They will all need to seek shelter and bedding, often all being in the very same bed as if they were brothers and sisters, husbands and wives, just to survive.

 

“Son of Right will gather a ewe via languishing.” Yehovah’s Son Who sits at His Right hand of Yehovah— that is, Yeshua, will gather all Israel that is scattered as if they are sheep, right down to even a ewe lamb, along with all who have been friends to Israel during the Tribulation. This will occur when all are languishing. It is the heart of the 23rd Psalm, which is about a sheep that is dying at the beginning, and becomes very strong by the end.

 

“He adjudicated my wrestling.” He, Yehovah, will formally judge the struggle that the entire People of Israel has had with Yehovah and with His Messiah.

 

“Her trickling troop is happy!” The Israelis are finally truly right (righteous) before Yehovah. They are trickling  to Mount Zion in small groups. They are so happy! They see others! This is Psalm 126, where the trickling groups come together at Mount Zion, and realize that they are not the only ones left alive; other groups are coming there also!

 

See how I changed what I thought of the last part, once I saw the trickling? I needed the names of the women to get a better picture of what will occur. Again, I cannot prove that I have divided the names properly, but I do know that the declarations perfectly fit what I have seen elsewhere in the Bible. You will see them, too, as you study the Bible!

 

 

XI. Isaac’s Death (verses 27-29)

 

Jacob came back to Isaac his father in Mamre/Kiryat Arba (also known as Hebron) where Avraham and Isaac previously sojourned.

 

Isaac lived 180 years worth of days. He then expired and died, and was gathered unto his peoples old and full of days. Esau and Jacob buried him together.

 

Questions

 

1. Did Jacob see his father Isaac again? Yes, he did! He was able to spend time with him before he died.

 

2. Was 180 years a long time to live? The number of years that folks lived decreased as time went on. 180 years was long.

 

3. What is the difference between expiring and dying? Expiring is exhaling, breathing out (breathing out one’s last breath, in this case). Dying is when the heart stops and the brain ceases to function, when the spirit and the soul leave the physical body.

 

4. In what way was he gathered unto his peoples? All his relatives and ancestors who died before him went to Sheol. Those in Biblical faith went to one part of Sheol, and those not in faith went to another part. Those in one part could speak to others in the other part, but they could not get to each other.

 

Thus, Jacob went to where the rest of his folks who had died were waiting to be judged. Jacob was on the good side of Sheol, known as Paradise.

 

5. When folks die today, are they gathered to their peoples? Most folks are. Sheol is still where it was before, but now it only has folks who died without Biblical faith. This is where almost all folks go when they die.

 

A very few go to the heavens—the place where those who have Biblical faith now go when they die. The part of Sheol that was the good side, that had Paradise, the real Garden of Eden, was transferred to the heavens. That is what folks normally call heaven.

 

Since most folks will die without Biblical faith, they will never go to the heavens, though at nearly all funerals those who speak will assume that the dead person went to heaven.

 

6. Esau and Jacob buried their father together. What does this show? This shows that Esau and Jacob now were friends, as well as brothers. They both mourned together over the death of their papa.

 

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Genesis 35 – Death

Death

Background and Printed Text: Genesis 35

 

1And Elohim said unto He-Will-Heel (Jacob), “Arise! Ascend House-Of-Mighty-[One]. And dwell there. And make an altar there to Mighty-[One] the Appearer unto thee in thy fleeing from the faces of Hairy thy brother.”

 

2And He-Will-Heel (Jacob) said unto his house and unto all who are with him, “Put-ye away the gods of the foreigner that are in your midst. And make yourselves clean. And change your garments. 3And we have arisen. And we have ascended House-Of-Mighty-[One]. And I have made an altar there to Mighty-[One] the Answerer of me in the day of my tribulation. And He was with me in the way that I walked.”

 

4And they gave unto He-Will-Heel (Jacob) all the gods of the foreigner that are in their hand and the earrings that are in their ears. And He-Will-Heel (Jacob) concealed them under the oak that is with Shoulder. 5And they journeyed. And the terror of Elohim was upon the cities that are round about them. And they did not pursue after the sons of He-Will-Heel (Jacob). 6And He-Will-Heel (Jacob) came toward Devious (Luz) that is in the land of Merchant (Canaan)—he is House-Of-Mighty-[One])—he and all the people that is with him. 7And he built an altar there. And he called to the place Mighty-[One] House-Of-Mighty-[One]. For there the Gods were revealed unto him in his fleeing from the faces of his brother.

 

8And Bee (Deborah), Multiplied-Decanting’s (Rebekah’s) nurse, died. And she was buried from under to House-Of-Mighty-[One] under the oak. And he called his name Oak of Weeping.

 

9And Elohim appeared unto He-Will-Heel (Jacob) again in his coming from High Extension. And He blessed him. 10And Elohim said to him, “Thy name is He-Will-Heel (Jacob). Thy name shall not again be called He-Will-Heel (Jacob), but rather He-Will-Prince-Mighty-[One] (Israel) shall be thy name.” And He called his name He-Will-Prince-Mighty-[One] (Israel). 11And Elohim said to him, “I am Mighty-[One] My-Breasts (El Shaddai). ‘Fruit’ and multiply. A race and a congregation of races—he shall be from thee. And kings shall exit from thy loins. 12And the land that I gave to Father-Of-A-Multitude (Avraham) and to He-Will-Laugh (Isaac)—I will give her to thee and to thy seed after thee. I will give the land.” 13And Elohim ascended from upon him in the place where He spoke with him.

 

14And He-Will-Heel (Jacob) positioned a pillar in the place where he spoke with him, a pillar of stone. And he poured a pouring upon her. And he flowed oil upon her. 15And He-Will-Heel (Jacob) called the name of the place that Elohim spoke with him there House-Of-Mighty-[One] (Bate-El).

 

16And they journeyed from House-Of-Mighty-[One] (Bate-El). And there was yet a measure of the land to come to I-Will-Fruit-Her (Ephrat). And Ewe (Raquel) childed. And she was snared in her childing. 17And he was in her being snared in her childing. And the childer (midwife) said to her, “Fear not. For also this is to thee a son.” 18And he was in the exiting of her being. For she died. And she called his name Son-of-my-Exhaustion (Ben Onee). And his father called to him Son-Of-Right (Ben Yameen, Benjamin).

 

19And Ewe (Raquel) died. And she was buried on the way to I-Will-Fruit-Her (Ephrat). He is House-of-Bread (Bate-Lekhem, Bethlehem). 20And He-Will-Heel (Jacob) positioned a pillar upon her grave. He is the Pillar of Ewe’s (Raquel’s) Grave unto today.

 

21And He-Will-Prince-Mighty-[One] (Israel) journeyed. And he stretched her tent from beyond to Flock Tower.

 

22And he was in He-Will-Prince-Mighty-[One’s] (Israel’s) abiding in that land. And They-Saw-A-Son (Reuben) walked. And he lay with Via-Languishing (Bilhah) his father’s concubine. And He-Will-Prince-Mighty-[One] (Israel) heard.

 

And the sons of He-Will-Heel (Jacob) were twelve.

 

23The sons of Weary (Leah):

 

The firstborn of He-Will-Heel (Jacob) is They-Saw-A-Son (Reuben),

 

And

 

Hearkening (Shimon)

 

And

 

My-Near-[one] (Levi)

 

And

 

He-Confessed-Yehovah (Judah)

 

And

 

There-Is-A-Wage (Issachar)

 

And

 

They-Cohabited (Zebulun).

 

24The sons of Ewe (Raquel):

 

He-Will-Gather (Joseph)

 

And

 

Son-Of-Right (Benjamin).

 

25And the sons of Via-Languishing (Bilhah), Ewe’s (Raquel’s) slavewoman:

 

He-Adjudicated (Dan)

 

And

 

My-Wrestling (Naphtali).

 

26And the sons of Her-Trickling (Zilpah), Weary’s (Leah’s) slavewoman:

 

Troop (Gad)

 

And

 

Happy (Asher).

 

These are the sons of He-Will-Heel (Jacob) who were childed to him in High Extension.

 

27And He-Will-Heel (Jacob) came unto He-Will-Laugh (Isaac) his father to Bitter-Causer (Mamre), City of the Four (Kiryat Arba). He is Friendship (Hebron) where Father-Of-A-Multitude (Avraham) and He-Will-Laugh (Isaac) sojourned. 28And the days of He-Will-Laugh (Isaac) were a hundred year and eighty year. 29And He-Will-Laugh (Isaac) expired. And he died. And he was gathered old and full of days unto his peoples. And his sons Hairy (Esau) and He-Will-Heel (Jacob) buried him.

 

 

I. The Instructions (verse 1)

 

(Two of Jacob’s sons had murdered the males of an entire city. Jacob knew that the Canaanites and Perizzites would pursue him and his family to take vengeance. Jacob did not know what to do. Yehovah now told him what to do.)

 

Elohim told Jacob to arise and ascend to Bate El (Bethel), and to dwell there. He commanded him to make an altar to Mighty One Who had appeared to him when he fled from the faces of Esau.

 

Questions

 

1. Why did Elohim tell Jacob to arise and to ascend Bethel (as if he must run) instead of telling him to remain while He (Elohim) delivered him from all his neighbours and enemies?

 

2. What is the purpose of making and using an altar and doing a sacrifice in the Bible?

 

3. Why did Elohim tell Jacob to make an altar to “Mighty One the Appearer unto thee” instead of making the altar to Yehovah, to Elohim, or to some other description of God?

 

4. Will later Israelis flee from Esau, and if so, will there be an appearance of the Mighty One at that time?

 

 

II. Jacob’s Commands (verses 2-3)

 

(Jacob now had a very much larger household. All the Hivite women and children left alive were now part of his people, taken captive by his sons.)

 

Jacob commanded his house and all who were with him, “Put-ye away the gods of the foreigner that are in your midst.” He also commanded, “Make yourselves clean. And change your garments.”

 

He told them the plan, once they had changed their garments: “And we have arisen. And we have ascended House-Of-Mighty-[One]. And I have made an altar there to Mighty-[One] the Answerer of me in the day of my tribulation.”

 

Jacob stated, “And He was with me in the way that I walked.”

 

Questions

 

1. Why did Jacob’s house (that is, his wives, children, slaves, and all others who are with him, including the women and children who were added as a result of the slaughter) have idols in the first place? Didn’t they know that Jacob feared and believed in Yehovah, and wouldn’t Jacob have insisted that no one will keep or have an idol?

 

2. Who or what are the gods of the foreigner, and who is this foreigner?

 

3. What were they supposed to do with those gods?

 

4. Why did Jacob desire that they put the gods away? Why didn’t Jacob tell them to destroy them?

 

5. What does “make yourselves clean” mean and involve?

 

6. What does changing garments typify?

 

7. Was House of Mighty One a house like what you know?

 

8. Why did Jacob call God “Mighty One the Answerer of me in the day of my tribulation”?

 

9. Jacob said, “He was with me in the way that I walked.” What did Jacob mean, and what happened while he walked?

 

 

 

III. The Real God (verses 4-7)

 

All in Jacob’s group gave to him all the gods of the foreigner that were in their hand, and the earrings that were in their ears. Jacob concealed them under the oak that was with Shechem, the city named after the leader who was killed.

 

They then journeyed. Instead of the Canaanites and the Perizzites gathering together to slaughter Jacob and his men, Elohim put terror into all the surrounding inhabitants. They did not pursue the sons of Jacob.

 

Jacob came toward Luz, the old name for Bate El (Bethel) in the land of Canaan. He built the altar there and renamed the place Mighty One House of Mighty One (El Bate El). That was the place where the Gods had been revealed to him while he fled from the faces of his brother.

 

Questions

 

1. Did they also give Jacob their own gods—gods that were not of the foreigner?

 

2. Why did they also give the earrings in their ears???

 

3. Why did Jacob conceal them under a tree?

 

4. What caused the terror that kept the locals from pursuing the sons of Jacob?

 

5. Why would a city be named Devious?

 

6. Did anyone else take part in building the altar with Jacob?

 

7. Why did he call to the place? What does that mean?

 

8. Why did he call the place “Mighty One House of Mighty One”? Isn’t that an odd and long name?

 

9. Elohim (Gods) is plural in Hebrew, yet it usually takes a singular verb (a verb showing that there is just one doing the action, not more than one). This text is different, since Elohim is plural as usual, but the verb is also plural! Why is this text written this way?

 

 

 

IV. Death (verse 8)

 

Deborah, Rebekah’s nurse, was greatly loved. Her death greatly affected everyone. She was buried “from under to” (down yonder from) Bethel, under the oak tree. The oak was named Oak of Weeping.

 

Elohim again appeared to Jacob in his journey from Padan Aram. He blessed him. Elohim then said to Jacob, “Thy name is Jacob. Thy name shall not again be called Jacob, but rather Israel shall be thy name.” Then Elohim called his name Israel.

 

Elohim next re-identified Himself: “I am Mighty-[One] My-Breasts (El Shaddai).” With that identification in mind, He said, “‘Fruit’ (become fruitful and bear fruit) and multiply. A race and a congregation of races—he shall be from thee. And kings shall exit from thy loins.”

 

Elohim promised to give the land that He gave to Avraham and to Isaac also to Jacob and to Jacob’s seed after Jacob. Elohim then ascended “from upon him” in the very place where He spoke with him.

 

Questions

 

1. What is a nurse in the Bible?

 

2. How can a reader know that some in Jacob’s group greatly loved Deborah?

 

3. If a person is greatly loved so that there is much weeping at the person’s death, what did the person do to be so greatly mourned?

 

4. If Deborah was Rebekah’s nurse, what was their relationship?

 

5. Why did many have nurses? Why didn’t their own mothers behave as their nurses?

 

 

V. Another Appearance (verses 9-13)

 

Elohim again appeared to Jacob in his journey from Padan Aram. He blessed him. Elohim then said to Jacob, “Thy name is Jacob. Thy name shall not again be called Jacob, but rather Israel shall be thy name.” Then Elohim called his name Israel.

 

Elohim next re-identified Himself: “I am Mighty-[One] My-Breasts (El Shaddai).” With that identification in mind, He said, “‘Fruit’ (become fruitful and bear fruit) and multiply. A race and a congregation of races—he shall be from thee. And kings shall exit from thy loins.”

 

Elohim promised to give the land that He gave to Avraham and to Isaac also to Jacob and to Jacob’s seed after Jacob. Elohim then ascended “from upon him” in the very place where He spoke with him.

 

Questions

 

1. Why did Elohim again appear unto Jacob?

 

2. What does bless mean?

 

3. The text states that Elohim told Jacob, “Thy name is Jacob. Thy name shall not again be called Jacob, but rather Israel shall be thy name.” In Genesis 32:28, the man wrestling with Jacob already told him this. Why did Elohim say the same thing the man said?

 

4. Elohim said, “Thy name shall not again be called Jacob, but rather Israel shall be thy name.” Did Elohim stop calling this man Jacob?

 

5. Why did Elohim identify Himself as Mighty One My Breasts (El Shaddai)?

 

6. What does ‘fruit’ mean in verse 11?

 

7. What will happen if Israel ‘fruits’?

 

8. How can Israel multiply?

 

9. What is a race?

 

10. What is a congregation of races?

 

11. What does “kings shall exit from thy loins” mean?

 

12. If Elohim will give Jacob and Jacob’s seed the land that He promised Avraham and Isaac, doesn’t He have to take the land away from Avraham and Isaac to do this?

 

13. Who is this seed?

 

14. Why did Elohim say, “I will give the land”?

 

15. What did Elohim look like?

 

16. The text states that Elohim ascended from upon Jacob. What does that mean?

 

 

VI. A Pillar and a Name (verses 14-15)

 

Jacob positioned a stone pillar in the place where Elohim spoke with him. He poured a pouring upon the stone, and he ‘flowed’ oil upon the stone. He called that place where God had spoken to him Bate El.

 

Questions

 

1. Why did Jacob position a stone pillar in the place where Elohim spoke with him?

 

2. What did Jacob pour upon her? Who is she? Why did Jacob do this?

 

3. What does oil picture in the Bible?

 

4. If the above is true, why anoint a rock?

 

 

VII. The Hard Birth (verses 16-18)

 

They journeyed from House of God, and had a little way to go to come to Ephrat (known also as Bethlehem). Raquel was pregnant, and she gave birth. The child was not coming out properly. The midwife finally got the child out, and it was a boy. She spoke to the greatly pained and weakened Raquel, telling her to not fear; this child was also a son. Raquel was dying, however. She called the child Son of my Exhaustion (Ben Onee). Jacob called the little one Son of my Right (Benjamin).

 

Questions

 

1. What was the distance from Bethel to Ephrat?

 

2. What does “Raquel childed” mean?

 

3. What does “she was snared in her childing” mean?

 

4. What does “he was in her being snared in her childing” mean?

 

5. What is a midwife?

 

6. Why did the midwife tell Raquel not to fear?

 

7. What does “he was in the exiting of her being” mean?

 

8. Who is she in, “And she called his name Ben Onee”?

 

9. Why didn’t Jacob honour the name she gave to the child?

 

10. What does right mean in, “Son-Of-Right”?

 

11. Why did Jacob name this child Ben Yameen?

 

 

VIII. Another Pillar (verses 19-20)

 

Raquel died. She was buried on the way to Ephrat (also known as Bethlehem, House of Bread). Jacob positioned a pillar upon her grave. That is the Pillar of Raquel’s Grave to this very day.

 

Questions

 

1. Did Raquel die in Bethlehem?

 

2. What other famous person was born in this area of Israel?

 

3. What does Bethlehem mean?

 

4. Why did Jacob position a pillar upon her grave?

 

5. Was Jacob sad?

 

6. If we go to Israel to look for this Pillar of Raquel’s grave, will we find it?

 

 

IX. Settling (verses 21-22)

 

Israel journeyed. He stretched (set up) her tent just beyond a location called Flock Tower.

 

During the time that Israel abode in that land, Reuben walked and lay with Bilhah, his father’s concubine. Israel heard about this.

 

Questions

 

1. Where is Flock Tower?

 

2. The text states, “he stretched her tent…” Whose tent did he stretch?

 

3. What happened in verse 22?

 

4. What is a concubine?

 

5. Was what Reuben did wrong?

 

6. Why didn’t Bilhah scream or fight?

 

7. Why did Reuben do this?

 

8. Why didn’t Jacob do anything about this?

 

9. From whom did Jacob hear this?

 

 

X. The List (verses 22-26)

 

The Bible now gave a list of the twelve sons of Jacob with their mothers.

 

Leah: Reuben, Shimon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, Zebulun

 

Raquel: Joseph, Benjamin

 

Bilhah: Dan, Naphtali

 

Zilpah: Gad, Asher

 

These sons were ‘childed’ to Jacob in Padan Aram.

 

Questions

 

1. Memorize the names of the twelve sons in order as given in this text.

 

2. Now, place the meanings of the names of the twelve sons in order.

 

3. I will now string them together to see if sentences are present. (No question)

 

4. I will again string them together, but with the names of the parents involved, to see if sentences are present. (No question)

 

XI. Isaac’s Death (verses 27-29)

 

Jacob came back to Isaac his father in Mamre/Kiryat Arba (also known as Hebron where Avraham and Isaac previously sojourned.

 

Isaac lived 180 years worth of days. He then expired and died, and was gathered unto his peoples old and full of days. Esau and Jacob buried him together.

 

Questions

 

1. Did Jacob see his father Isaac again?

 

2. Was 180 years a long time to live?

 

3. What is the difference between expiring and dying?

 

4. In what way was he gathered unto his peoples?

 

5. When folks die today, are they gathered to their peoples?

 

6. Esau and Jacob buried their father together. What does this show?

 

Posted on

Genesis 31-33 The Fear QA

The Fear

Background Text: Genesis 31 through Genesis 33

Printed Text: Genesis 31:55-33:20

 

Genesis 31:55 And White (Laban) early-rose in the morning. And he kissed to his sons and to his daughters. And he blessed them. And he walked. And White (Laban) returned to his place.

 

Chapter 32

1And He-Will-Heel (Jacob) walked to his way. And messengers of Elohim encountered into him. 2And He-Will-Heel (Jacob) said, just-as he saw, “This is the camp of Elohim!” And he called the name of that place Two-Camps.

 

3And He-Will-Heel (Jacob) sent messengers to his faces unto Hairy his brother toward the land of He-Goat field of Red. 4And he commanded them to say, “Thus ye shall say to my lord, to Hairy, ‘So said thy slave He-Will-Heel (Jacob), “I sojourned with White (Laban), and I afterwarded unto now. 5And an ox is to me and an ass, a flock and a slave and a woman-slave. And I sent her to tell to my lord to find favour in thine eyes.”’”

 

6And the messengers returned unto He-Will-Heel (Jacob) to say, “We came unto thy brother, unto Hairy. And also he walked to meet thee. And four hundred man are with him!” 7And He-Will-Heel (Jacob) feared very-much. And he ‘tribulated’ to him.

 

And he halved the people that is with him and the flock and the herd and the camels to two camps. 8And he said, “If Hairy will come unto the one camp and he will smite him, and the remaining camp will be for an escape.”

 

9And He-Will-Heel (Jacob) said, “Gods of my father Father-Of-A-Multitude (Avraham) and Gods of my father He-Will-Laugh (Isaac), Yehovah Who said unto me, ‘Return to thy land and to thy childhood,’ and ‘I have good-done with thee,’ 10I smalled from all the graces and from all the Truth that Thou did with Thy slave. For I crossed-over this Jordan via my staff. And now I was to two camps. 11Deliver me, na, from the hand of my brother, from the hand of Hairy (Esau)! For I am fearing him lest he will come and will smite me, mother upon children! 12And Thou, Thou hast said, ‘Good-doing, I will good-do with thee,’ and, ‘I will put thy seed as sand of the sea that he will not scroll from multiplication.’”

 

13And he lodged there in that night. And he took a rest to Hairy his brother from the comer into his hand: 14two hundred she-goats and twenty butt-ers, two hundred ewes and twenty rams, 15thirty lactating camels and their children, forty cows and ten bulls, twenty she-asses and ten he-asses. 16And he gave into the hand of his slaves, a flock a flock by himself. And he said unto his slaves, “Cross-ye-over to my faces. And ye shall put a breather between flock and between flock.” 17And he commanded the head to say, “For Hairy my brother will meet thee. And he will ask thee to say, ‘To whom art thou?’ and ‘Where wilt thou walk?’ and ‘To whom are these to thy faces?’ 18And thou shalt say, ‘To thy slave—to He-Will-Heel (Jacob). He is a rest sent to my lord—to Hairy. And behold, he is also after us.’” 19And he commanded also the second, also the third, also all the walkers after the flocks to say, “Ye shall speak as this speech unto Hairy in your finding him. 20And ye shall also say, ‘Behold, thy slave He-Will-Heel (Jacob) is after us.’” For he said, “I will cover her—his faces—via the rest walking to my faces. And afterward I will see his faces. Perhaps he will carry my faces.” 21And the rest crossed over upon his faces. And he lodged in that night in the camp.

 

22And he, he arose in that night. And he took his two women and his two womenslaves and his eleven sons. And he crossed-over the Jabbok crossing. 23And he took them. And he crossed-them-over the brook. And he crossed-over what is to him.

 

24And He-Will-Heel (Jacob) remained alone. And a man wrestled with him unto the ascending of the sunrise. 25And he saw that he will-not-be-able to him. And he touched in the palm of his thigh. And the palm of He-Will-Heel’s (Jacob’s) thigh dislocated in his wrestling with him. 26And he said, “Send me! For the sunrise ascended!” And he said, “I will not send thee but-rather thou blessed me!” 27And he said unto him, “What is thy name?” And he said, “He-Will-Heel (Jacob)”. 28And he said, “Thy name shall no more be called ‘He-Will-Heel (Jacob)’, but-rather ‘He-Will-Prince-Mighty-[One] (Israel).’ For thou princed with Elohim and with men, and thou wast able.” 29And He-Will-Heel (Jacob) asked. And he said, “Tell, na, Thy Name.” And He said, “Why is this? Thou wilt ask to my name?” And He blessed him there. 30And He-Will-Heel (Jacob) called the name of the place Faces-Of-Mighty-[One]. “For I saw Elohim faces unto faces, and my being was rescued!”

 

31And the sun sun-rose to him just-as he crossed-over They-Turned-Mighty-[One]. And he is limping upon his thigh. 32Therefore the children of Israel will not eat the sinew of the tendon that is upon the palm of the thigh unto this day. For He touched in the palm of He-Will-Heel’s (Jacob’s) thigh in the sinew of the tendon.

 

Chapter 33

1And He-Will-Heel (Jacob) lifted up his eyes. And he saw. And, behold, Hairy came. And with him are four hundred man. And he divided the children upon Weary (Leah) and upon Ewe (Raquel) and upon two of the slavewomen. 2And he put the slavewomen and their children headward and Weary (Leah) and her children afterwards and Ewe (Raquel) and He-Will-Gather (Joseph) afterwards. 3And he crossed-over to their faces. And he prostrated landward seven strokes unto his nearing unto his brother. 4And Hairy ran to meet him. And he embraced him. And he fell upon his neck. And he kissed him. And they wept.

 

5And he lifted up his eyes. And he saw the women and the children. And said, “Who are these to thee?” And he said, “The children that Elohim favoured thy slave.” 6And the slavewomen neared there and their children. And they prostrated. 7And also Weary (Leah) neared and her children. And they prostrated. And He-Will-Gather (Joseph) neared after, and Ewe (Raquel), and they prostrated. 8And he said, “Who is to thee? All this camp that I encountered?” And he said, “To find favour in the eyes of my lord.” 9And Hairy (Esau) said, “I have much, my brother. He will be to thee what is to thee.” 10And He-Will-Heel (Jacob) said, “Don’t, na, if, na, I found favour in thine eyes! And thou shalt take my rest from my hand. For therefore I saw thy faces as seeing faces of Elohim. And thou desired me. 11Take, na, my blessing that is brought to thee. For Elohim favoured me, and for there is to me all.” And he urged him. And he took.

 

12And he said, “We shall journey. And we have walked. And I have walked to straight-in-front-of thee.” 13And he said unto him, “My lord knows that the children are tender. And the flock and the herd ascend upon me. And they shall drive them one day. And they shall die—all the flock. 14My lord shall cross-over, na, to the faces of his slave. And I, I will conduct-myself for gentleness to the foot of the errand that is to my faces and to the foot of the children until that I will come unto my lord Goatward.” 15And Hairy (Esau) said, “I will post, na, with thee from the people that is with me.” And he said, “Why this? I will find favour in the eyes of my lord!”

 

16And Hairy (Esau) returned to his way in that day, Goatward. 17And He-Will-Heel (Jacob) journeyed Camouflagesward. And he built to him a house. And he made camouflages to his cattle. Therefore he called the name of the place Camouflages.  18And He-Will-Heel (Jacob) came to Peace, a city of Shoulder that is in the land of Merchant in his coming from Ransom-Of-I-Will-Elevate. And he camped to the faces of the city. 19And he acquired a portion of the field that he spread his tent there from the hand of the children of Ass father of Shoulder via a hundred certified. 20And he positioned an altar there. And he called to him Mighty-[One] Gods of Israel.

 

I. Jacob and Laban at Peace (Genesis 31:55)

Laban rose early in the morning. He kissed his sons and his daughters. He also blessed them. He then took his journey, going back to his place.

 

Questions

1. Why did Laban get up so early? He had a long way to travel. He needed to take advantage of all the light he could.

 

2. Who were his sons? They were his grandsons! Grandsons, great grandsons, etc. are considered sons in the Bible! As far as I am aware, all of Laban’s direct sons stayed with Laban; he did not need to kiss them.

 

3. Why did his daughters accept being kissed by him when he had been so mean to them? They still loved their papa. They would not have been rude to him; that would have been wrong.

 

4. How did Laban bless his sons and daughters? The Bible doesn’t tell. His blessings would have been according to his faith, and he didn’t have the same faith as Jacob. When Saints blessed their children in the Bible, when the blessings were recorded, the blessings were prophetic and from the Spirit of Yehovah. They were therefore true blessings. I don’t know the source of Laban’s blessings.

 

5. Was Laban better able to think, now? Yes, he was. Jacob had stolen his mind, but Laban seemed much more at peace since they made the vow.

 

II. Jacob and the Camp of Elohim (Genesis 32:1-2)

Jacob also walked, continuing on his journey. Messengers of Elohim encountered him. Jacob described what he saw: “This is the camp of Elohim!” He named the place Two-Camps.

 

Questions

1. Who were these messengers? They were angels, though other messengers can easily be humans. Readers have to determine whether they are angels (which means messengers) or humans.

 

2. What does “encountered into” mean? This means that they came right up to Jacob in a way that Jacob would not have been able to go around them! Also, this implies (to me) that Jacob had stopped, and the angels had come right into his camp. He declared it to be the camp of Elohim.

 

3. How did Jacob know that this was the camp of Elohim? Elohim means Gods, and refers to the One Who created all things. Elohim is over the angels. If there were many angels there, it must be the place where Elohim, the Commander, is camped!

 

4. Why did Jacob call the name of that place Two-Camps instead of Camp Elohim? Jacob’s camp was there, and Elohim’s camp was also there!

 

5. Why was the camp of Elohim there, and did the angels have anything to say to Jacob? I propose that the camp was there to cause Jacob to know that an entire army of Elohim was ready for any trouble!

 

I cannot see where they said anything to Jacob. Elohim desired for Jacob to see them; that was enough for now.

 

6. Was Jacob nervous, seeing this camp of angels? Would you be nervous? I don’t get the impression that Jacob was nervous at this time. He had been through too many difficulties to be nervous over this. He feared Elohim; that is always right! Yet, that doesn’t mean that he was nervous. Avraham had feared Yehovah, and Avraham questioned Him about His justice!

 

You will need to answer whether you would be nervous if you were in a camp, and you saw what you knew were angels coming toward you.

 

III. Jacob Begins to Seek Esau’s Favour (verses 3-5)

Jacob sent his own messengers in front of him to go to Esau. Jacob commanded them to say, “Thus ye shall say to my lord, to Esau, ‘So said thy slave Jacob, “I sojourned with Laban, and I ‘afterwarded’ (stayed after) unto now. And an ox is to me and an ass, a flock and a slave and a woman-slave. And I sent her to tell to my lord to find favour in thine eyes.”’”

 

Questions

1. Why did Jacob send messengers to Esau? Jacob was very nervous about meeting with his brother! The last time Jacob and Esau had been together was when Esau had determined to murder Jacob! Sending messengers might give Jacob an idea of whether there would be trouble or not.

 

2. Where is the land of He-Goat, the field of Red? This is located in Seir (which is He-Goat), in the field of Edom (which means Red). See if you can find it on the map.

 

 

The print is very faint at the bottom of the map. Below (EDOM) you will see Mt. Seir. (This map is from the ACCESS Foundation, Zaine Ridling, Ph.D., Editor.)

 

3. Why did Jacob call his brother, “my lord”? Jacob was expressing humility and the willingness to serve his brother. He was also acknowledging that Esau was the older brother!

 

4. Why did Jacob call himself, “thy slave”? Jacob was very willing to serve his brother. He did not desire to have war with him.

 

5. What does “I afterwarded” mean (since this is not proper English)? Jacob stayed (after the time that he agreed to slave for the two women, Raquel and Leah). That is why he hadn’t returned until now, and he desired Esau to know that.

 

6. Did Jacob have just one ox, one ass, one male slave and one female slave? Why did he word it this way? Jacob had much, much more than this. I propose that he worded it this way because he refused to brag. He was just describing the different living possessions that he had acquired.

 

7. Who is her in, “I sent her to tell to my lord”? I had to think carefully about this. The word for messenger is malakh in Hebrew, and the word for errand, which is what a messenger does, is malakhah, which is feminine. Right now, I suspect that it refers to the errand that the messengers were sent to do.

 

8. Explain the expression, “find favour in the eyes” of someone: If a person favours another person, this will show in the person’s eyes. The person will see the other person in a favorable light. Children can often tell if certain adults favour them by the way their eyes look at the children.

 

9. How would sending the messengers on this errand to tell Esau make it so that Esau would favour Jacob instead of hating him? I propose that Jacob hoped that Esau would see the messengers, and would see them in a fond and good light, preparing Esau to meet with Jacob. Jacob hoped that Esau would be willing to see him without being angry.

 

IV. Here He Comes! (verses 6-7)

The messengers returned and told Jacob, “We came unto thy brother, unto Esau. And also he walked to meet thee. And four hundred man are with him!” This terrified Jacob. It put Jacob into tribulation—that is, into a continuous state of fear from which he could not escape.

 

Questions

1. What did Jacob think Esau might do? Jacob thought he was coming to attack him over the birthright.

 

2. Why did Esau have four hundred men with him? Esau was on the move with much cattle, sheep and goats! His men traveled with him.

 

3. What does tribulation mean? The Hebrew word translated this way means to be in a squeeze—a tight spot with very few or no good ways of escape, and with enemies who are pursuing to do great harm or to kill. It describes a very frustrating and almost defenseless situation that lasts for a long time.

 

4. Why was Jacob so afraid when Elohim had appeared to him? Jacob had heard no promises from Elohim that indicated that innocent folks would not be killed. Jacob did not assume anything about what Elohim would or would not do. All Saints in the Bible refused to assume what God would do.

 

V. Minimizing the Losses (verses 7-8)

Jacob had a strategy. He divided the camp into two camps. He figured, “If Esau will come unto the one camp and he will smite him, and the remaining camp will be for an escape.”

 

Questions

1. Why would Jacob think that Esau would attack and kill one camp, if not both? Jacob only remembered the great anger of Esau. He knew that some who become set on doing murder will increase in their bitterness over time.

 

VI. Jacob’s Request (verses 9-12)

After Jacob set the plan in motion, he spoke to Yehovah. He started by identifying the Gods to whom he spoke: “Gods of my father Avraham.” He then identified Him as “Gods of my father Isaac.” Next, “Yehovah Who said unto me, ‘Return to thy land and to thy childhood,’ and ‘I have good-done with thee.’”

 

He next contrasted his own position with all the graces and all the Truth that Yehovah did with His slave, with Jacob: “I ‘smalled’ from all the graces and from all the Truth that Thou did with Thy slave.” Jacob recounted how he had originally crossed the Jordan River with just his staff, and how he was now two full camps.

 

He asked Yehovah to deliver him from the hand of his brother Esau. Jacob was fearing Esau, knowing that he might come and smite him, “mother upon children.”

 

Jacob reminded Yehovah, “Thou, Thou hast said, ‘Good-doing, I will good-do with thee,’ and, ‘I will put thy seed as sand of the sea that he will not scroll from multiplication.’”

 

Questions

1. Why did Jacob use the following three identifiers for Yehovah?

  • Gods of my father Avraham
  • Gods of my father Isaac
  • Yehovah Who said return and I have ‘good-done’ with thee

Jacob recognized the importance of the Covenant that Yehovah made with Avraham, that He also confirmed with Isaac. Jacob reminded Yehovah that He had commanded Jacob to return to his land and to his childhood, and that Yehovah had promised to do good with Jacob. Jacob didn’t presume that there would be no violence. The promises of Yehovah did not exclude violence from happening.

 

Many truly believe that they will be kept safe from harm if they have God on their side and if they are born of God. The Bible shows that these things are not guaranteed. Saints often suffered because they did right! Jacob did not assume anything.

 

Since Yehovah promised that He will do Jacob good, Jacob used this to request that Yehovah will deliver him from the potentially violent hand of his brother.

 

2. What does “I smalled from” mean? This means that Jacob became smaller and smaller, contrasted with what he then mentioned.

 

3. What does grace mean in the Bible? It is a fervent (that is, very strong), ardent (that is, burning, showing much power) zeal (something about which a person or God truly cares) by which one is actuated (motivated to take action—for or against another). Again, it is a very strong and very powerful zeal that drives a person or God to take action—either against someone else or for someone else.

 

Grace is the very reason why there is Salvation from sin and everlasting life, and it is also the very reson why there is an everlasting Lake of Fire and burning Sulfur! Every person will experience the Grace of God, and most will experience it in the most terrible way! Those who fear Him and believe His words to the point of doing right before Him will experience it in the best way.

 

4. What are all the graces that Jacob mentioned? They are all those things that Yehovah did from the time that Jacob left home to the present, including Yehovah’s enabling Jacob to become independent of Laban by giving Jacob the ability to breed sheep and goats at a very high rate, and taking care of Jacob through all the great difficulties. Yehovah appeared to Jacob, and He guided him. All these were graces of Yehovah—where Yehovah showed His zeal for Jacob.

 

5. What is truth in the Bible? It is what is absolute (unchanging, always certain, never wrong, never incorrect, sure) from Yehovah’s perspective.

 

Truth always is connected with a god. Without a god, there is no truth. Every god that humans recognize has its own truth. In the same manner, Yehovah, the only true and living God, has His Truth. His Truth never changes. It doesn’t change with new inventions; it doesn’t change with different cultures. It doesn’t change under any circumstances.

 

If (as some suppose) there is no god, there is also no truth. Anyone who might say, “Well, that is truth!” could easily have someone else say, “No, that isn’t truth.” There would only be opinions.

 

Messiah Yeshua stated,

 

John 14:6 “I am the way, the Truth and the life.”

 

He declared Himself to be the Truth, so that anything else that is Truth in this universe must either be Him or come from Him. Thus, if He says something, it is also the Truth.

 

6. What Truth did Elohim do with his slave, Jacob? Elohim extended the Covenant of Avraham and Isaac to Jacob, a Covenant that included their becoming a great race. Jacob had many children, and Elohim protected them and gave their family what they needed to succeed in the sheep, goat, camel and ass business! Yehovah kept His word to Avraham. That is Truth.

 

7. What does “I crossed-over this Jordan via my staff” mean and indicate? That is all Jacob had for transportation when he crossed the Jordan the first time.

 

8. What does na mean in Hebrew? This is a part of speech called a particle—a word that has only one form. It is a softener in Hebrew. A person can say something that sounds very demanding. If the word na is included, it removes the demands from the statement, indicating that it is being said without demands, without anger, without anything that would be considered rude or hard.

 

9. Why did Jacob need to be delivered from the hand of his brother? Was his brother holding him using his hand? The hand of anyone or anything is its power and authority. Jacob feared the power of his brother to do damage. It was as if Jacob were a prisoner of his brother, since that is what the mind does. If I fear anyone, I am in that person’s hand. Jacob asked Elohim to deliver him from the hand of his brother so that both the power to do harm and the fear would both go away.

 

10. Why did Jacob say both “my brother” and “Esau,” since both are the same? The word brother is used for any relative in the Bible. Jacob desired to be specific.

 

11. Was Jacob’s fearing Esau wrong or sin? No, it wasn’t. Yehovah has given humans the ability to fear to preserve them from many dangers. Fear is not sin.

 

Some types of fear will lead folks to sin! If a person fears not being accepted by a group, and if that group sins, that person will do what is necessary to fit into the group, and will therefore sin. If the fear of Yehovah is the person’s greatest fear, that person will not sin in order to fit into a group that promotes sin.

 

12. Was Jacob concerned that his own mother might be killed? No. The expression, “mother upon children,” means that mothers and their children will both be targets. If Esau is angry enough, he will kill both mothers and their children.

 

13. Jacob said, “I am fearing him lest he will come and will smite me, mother upon children.” Jacob used me, then mother upon children. What connection was Jacob making between himself and the mothers and children? As far as Jacob was concerned, to smite (hit, usually to kill) any of the mothers and their children in Jacob’s camps was to smite Jacob. Jacob did not disconnect himself from those in his camp.

 

14. What does “Good-doing, I will good-do with thee” mean? This means, “while doing good, I will do good with thee.” This promise of Elohim guarantees that He will benefit Jacob, and will use Jacob for benefit (those are not the same).

 

15. Can the number of offspring equal the number of grains of the sand of the sea? Explain. The number of grains of sand on the sea exceeds the number of humans that the planet could hold. Many more than trillions of grains of sand are on the sea.

 

16. If the answer to the last question is true, what does “I will put thy seed as sand of the sea that he will not scroll from multiplication” mean? This means that Elohim will multiply Jacob’s offspring so much, that counting (taking a census of) the population won’t be possible, since new children will be born before the numbers have been tallied. The word scroll means to count, to record, to take a record of. Taking a record of a population that increases while the record is being written means that the record will be inaccurate (wrong). That is a big population!

 

VII. Jacob’s Plan (verses 13-21)

Jacob lodged (found a place to stay) there in that night. Instead of sleeping, he took valuables from all that he had acquired to give to his brother. These items together were called a rest because Jacob determined to rest them before his brother as a gift.

 

This rest included the following:

  • 200 she-goats
  • 20 animals that butt
  • 200 ewes
  • 20 rams
  • 30 lactating camels and their babies
  • 40 cows
  • 10 bulls
  • 20 she-asses
  • 10 he-asses

Jacob gave this rest into the hand of his slaves, each flock separated from the other flock.

 

He next instructed his slaves: “Cross-ye-over to my faces (in front of me).” He then said, “And ye shall put a breather (a space) between flock and between flock.”

 

Jacob now spoke to the head of the slaves: “For Esau my brother will meet thee. And he will ask thee to say, ‘To whom art thou? (To whom do you belong?)’ and ‘Where wilt thou walk? (Where are you going?)’ and ‘To whom are these to thy faces? (To whom do these that are in front of you belong)?’ And thou shalt say, ‘To thy slave—to Jacob. He is a rest sent to my lord—to Esau. And behold, he is also after (behind) us.’”

 

Jacob gave the same commands to the head of the second flock and the third, and to all to say the same things. They were also to include this information: “Behold, thy slave Jacob is after (behind) us.”

 

Jacob also said, “I will cover her—his faces—via the rest walking to my faces (going in front of me). And afterward I will see his faces. Perhaps he will carry my faces.”

 

The valuable animals that made up Jacob’s rest crossed over in front of Jacob. Jacob remained that night in the camp, lodging there.

 

Questions

1. What does lodge mean? It means to take a room, or in the case of a tent, to make camp and set up the tent. It doesn’t have to mean to sleep, since folks often use lodges for places to take their meals and to get together with friends.

 

2. What is a rest? It is like a gift (because it is given), but it is placed in front of another to receive it, and thus it is rested in front of another. This will have everything to do with other texts that speak of entering into Yehovah’s rest.

 

3. What is the comer into his hand? This refers to the items and persons that came into Jacob’s hand—the items and persons that Jacob acquired (either by working for them or being given to him).

 

4. What are ‘butt-ers’? They are animals that butt—that is, they ram other animals. (They often aim for the rear ends of humans, if they have a chance! That may explain the word butt referring to the rear ends!) This is an unusual word for he-goats.

 

5. What is a ewe? That is a female sheep.

 

6. What kind of animal is this ram? It is a male sheep.

 

7. What is a lactating camel? That is a female camel that is giving milk to a baby or young camel. Lactation in humans is giving breast milk, and is therefore called breastfeeding when a baby or young child obtains that milk.

 

8. Are lactating camels worth more than camels that are not lactating? They are worth more when they are with young, because one is obtaining two animals!

 

9. Who are these children? They are the young camels!

 

10. Why did Jacob always give more female animals than male animals? Female animals are always worth more than males! Males compete, and they don’t bear young. Males get into trouble more than females. Thus, they are considered dinner more than of other uses. Only breeding males with superior characteristics are considered more valuable.

 

11. Why did Jacob desire his slaves to cross over to his faces (in front of him, where he could see them)? Jacob desired to watch them go, to see if he could tell how they were proceeding as they went. I do not know if Jacob could see all the way to Esau, or not. If the slaves came running back, Jacob would know that Esau had attacked.

 

12. Why did Jacob desire a breather (a spacer) between each flock? If Esau attacked the first group, that would give the second group time to flee, and the two camps also time to split up and flee.

 

13. What does “To whom art thou” mean? It means, To whom do you belong, and it implies that Esau will know that they belong to someone else. I am not certain of the traditions and cultures regarding dress; I am guessing that slaves wore differently colored and marked clothes than their masters. If I am right on this, Esau would be able to tell that these are slaves. Yet, every person also belonged to his family just as you belong to your family or caretakers. Everyone belongs to someone, even if the person doesn’t know it. The best is to belong to Yehovah/Yeshua.

 

14. Why would Esau ask, “Where wilt thou walk” instead of, “Where wilt thou go”? In Hebrew, to walk is to go! The English word go has too many meanings. It can mean exit, use the restroom, travel, etc. Hebrew is far more specific. Walking is not the same as exiting or traveling.

 

Humans did much, much more walking in those days than they do at this time. They often covered many miles in a week’s time as part of their regular routines. They could ride animals, but walking was an important part of being with others and learning what others knew.

 

15. Identify these in, “To whom are these to thy faces”: They are the animals mentioned above.

 

16. Why did Jacob desire his slaves to answer, “To thy slave—to Jacob”? Jacob desired that Esau would know that Jacob was willing to serve his brother.

 

17. Why did Jacob tell each group to include, “And behold, he is also after us”? I am thinking that Jacob desired his brother to wear out any anger he had by being given these animals before seeing Jacob.

 

18. Explain Jacob’s thinking: “I will cover her—his faces—via the rest walking to my faces.” Jacob desired to cover her—Esau’s nose (I propose, since the nose is where anger is expressed), and also Esau’s faces so that Esau won’t see Jacob, but will see the gifts Jacob is giving to him.

 

19. What does “Perhaps he will carry my faces” mean? To carry is to forgive in Hebrew, if a relationship has been strained. What does carrying have to do with forgiving? If I offend you, you must carry my offense. (That will often show up as hurt feelings.) Yet, since I offended you, I must carry the wrong I have done. It is on my record. Suppose, now, that I realized I did you wrong, and I offended you. Suppose I come to you and confess (admit) what I did, and that it was wrong. If I then ask you to forgive me, I am asking you to carry the offense that I did and the wrong that I did against you so that our relationship can be returned to a state of peace. If you agree to do this, you are agreeing to voluntarily carry my offense against you and the wrong that I did, so that we can have a relationship that is brought back to peace.

 

Jacob understood this. He knew that he had offended his brother, though Jacob had done no wrong. He still desired to have a relationship of peace. Jacob thought about the rest that he sent his brother; perhaps it would be enough so that Esau would carry Jacob’s faces—either forgive his faces, or lift Jacob’s faces so that they could face each other in peace.

 

20. Why did Jacob send the rest in the evening? This way, Esau could sleep on the gift that Jacob had given.

 

21. Why didn’t Jacob also go see his brother that night? If there would be any violence, Jacob didn’t desire to deal with it at night. There were no streets with street lights! Violence at night with no lights is especially frightening. Jacob could see what was occurring during the day.

 

 

VIII. The Night Crossing (verses 22-23)

I don’t know whether Jacob slept that night or not. He arose while it was still night. He took his two women and his two womenslaves and his eleven sons.

 

He crossed over the Jabbok crossing. He brought them over the brook. He then caused all his possessions (“what is to him”) to cross over the brook.

 

Questions

1. Why did Jacob travel at night? Jacob looked for some strategic place where all could flee if Esau attacked. If the attack from Esau came in the morning, Jacob’s moving the camps might give those camps more time to flee.

 

2. Where is the Jabbok crossing?

 

 

If you find the word Mahanaim in the middle of the above map, above this word is a rather unclear blue writing that says, Jabbok R. It is a river that goes east (to the right) from the Jordan River. (This map is from the ACCESS Foundation, Zaine Ridling, Ph.D., Editor.)

 

3. Explain a little about the Jabbok stream. According to Easton in Easton’s Revised Bible Dictionary,

 

[Jabbok means,] a pouring out, or a wrestling, one of the streams on the east of Jordan, into which it falls about midway between the Sea of Galilee and the Dead Sea, or about 45 miles below the Sea of Galilee. It rises on the eastern side of the mountains of Gilead, and runs a course of about 65 miles in a wild and deep ravine. It was the boundary between the territory of the Ammonites and that of Og, king of Bashan [see Joshua 12:1-5 and Numbers 21:24], also between the tribe of Reuben and the half tribe of Manasseh [see Numbers 21:24 and Deuteronomy 3:16]. In its course westward across the plains it passes more than once underground. “The scenery along its banks is probably the most picturesque in Palestine; and the ruins of town and village and fortress which stud the surrounding mountain-side render the country as interesting as it is beautiful.” This river is now called the Zerka, or Blue River.

 

4. Why did Jacob take all his possessions with him? Jacob had no reason to leave anything or anyone behind. Yehovah hadn’t promised Jacob’s safety, so Jacob was ready to flee, if necessary, with all his items.

 

IX. The Great Fight (verses 24-30)

Jacob went somewhere alone after this crossing. An unidentified man came to Jacob in the dark. The two wrestled. It was an unfriendly match that lasted hours.

 

The sun began to rise. The text then says, “And he saw that he will-not-be-able to him.” It does not say who he or him is! The unidentified man touched in the palm of Jacob’s thigh, and the palm of his thigh dislocated while Jacob wrestled with the man.

 

The man said, “Send me! For the sunrise ascended!” Jacob responded, “I will not send thee but rather thou blessed me!” The man asked Jacob, “What is thy name?” Jacob gave his name: “He Will Heel.” The man said, “Thy name shall no more be called ‘He-Will-Heel (Jacob)’, but-rather ‘He-Will-Prince-Mighty-[One] (Israel)’. For thou princed with Elohim and with men, and thou wast able.”

 

Jacob then asked, saying, “Tell, na, thy name.” The man responded, “Why is this? Thou wilt ask to my name?” The man then blessed Jacob right there!

 

Jacob named the place ‘Faces Of Mighty One,’ saying, “For I saw Elohim faces unto faces, and my being was rescued!”

 

Questions

1. Why did Jacob remain alone? He had a lot to consider. He had much on his mind.

 

2. Why didn’t he tell his wives about what was troubling him? I don’t know if they knew about what had occurred between his brother and him. If he had told them, they might have become fearful. His telling them would only have put fear into them without giving them any response in the matter. Instead, he carried this alone.

 

3. Who was this man??? If you read all the verses, you will find the following things about him:

 

  • He is able to dislocate a thigh with a single touch
  • He is able to rename Jacob to Israel
  • Jacob insists on being blessed by him after he dislocates Jacob’s thigh
  • He prophesies
  • Jacob identifies him as Elohim

Who has all these characteristics at one time, and appears as a man to wrestle with another man, yet can be put into a wrestling hold by a mortal like Jacob? This is Messiah Yeshua!

 

The following is another text that speaks of this event:

 

Hosea 12:3 He took his brother by the heel in the womb, and by his strength he had power with God: 4Yea, he had power over the angel, and prevailed. He wept, and made supplication unto him. He found him [in] Bethel, and there he spake with us—5Even Yehovah God of hosts. Yehovah is his memorial.

 

I propose that the part that connects is this: “By his strength he had power with God. Yea, he had power over the angel, and prevailed.”

 

The man is called God (Elohim) and the angel (the messenger).

 

4. What does “he will not be able to him” mean? This sounds like a piece of a sentence, but it isn’t in Hebrew. To be able in any area of life is to succeed, or, in battle, it is to overcome, be victorious. “He will not overcome to him.” The word to shows the direction. We would say, “He will not overcome against him,” or just, “He will not overcome him.” Hebrew often places the preposition to where we would not use it.

 

5. Who is he and who is him in “he will not be able to him”? He is Elohim! Him is Jacob. I can tell, because the text states, “And a man wrestled…” It continues, “He saw…” followed by “He touched…” Thus, I concluded that the man is he in these statements.

 

6. Why was Elohim not able to… well, overcome Jacob, or do whatever the text doesn’t mention after the word able? This is not a case of the lack of power. Elohim always succeeds in whatever He desires to do. Elohim appeared as a man, in this case. He wrestled as a man. Jacob had twenty years of experiences, and Jacob was a very muscular man, very tough and strong. Even wrestling all night didn’t wear Jacob out, and the sun began to arise. Thus, Elohim, appearing as a mortal (a person who is capable of dying, and therefore is capable of tiring out), could not outwrestle Jacob before the sun arose.

 

7. Why was this so important, that it had to put into the Bible? This event teaches many things about Jacob and about Elohim, including the following:

  • Jacob was very tough, with great physical endurance and great wrestling moves
  • Jacob was willing to physically fight (wrestling is a form of fighting, but avoiding using fists and swords that can kill)
  • Jacob was very willing to protect members of his camps (that is why he wrestled—the man posed a threat)
  • Jacob was willing to grasp an adversary who won the wrestling match using tactics that were not part of wrestling
  • Jacob was willing to refuse to let go of a very dangerous adversary until that adversary blessed him even though the adversary could have paralyzed him
  • Jacob’s fear of meeting his brother and Jacob’s needing every bit of strength that he had in case his brother sought to kill him were less than Jacob’s willingness to deal with an opponent who attacked
  • Jacob never accused this opponent of ‘dirty wrestling’ or of cheating when this opponent used special forces to dislocate his thigh
  • Elohim was willing and capable of appearing as a man
  • Elohim was willing to enter into a physical wrestling match with a man
  • Elohim did not employ miraculous means of winning until the very end, when it was time to stop and to bless
  • Elohim did not give His Name when asked if He knew that the other person already knew His Name. (Another character in the Bible asked the same question of the same Being, and He told His Name. Read about this in Judges 13.
  • Elohim also prophesies
  • Elohim changes the names of some if their new names are significant to what they will to or be
  • Elohim can wrestle with a person in a life-and-death wrestling match, then bless the person
  • Elohim can show up unidentified
  • Elohim can show up in the dark without any lights radiating from His body
  • Elohim can wear a person down to no strength right when the person needs all the strength the person can possibly use

Readers would not have figured out some of these things, had this text not been put in the Bible.

 

8. Why did Elohim put Jacob’s thigh out of joint? Jacob now could not run, and he could not ride an animal. He was both very tired and incapable of escape. Elohim rendered him powerless to even fight off a child.

 

9. Who said, “Send me”? Elohim said this!

 

10. Why did He say this, instead of just leaving? Just leaving in the cultures of that area of the world would be rude, and might show that the one who left was a criminal. Criminals go secretly; guests, friends and relatives wait to be sent.

 

When Elohim said, “Send me,” He was behaving as Jacob’s guest. Jacob’s refusal to send Him until He blessed him was Jacob’s right as a host.

 

11. Why did Elohim desire to leave before the sun rose any further? I propose that Elohim did not desire to be seen by others in the camp. He had come for Jacob. Others in the camp would have asked Questions that Jacob did not need to answer.

 

12. Why did Jacob desire to be blessed by a man who just caused him great pain, and made him defenseless? Jacob now knew who this man was: he knew He was Elohim. He desired a blessing from Elohim. Jacob wasn’t anywhere as concerned over the palm of his thigh as he was over receiving a blessing from Elohim.

 

13. What is the palm of the thigh? That is the part of the thigh that is shaped like the palm of the hand. It is the part that goes around the ball of the leg. (See the pictures from Wikipedia.org below.)

 

 

14. Did all stop calling Jacob by the name ‘Jacob,’ and start using ‘Israel’ after this, since Elohim said, “Thy name shall no more be called Jacob, but-rather Israel”? Elohim Himself continued to use the name Jacob in the Bible, and the name will be used into the End Times. This is a prophetic promise that will occur in the Millennium (during the 1,000 years that Messiah Yeshua will be King over all kings and Lord over all lords). Until then, both Israel and Jacob will be in use.

 

15. Was something wrong with the name Jacob? No! The name was very good. Jacob, as a baby being born, took hold of his brother’s heel. Thus, he was behind his brother in birth, pulling on his heel. This was prophetic. He will come out second behind his brother, and will pull his brother’s heel just as his brother is about to get ahead.

 

Yet, this isn’t the way the story will end. The new name tells that part of the story.

 

16. What does the name Israel tell? Since it means, “He will prince Mighty One,” this tells that Jacob, as Israel, will coronate (crown) Prince Mighty One—Prince Mighty One of Israel, Prince Elohim! Thus, Israel will be the group that will crown Messiah Yeshua as King over all and Lord over all.

 

17. What does “thou princed with Elohim and with men, and thou wast able” mean? There is no verb to prince in English. If there were, it would mean to behave as a prince and to coronate others as princes. Jacob behaved as a prince with Elohim (Who is the King), and he also acted as a prince among the races. He also set up others in other races as princes. Yet, he hasn’t done any of these things yet. They will occur in the future!

 

Being able again means that he had the power (ability) and authority (the rank) to succeed and to overcome, and he used that power and authority. This is again prophetic; it will occur in the future. Israel isn’t in a very good position at this present time.

 

18. Why did Jacob ask this man’s name? Jacob knewwho he was; he wanted to confirm the identity of this man. He didn’t know who he was until the man put his thigh out of joint. He instantly knew who he was at that point. Now, Jacob asked for identification to confirm his identity, and he refused to confirm it. I can tell that Jacob knew who he was because Jacob insisted on a blessing before sending him.

 

19. What was the man’s name? I will show another text that is very similar to this one, with the same man making an appearance and with the same question being asked:

 

Judges 13:17 And Manoah said unto the angel of Yehovah, “What is thy name, that we will do thee honour when thy sayings come to pass?” 18And the angel of Yehovah said unto him, “Why askest thou thus after my name, seeing it is Pele?”

 

His Name is Pele, meaning miracle, but in a different way—as His being the source of miracles and His being the great miracle of Yehovah. He is the Messiah, Messiah Yeshua, Whose very birth is a miracle.  

 

20. Was Jacob still clinging to him while He blessed him? Jacob would not let go until He blessed him.

 

21. Did Jacob send him after He blessed him? Jacob did!

 

22. What did Jacob name the place, why did he name the place, and why is the name different from what Jacob said? Jacob named the place Faces-Of-Mighty-[One], referring to the faces of the One Who wrestled with him. He named the place because of the significant event that happened in that place. This was a common practice. Jacob said, “For I saw Elohim faces unto faces, and my being was rescued!” The name of the place mentions Mighty-One; yet Jacob identified Him as Elohim. Thus, we, as readers, can know that Elohim and Mighty One are the same. Jacob named the place the way he did because Jacob was prophesying. When the Israelis come to realize that the Mighty One of Israel is Elohim, then and only then will they be able to come to faith in the Messiah of Israel.

 

23. Why did Jacob say, “and my being was rescued”? Who did the rescuing, and from whom was Jacob rescued? This text is also prophetic! Jacob will be rescued from the very Being who will wrestle with him (that is, with the People of Israel) during the Tribulation.

 

X. The New Tradition (verses 31-32)

Jacob crossed Penuel, limping on his thigh. From that time on, the Israelis (who believed the text and who understood it) refused to eat the sinew of the tendon that is upon the palm of the thigh. Elohim had touched in the palm of Jacob’s thigh in the sinew of the tendon.

 

Questions

1. Why don’t the Israelis (who follow this tradition) eat the sinew of the tendon that is upon the palm of the thigh? What animals are involved in this? The animals involved are the clean land animals (cows, bulls, sheep, goats, deer, caribou, reindeer, etc.). I don’t expect that this includes chickens and turkeys, etc.

 

They don’t eat this piece of meat in order to recall what this man, Elohim, did to Jacob just before He blessed him!

 

2. Did this hurt very much? It did! It continued to hurt for a long time!

 

3. Why did Elohim hurt Jacob? Had Jacob done wrong? Jacob hadn’t done anything wrong. Elohim hurt Jacob

  • in order to make him totally defenseless before his brother whom he feared
  • in order to do a show-and-tell for what will happen to Jacob (Israel) during the Tribulation
  • in order to rescue him from his fears without using his own power
  • in order for Jacob to determine to be the first to approach his brother as his camps began to move.

Yehovah sometimes inflicts pain on true prophets so that others who are watching Yehovah’s show-and-tell of what will occur understand how real what they are seeing and hearing from the prophet really is. This is done to save lives. Yehovah rewards such prophets very well. Jacob never complained.

 

XI. Jacob Meets with Esau (Chapter 33:1-4)

Jacob lifted his eyes. He then saw Esau coming with four hundred men. He divided the children among the four women, placing the slavewomen and their children in front, then Leah, then Raquel with Joseph.

 

Jacob then crossed over in front of the groups.

 

Before he came to Esau, he prostrated in front of him seven times between his approaches.

 

In the meantime, Esau ran to meet Jacob. Esau embraced him, fell upon his neck, and kissed him. Both of them wept.

 

Questions

1. If Jacob lifted his eyes, where were they focused before lifting them? They were focused on the ground. The land is quite uneven, and tripping while walking is a regular concern. A person must watch for the next step to avoid such hazards.

 

2. How could he recognize Esau after all this time, and at such a distance? Jacob had had much practice seeing both friends and animal attackers during his twenty years of shepherding. A person can become very good at identifying others at a distance by this means.

 

3. Why does my translation say, “four hundred man” instead of saying, “four hundred men”? Biblical Hebrew switches to the singular form when the number becomes large.

 

4. Why did Jacob divide the children according to their own mothers? If Esau attacked, and if any of the women and children survived, they needed to be grouped with mothers having their own children.

 

5. Why did Jacob put the slavewomen and their children first? If Esau was determined to take prisoners and slaves for himself, the women were already slaves; they would need the children to go with them. If Esau commanded a slaughter, Jacob had worked for Raquel (and secondly for Leah); Jacob hoped that they at least might escape.

 

6. Why is Joseph (of all Jacob’s sons) the only one mentioned by name? This is again prophetic. Put “Ewe” with “He will gather,” and the text reads, “He will gather a ewe (a girl sheep).” That is exactly what will happen during the Tribulation! Yehovah will gather the most endangered parts of Israel: women with young children, bringing them to Mount Zion where they will be safe. Names in the Bible are often prophetic!

 

7. Why did Jacob then cross over in front of all the groups? He had determined to face Esau first before all, knowing that Esau’s murderous anger, if it still existed, was directed toward him. If Esau struck out against him, that might assuage (calm down) Esau’s anger, and thus spare others from harm. Jacob desired to save lives, not spare himself at the expense of others.

 

8. Why did Jacob prostrate (lie flat) before his brother, then come closer, then again prostrate before his brother, then come closer… seven times? He physically showed his brother that he was willing to serve his brother. He hoped that this would convince his brother that he was not claiming the firstborn status to lord it over his brother.

 

9. Why did Esau run to meet Jacob? Esau desired to see his brother! He loved him.

 

10. What does “he fell upon his neck” mean? This means that he both hugged him and put his neck on his brother’s neck in a most affectionate embrace!

 

11. Why did they both weep? Esau was so glad to see his brother. Jacob was so relieved that his brother didn’t still hate him, and he was glad to see his brother under these circumstances! They missed each other.

 

XII. Giving and Taking (verses 5-11)

Esau was interested in seeing his brother. He then lifted his eyes and saw the women and children. Esau asked, “Who are these to thee?” Jacob answered, “The children that Elohim favoured thy slave.”

 

The slavewomen and their children neared Esau, and prostrated. Then Leah and her children did the same thing. Finally, Joseph neared, along with Raquel. Esau was amazed. “Who is to thee? All this camp that I encountered?” Jacob’s answer was curious: “To find favour in the eyes of my lord.”

 

Esau expressed that he already had much, and what is to Jacob must be to Jacob (what Jacob owns Jacob needs to keep).

 

Jacob respectfully insisted that Esau take Jacob’s rest from his hand. Jacob compared seeing Esau to seeing the faces of Elohim, and that Esau desired Jacob. Jacob stated, “Take na my blessing that is brought to thee. For Elohim favoured me, and for there is to me all.” Jacob urged Esau, and Esau was finally willing.

 

Questions

1. Why was Esau amazed that Jacob had so many persons and animals? There is no way that anyone could have gained what Jacob gained in twenty years. A person might become very wealthy, but having twelve children, two wives, and all those animals—that just isn’t possible in that brief amount of time. Twenty years may seem like a long time, but it really isn’t!

 

2. What did Jacob mean by, “The children that Elohim favoured thy slave”? Jacob told Esau that Elohim had favoured Jacob, a slave of Esau, by giving him all those children!

 

3. Why did the different women and their children prostrate before Esau? They watched Jacob, and that was also part of their cultures. That was a demonstration of respect.

 

4. What question was Jacob answering when he said, “To find favour in the eyes of my lord”? He was answering the question, “Why did you give me these items?”

 

5. What did Jacob mean when he answered, “Don’t, na, if na I found favour in thine eyes”? He meant, Don’t refuse to accept the rest that I gave to you.

 

6. Was Jacob exaggerating when he said, “For therefore I saw thy faces as seeing faces of Elohim”? Jacob didn’t exaggerate. Such an exaggeration would have been a lie. Jacob feared Elohim (in a good way), and he feared his brother (as a potential threat). Jacob’s reaction to seeing both was the same: he feared.

 

7. What does “thou desired me” mean? This means that he (Esau) wanted to see and continue a relationship with Jacob. Had Esau been furious with Jacob at this time, he would not have desired to see him; he would have either desired to not see him, or to see him dead!

 

8. What does “for there is to me all” mean? All those items and persons that Esau saw are ‘to Jacob’ (are in his possession). Thus, Jacob could spare what he gave to his brother.

 

9. Why did Esau take the items from his brother? His brother urged him, and Esau saw that this was important to Jacob. Thus, Esau was willing, and Jacob was relieved.

 

XIII. The Logic of Fear (verses 12-15)

The text does not give the amount of time that Esau and Jacob spoke together. The next part of their conversation involved Esau telling Jacob, “We shall journey. And we have walked. And I have walked to straight-in-front-of thee.”

 

Jacob replied, “My lord knows that the children are tender [they are not used to traveling for distances]. And the flock and the herd ascend upon me. [Both the large cattle and the small, like sheep and goats, ascend upon/by Jacob at his command.]  And they [the cowboys] shall drive them one day. And they shall die—all the flock.”

 

Jacob’s idea was this: “My lord [Esau] shall cross-over, na, to the faces of [in front of] his slave. And I, I will conduct-myself for gentleness to the foot of the errand [to the foot of moving the flock] that is to my faces and to the foot of the children until that I will come unto my lord toward Seir.”

 

Esau then volunteered to post (assign to a task) some of Esau’s men with Jacob. Jacob’s reaction was quick: “Why is this?” Then he said, “I will find favour in the eyes of my lord!” That was akin to saying, “If you will be pleased to permit me to take care of this myself.

 

Questions

1. Why did Esau desire to walk straight in front of Jacob? Jacob didn’t know, and I don’t know. That made this offer seem suspicious.

 

2. Can one person determine or figure out the motives of another person? Unless Yehovah tells someone another person’s motives, no person can read the mind of another, and no person can know another person’s motives with certainty. Trying to figure out the motives of another is wise. Claiming to know what the motives of another person is wrong, and has caused much permanent damage to relationships in the history of the world. All will be judged by the works (actions) they did and by their words. Judging actions is right. Judging motives is always wrong. Even if a person tells you why he or she did something, that doesn’t mean that he or she gave you all the reasons, and it doesn’t mean that he or she was honest with you or with himself/herself. Stay away from judging motives.

 

3. Would the entire flock die if it were driven along with the cattle? Jacob knew sheep and goats. He knew that many could easily die if they were overdriven without sustenance.

 

4. When Jacob said, “My lord shall cross-over, na, to the faces of his slave,” wasn’t this the same as Esau’s proposal, “I have walked to straight-in-front-of thee”? It is different. Jacob will remain stationary (not moving), while Esau will walk. In Esau’s proposal, he would lead, and Jacob would follow.

 

5. What is “the foot of the errand”? If the head of the errand is its beginning, the foot will be its conclusion. Jacob will conduct himself and his camps in a gentle manner until the errand of transporting them to the new grazing grounds has been completed.

 

6. What does “the errand that is to my faces” mean? The errand is transporting Jacob’s camps. The errand that is to Jacob’s faces is that part of the errand that must be immediately attended; it is straight in front of Jacob.

 

7. Explain “I will conduct-myself for gentleness … to the foot of the children”: I propose that Jacob will be gentle with driving his camps right down to considering the foot of the children: down to the smallest and slowest-moving child.

 

8. Is “until that I will come” good English grammar (proper writing or speaking in English)? It isn’t. The word that doesn’t fit in English. It is present in the Hebrew text.

 

9. Why did Esau offer to post some of his men with Jacob’s camps? I am not certain, and I don’t know if Jacob knew the reason. This again seemed suspicious. This part of the world was very dangerous, however, and Esau’s offer may have been out of concern for the safety of Jacob’s camps.

 

Whatever the reason may be, Jacob declined (didn’t accept) the offer.

 

10. Why did Jacob add, “I will find favour in the eyes of my lord”? This could have been Jacob’s way of showing appreciation for Esau’s willingness to help Jacob with the guards. This willingness showed that Jacob obtained and found favour in the eyes of Esau.

 

XIV. The Departure and the Relief (verses 16-20)

Esau then returned to Seir, his home.

 

Jacob journeyed to Succot. He built an actual house. He constructed camouflages designed for cattle. That is why he called the place Camouflages.

 

Jacob came to Shalem, a city of Shkhem in the land of Canaan when he completed his journey from Padan-Aram. He camped in front of the city.

 

He acquired a portion of the field upon which he spread his tent from the hand of the children of Hamor who is the father of Shkhem. The cost was one hundred certified.

 

Jacob positioned an altar there. He “called to him” (named him) Mighty-One, Gods of Israel.

 

Questions

1. Why did Esau go away from Jacob? They both had to find good grazing for their animals. Staying together could result in conflicts over the pasture.

 

2. Why did Jacob build a house for himself? Since the text doesn’t say, I can only guess: he desired to have a permanent structure for his wives and children, a place with more comfort that was not as susceptible to storms. Yet, he didn’t stay there! He traveled to the city of Shalem that is near Shechem; that is where he stayed. Thus, building this house may have been part of the camouflages that he set up for his cattle.

 

3. Explain “he made camouflages to his cattle”: The Hebrew word succot comes from the Hebrew root sokh that describes a covert—a hiding place. I found that this word describes camouflage—any form of an enclosure (or clothing) that gives the impression that it is no different from its surroundings.

 

I then thought about why Jacob might do this for his cattle. This area of the world was very wild, and potentially very violent. Cattle would be easily rustled, since cattle spread out to graze. Rounding up the cattle during the night in a place that looks like the rest of the surrounding area would be a way to protect the cattle from rustlers, making it difficult to find them at night. (There were no flashlights back then, and torches were not very bright—except to give away the positions of those holding them.) While a full moon and clear skies did light up the night, having the cattle camouflaged would deter rustlers from coming after them, since cowboys would also be lurking in the area. I propose that Jacob considered these things.

 

4. Why did he name the place Succot? He named it Succot (camouflages) because that is what he built there. Future generations might remember what he did. His men might later be located elsewhere, and he could send them to this location, since it had a name.

 

5. Why did Jacob decide to travel to Shalem (Peace)? I again can only guess unless I find a text that tells me. Guessing is not a very good idea in the Bible. Folks who started by guessing ended up teaching other folks who thought that those guesses were true. I don’t want you to do this. When I say that I am guessing, that is all I am doing. I do know that Jacob had reasons for what he did, and the reasons involved benefiting others as well as himself.

 

Jacob had these cowboys and shepherds, their wives, his own wives and children, and animals. His crew could make many things needed for life and living; yet, other items were not available without trading for them. Jacob did not have a source of iron for tools; miners in distant areas dug for iron, and others purified the iron for usage. Jacob needed to trade; having large herds and flocks was only useful if those animals could be traded for other items. His cowboys and shepherds needed other items and varieties of food (besides beef, mutton, etc.), and cities offered variation. I propose that Jacob set up tents near the city for just such purposes, and was able to sell cattle, sheep and goats for good prices, since the occupants desired these items.

 

Women needed items unavailable on the prairie that they could find in even small cities.

 

6. Why didn’t Jacob move into the city of Shalem, but instead only camped outside the city, facing it? Jacob did not desire to integrate with the inhabitants of the city. The city was wild, like a town in the wild west of the early United States. If he moved into the city, his family would soon integrate with the inhabitants, adopting their religions, morals and ethics. Jacob knew better, since he had to refuse Canaanite marriages with his own sons and daughter. Being near the city was fine; integrating was not fine.

 

While Jacob believed in segregation, it wasn’t the evil and violent type of segregation that the United States enforced. Jacob treated others of other races with great respect as having the very image of God. His own cowboys and shepherds may have included Canaanites that he acquired—I don’t know. The Canaanites as a whole were very evil, and were becoming more evil with time. Yet, Rahab and her family, in a text that occurs a long time from this text, were Canaanites, and were heroes benefiting Israel.

 

Jacob knew the dangers of integrating with a people whom Yehovah will eventually destroy.

 

7. Why did Jacob acquire a portion of the field? Jacob did not desire to be a trespasser. If he had title to the property, he wouldn’t be trespassing.

 

8. Explain “he acquired a portion of the field… vial a hundred certified”: Jacob paid one hundred of some form of currency, and the form was certified—it was proven to be right and true. Jacob had not cheated Hamor’s sons.

 

He did this to avoid Questions regarding the legitimacy (regarding whether it was the real thing) of the transaction (the sale and purchase) he made with Hamor’s sons.

 

9. Why did Jacob position an altar there? Whenever Jacob made any significant move to a new location or a special place, he always set up an altar, and he also named both the altar and the location. He then called sacrificed to Yehovah.

 

10. What is the significance of the expression, “Mighty One, Gods of Israel”? Jacob used the new name that Elohim had given to him: Israel. He recognized the man who had wrestled with him as Mighty One and as Gods (Elohim) of Israel. Jacob had been delivered from the hand of his brother.

 

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Genesis 31-33 The Fear

The Fear

Background Text: Genesis 31 through Genesis 33

Printed Text: Genesis 31:55-33:20

 

Genesis 31:55 And White (Laban) early-rose in the morning. And he kissed to his sons and to his daughters. And he blessed them. And he walked. And White (Laban) returned to his place.

 

Chapter 32

1And He-Will-Heel (Jacob) walked to his way. And messengers of Elohim encountered into him. 2And He-Will-Heel (Jacob) said, just-as he saw, “This is the camp of Elohim!” And he called the name of that place Two-Camps.

 

3And He-Will-Heel (Jacob) sent messengers to his faces unto Hairy (Esau) his brother toward the land of He-Goat field of Red. 4And he commanded them to say, “Thus ye shall say to my lord, to Hairy (Esau), ‘So said thy slave He-Will-Heel (Jacob), “I sojourned with White (Laban), and I afterwarded unto now. 5And an ox is to me and an ass, a flock and a slave and a woman-slave. And I sent her to tell to my lord to find favour in thine eyes.”’”

 

6And the messengers returned unto He-Will-Heel (Jacob) to say, “We came unto thy brother, unto Hairy (Esau). And also he walked to meet thee. And four hundred man are with him!” 7And He-Will-Heel (Jacob) feared very-much. And he ‘tribulated’ to him.

 

And he halved the people that is with him and the flock and the herd and the camels to two camps. 8And he said, “If Hairy (Esau) will come unto the one camp and he will smite him, and the remaining camp will be for an escape.”

 

9And He-Will-Heel (Jacob) said, “Gods of my father Father-Of-A-Multitude (Avraham) and Gods of my father He-Will-Laugh (Isaac), Yehovah Who said unto me, ‘Return to thy land and to thy childhood,’ and ‘I have good-done with thee,’ 10I smalled from all the graces and from all the Truth that Thou did with Thy slave. For I crossed-over this Jordan via my staff. And now I was to two camps. 11Deliver me, na, from the hand of my brother, from the hand of Hairy (Esau)! For I am fearing him lest he will come and will smite me, mother upon children! 12And Thou, Thou hast said, ‘Good-doing, I will good-do with thee,’ and, ‘I will put thy seed as sand of the sea that he will not scroll from multiplication.’”

 

13And he lodged there in that night. And he took a rest to Hairy (Esau) his brother from the comer into his hand: 14two hundred she-goats and twenty butt-ers, two hundred ewes and twenty rams, 15thirty lactating camels and their children, forty cows and ten bulls, twenty she-asses and ten he-asses. 16And he gave into the hand of his slaves, a flock a flock by himself. And he said unto his slaves, “Cross-ye-over to my faces. And ye shall put a breather between flock and between flock.” 17And he commanded the head to say, “For Hairy (Esau) my brother will meet thee. And he will ask thee to say, ‘To whom art thou?’ and ‘Where wilt thou walk?’ and ‘To whom are these to thy faces?’ 18And thou shalt say, ‘To thy slave—to He-Will-Heel (Jacob). He is a rest sent to my lord—to Hairy (Esau). And behold, he is also after us.’” 19And he commanded also the second, also the third, also all the walkers after the flocks to say, “Ye shall speak as this speech unto Hairy (Esau) in your finding him. 20And ye shall also say, ‘Behold, thy slave He-Will-Heel (Jacob) is after us.’” For he said, “I will cover her—his faces—via the rest walking to my faces. And afterward I will see his faces. Perhaps he will carry my faces.” 21And the rest crossed over upon his faces. And he lodged in that night in the camp.

 

22And he, he arose in that night. And he took his two women and his two womenslaves and his eleven sons. And he crossed-over the Jabbok crossing. 23And he took them. And he crossed-them-over the brook. And he crossed-over what is to him.

 

24And He-Will-Heel (Jacob) remained alone. And a man wrestled with him unto the ascending of the sunrise. 25And he saw that he will-not-be-able to him. And he touched in the palm of his thigh. And the palm of He-Will-Heel’s (Jacob’s) thigh dislocated in his wrestling with him. 26And he said, “Send me! For the sunrise ascended!” And he said, “I will not send thee but-rather thou blessed me!” 27And he said unto him, “What is thy name?” And he said, “He-Will-Heel (Jacob)”. 28And he said, “Thy name shall no more be called ‘He-Will-Heel (Jacob)’, but-rather ‘He-Will-Prince-Mighty-[One] (Israel).’ For thou princed with Elohim and with men, and thou wast able.” 29And He-Will-Heel (Jacob) asked. And he said, “Tell, na, Thy Name.” And He said, “Why is this? Thou wilt ask to my name?” And He blessed him there. 30And He-Will-Heel (Jacob) called the name of the place Faces-Of-Mighty-[One]. “For I saw Elohim faces unto faces, and my being was rescued!”

 

31And the sun sun-rose to him just-as he crossed-over They-Turned-Mighty-[One]. And he is limping upon his thigh. 32Therefore the children of Israel will not eat the sinew of the tendon that is upon the palm of the thigh unto this day. For He touched in the palm of He-Will-Heel’s (Jacob’s) thigh in the sinew of the tendon.

 

Chapter 33

1And He-Will-Heel (Jacob) lifted up his eyes. And he saw. And, behold, Hairy (Esau) came. And with him are four hundred man. And he divided the children upon Weary (Leah) and upon Ewe (Raquel) and upon two of the slavewomen. 2And he put the slavewomen and their children headward and Weary (Leah) and her children afterwards and Ewe (Raquel) and He-Will-Gather (Joseph) afterwards. 3And he crossed-over to their faces. And he prostrated landward seven strokes unto his nearing unto his brother. 4And Hairy (Esau) ran to meet him. And he embraced him. And he fell upon his neck. And he kissed him. And they wept.

 

5And he lifted up his eyes. And he saw the women and the children. And said, “Who are these to thee?” And he said, “The children that Elohim favoured thy slave.” 6And the slavewomen neared there and their children. And they prostrated. 7And also Weary (Leah) neared and her children. And they prostrated. And He-Will-Gather (Joseph) neared after, and Ewe (Raquel), and they prostrated. 8And he said, “Who is to thee? All this camp that I encountered?” And he said, “To find favour in the eyes of my lord.” 9And Hairy (Esau) said, “I have much, my brother. He will be to thee what is to thee.” 10And He-Will-Heel (Jacob) said, “Don’t, na, if, na, I found favour in thine eyes! And thou shalt take my rest from my hand. For therefore I saw thy faces as seeing faces of Elohim. And thou desired me. 11Take, na, my blessing that is brought to thee. For Elohim favoured me, and for there is to me all.” And he urged him. And he took.

 

12And he said, “We shall journey. And we have walked. And I have walked to straight-in-front-of thee.” 13And he said unto him, “My lord knows that the children are tender. And the flock and the herd ascend upon me. And they shall drive them one day. And they shall die—all the flock. 14My lord shall cross-over, na, to the faces of his slave. And I, I will conduct-myself for gentleness to the foot of the errand that is to my faces and to the foot of the children until that I will come unto my lord Goatward.” 15And Hairy (Esau) said, “I will post, na, with thee from the people that is with me.” And he said, “Why this? I will find favour in the eyes of my lord!”

 

16And Hairy (Esau) returned to his way in that day, Goatward. 17And He-Will-Heel (Jacob) journeyed Camouflagesward. And he built to him a house. And he made camouflages to his cattle. Therefore he called the name of the place Camouflages.  18And He-Will-Heel (Jacob) came to Peace, a city of Shoulder that is in the land of Merchant in his coming from Ransom-Of-I-Will-Elevate. And he camped to the faces of the city. 19And he acquired a portion of the field that he spread his tent there from the hand of the children of Ass father of Shoulder via a hundred certified. 20And he positioned an altar there. And he called to him Mighty-[One] Gods of Israel.

 

I. Jacob and Laban at Peace (Genesis 31:55)

Laban rose early in the morning. He kissed his sons and his daughters. He also blessed them. He then took his journey, going back to his place.

 

Questions

1. Why did Laban get up so early?

 

2. Who were his sons?

 

3. Why did his daughters accept being kissed by him when he had been so mean to them?

 

4. How did Laban bless his sons and daughters?

 

5. Was Laban better able to think, now?

 

II. Jacob and the Camp of Elohim (Genesis 32:1-2)

Jacob also walked, continuing on his journey. Messengers of Elohim encountered him. Jacob described what he saw: “This is the camp of Elohim!” He named the place Two-Camps.

 

Questions

1. Who were these messengers?

 

2. What does “encountered into” mean?

 

3. How did Jacob know that this was the camp of Elohim?

 

4. Why did Jacob call the name of that place Two-Camps instead of Camp Elohim?

 

5. Why was the camp of Elohim there, and did the angels have anything to say to Jacob?

 

6. Was Jacob nervous, seeing this camp of angels? Would you be nervous?

 

III. Jacob Begins to Seek Esau’s Favour (verses 3-5)

Jacob sent his own messengers in front of him to go to Esau. Jacob commanded them to say, “Thus ye shall say to my lord, to Esau, ‘So said thy slave Jacob, “I sojourned with Laban, and I ‘afterwarded’ (stayed after) unto now. And an ox is to me and an ass, a flock and a slave and a woman-slave. And I sent her to tell to my lord to find favour in thine eyes.”’”

 

Questions

1. Why did Jacob send messengers to Esau?

 

2. Where is the land of He-Goat, the field of Red?

 

3. Why did Jacob call his brother, “my lord”?

 

4. Why did Jacob call himself, “thy slave”?

 

5. What does “I afterwarded” mean (since this is not proper English)?

 

6. Did Jacob have just one ox, one ass, one male slave and one female slave? Why did he word it this way?

 

7. Who is her in, “I sent her to tell to my lord”?

 

8. Explain the expression, “find favour in the eyes” of someone:

 

9. How would sending the messengers on this errand to tell Esau make it so that Esau would favour Jacob instead of hating him?

 

IV. Here He Comes! (verses 6-7)

The messengers returned and told Jacob, “We came unto thy brother, unto Esau. And also he walked to meet thee. And four hundred man are with him!” This terrified Jacob. It put Jacob into tribulation—that is, into a continuous state of fear from which he could not escape.

 

Questions

1. What did Jacob think Esau might do?

 

2. Why did Esau have four hundred men with him?

 

3. What does tribulation mean?

 

4. Why was Jacob so afraid when Elohim had appeared to him?

 

V. Minimizing the Losses (verses 7-8)

Jacob had a strategy. He divided the camp into two camps. He figured, “If Esau will come unto the one camp and he will smite him, and the remaining camp will be for an escape.”

 

Questions

1. Why would Jacob think that Esau would attack and kill one camp, if not both?

 

VI. Jacob’s Request (verses 9-12)

After Jacob set the plan in motion, he spoke to Yehovah. He started by identifying the Gods to whom he spoke: “Gods of my father Avraham.” He then identified Him as “Gods of my father Isaac.” Next, “Yehovah Who said unto me, ‘Return to thy land and to thy childhood,’ and ‘I have good-done with thee.’”

 

He next contrasted his own position with all the graces and all the Truth that Yehovah did with His slave, with Jacob: “I ‘smalled’ from all the graces and from all the Truth that Thou did with Thy slave.” Jacob recounted how he had originally crossed the Jordan River with just his staff, and how he was now two full camps.

 

He asked Yehovah to deliver him from the hand of his brother Esau. Jacob was fearing Esau, knowing that he might come and smite him, “mother upon children.”

 

Jacob reminded Yehovah, “Thou, Thou hast said, ‘Good-doing, I will good-do with thee,’ and, ‘I will put thy seed as sand of the sea that he will not scroll from multiplication.’”

 

Questions

1. Why did Jacob use the following three identifiers for Yehovah?

  • Gods of my father Avraham
  • Gods of my father Isaac
  • Yehovah Who said return and I have ‘good-done’ with thee

2. What does “I smalled from” mean?

 

3. What does grace mean in the Bible?

 

4. What are all the graces that Jacob mentioned?

 

5. What is truth in the Bible?

 

6. What Truth did Elohim do with his slave, Jacob?

 

7. What does “I crossed-over this Jordan via my staff” mean and indicate?

 

8. What does na mean in Hebrew?

 

9. Why did Jacob need to be delivered from the hand of his brother? Was his brother holding him using his hand?

 

10. Why did Jacob say both “my brother” and “Esau,” since both are the same?

 

11. Was Jacob’s fearing Esau wrong or sin?

 

12. Was Jacob concerned that his own mother might be killed?

 

13. Jacob said, “I am fearing him lest he will come and will smite me, mother upon children.” Jacob used me, then mother upon children. What connection was Jacob making between himself and the mothers and children?

 

14. What does “Good-doing, I will good-do with thee” mean?

 

15. Can the number of offspring equal the number of grains of the sand of the sea? Explain.

 

16. If the answer to the last question is true, what does “I will put thy seed as sand of the sea that he will not scroll from multiplication” mean?

 

VII. Jacob’s Plan (verses 13-21)

Jacob lodged (found a place to stay) there in that night. Instead of sleeping, he took valuables from all that he had acquired to give to his brother. These items together were called a rest because Jacob determined to rest them before his brother as a gift.

 

This rest included the following:

  • 200 she-goats
  • 20 animals that butt
  • 200 ewes
  • 20 rams
  • 30 lactating camels and their babies
  • 40 cows
  • 10 bulls
  • 20 she-asses
  • 10 he-asses

Jacob gave this rest into the hand of his slaves, each flock separated from the other flock.

 

He next instructed his slaves: “Cross-ye-over to my faces (in front of me).” He then said, “And ye shall put a breather (a space) between flock and between flock.”

 

Jacob now spoke to the head of the slaves: “For Esau my brother will meet thee. And he will ask thee to say, ‘To whom art thou? (To whom do you belong?)’ and ‘Where wilt thou walk? (Where are you going?)’ and ‘To whom are these to thy faces? (To whom do these that are in front of you belong)?’ And thou shalt say, ‘To thy slave—to Jacob. He is a rest sent to my lord—to Esau. And behold, he is also after (behind) us.’”

 

Jacob gave the same commands to the head of the second flock and the third, and to all to say the same things. They were also to include this information: “Behold, thy slave Jacob is after (behind) us.”

 

Jacob also said, “I will cover her—his faces—via the rest walking to my faces (going in front of me). And afterward I will see his faces. Perhaps he will carry my faces.”

 

The valuable animals that made up Jacob’s rest crossed over in front of Jacob. Jacob remained that night in the camp, lodging there.

 

Questions

1. What does lodge mean?

 

2. What is a rest?

 

3. What is the comer into his hand?

 

4. What are ‘butt-ers’?

 

5. What is a ewe?

 

6. What kind of animal is this ram?

 

7. What is a lactating camel?

 

8. Are lactating camels worth more than camels that are not lactating?

 

9. Who are these children?

 

10. Why did Jacob always give more female animals than male animals?

 

11. Why did Jacob desire his slaves to cross over to his faces (in front of him, where he could see them)?

 

12. Why did Jacob desire a breather (a spacer) between each flock?

 

13. What does “To whom art thou” mean?

 

14. Why would Esau ask, “Where wilt thou walk” instead of, “Where wilt thou go”?

 

15. Identify these in, “To whom are these to thy faces”:

 

16. Why did Jacob desire his slaves to answer, “To thy slave—to Jacob”?

 

17. Why did Jacob tell each group to include, “And behold, he is also after us”?

 

18. Explain Jacob’s thinking: “I will cover her—his faces—via the rest walking to my faces.”

 

19. What does “Perhaps he will carry my faces” mean?

 

20. Why did Jacob send the rest in the evening?

 

21. Why didn’t Jacob also go see his brother that night?

 

VIII. The Night Crossing (verses 22-23)

I don’t know whether Jacob slept that night or not. He arose while it was still night. He took his two women and his two womenslaves and his eleven sons.

 

He crossed over the Jabbok crossing. He brought them over the brook. He then caused all his possessions (“what is to him”) to cross over the brook.

 

Questions

1. Why did Jacob travel at night?

 

2. Where is the Jabbok crossing?

 

3. Explain a little about the Jabbok stream.

 

4. Why did Jacob take all his possessions with him?

 

IX. The Great Fight (verses 24-30)

Jacob went somewhere alone after this crossing. An unidentified man came to Jacob in the dark. The two wrestled. It was an unfriendly match that lasted hours.

 

The sun began to rise. The text then says, “And he saw that he will-not-be-able to him.” It does not say who he or him is! The unidentified man touched in the palm of Jacob’s thigh, and the palm of his thigh dislocated while Jacob wrestled with the man.

 

The man said, “Send me! For the sunrise ascended!” Jacob responded, “I will not send thee but rather thou blessed me!” The man asked Jacob, “What is thy name?” Jacob gave his name: “He Will Heel.” The man said, “Thy name shall no more be called ‘He-Will-Heel (Jacob)’, but-rather ‘He-Will-Prince-Mighty-[One] (Israel)’. For thou princed with Elohim and with men, and thou wast able.”

 

Jacob then asked, saying, “Tell, na, thy name.” The man responded, “Why is this? Thou wilt ask to my name?” The man then blessed Jacob right there!

 

Jacob named the place ‘Faces Of Mighty One,’ saying, “For I saw Elohim faces unto faces, and my being was rescued!”

 

Questions

1. Why did Jacob remain alone?

 

2. Why didn’t he tell his wives about what was troubling him?

 

3. Who was this man???

 

4. What does “he will not be able to him” mean?

 

5. Who is he and who is him in “he will not be able to him”?

 

6. Why was Elohim not able to… well, overcome Jacob, or do whatever the text doesn’t mention after the word able?

 

7. Why was this so important, that it had to put into the Bible?

 

8. Why did Elohim put Jacob’s thigh out of joint?

 

9. Who said, “Send me”?

 

10. Why did He say this, instead of just leaving?

 

11. Why did Elohim desire to leave before the sun rose any further?

 

12. Why did Jacob desire to be blessed by a man who just caused him great pain, and made him defenseless?

 

13. What is the palm of the thigh?

 

14. Did all stop calling Jacob by the name ‘Jacob,’ and start using ‘Israel’ after this, since Elohim said, “Thy name shall no more be called Jacob, but-rather Israel”?

 

15. Was something wrong with the name Jacob?

 

16. What does the name Israel tell?

 

17. What does “thou princed with Elohim and with men, and thou wast able” mean?

 

18. Why did Jacob ask this man’s name?

 

19. What was the man’s name?

 

20. Was Jacob still clinging to him while He blessed him?

 

21. Did Jacob send him after He blessed him?

 

22. What did Jacob name the place, why did he name the place, and why is the name different from what Jacob said?

 

23. Why did Jacob say, “and my being was rescued”? Who did the rescuing, and from whom was Jacob rescued?

 

X. The New Tradition (verses 31-32)

Jacob crossed Penuel, limping on his thigh. From that time on, the Israelis (who believed the text and who understood it) refused to eat the sinew of the tendon that is upon the palm of the thigh. Elohim had touched in the palm of Jacob’s thigh in the sinew of the tendon.

 

Questions

1. Why don’t the Israelis (who follow this tradition) eat the sinew of the tendon that is upon the palm of the thigh? What animals are involved in this?

 

2. Did this hurt very much?

 

3. Why did Elohim hurt Jacob? Had Jacob done wrong?

 

XI. Jacob Meets with Esau (Chapter 33:1-4)

Jacob lifted his eyes. He then saw Esau coming with four hundred men. He divided the children among the four women, placing the slavewomen and their children in front, then Leah, then Raquel with Joseph.

 

Jacob then crossed over in front of the groups.

 

Before he came to Esau, he prostrated in front of him seven times between his approaches.

 

In the meantime, Esau ran to meet Jacob. Esau embraced him, fell upon his neck, and kissed him. Both of them wept.

 

Questions

1. If Jacob lifted his eyes, where were they focused before lifting them?

 

2. How could he recognize Esau after all this time, and at such a distance?

 

3. Why does my translation say, “four hundred man” instead of saying, “four hundred men”?

 

4. Why did Jacob divide the children according to their own mothers?

 

5. Why did Jacob put the slavewomen and their children first?

 

6. Why is Joseph (of all Jacob’s sons) the only one mentioned by name?

 

7. Why did Jacob then cross over in front of all the groups?

 

8. Why did Jacob prostrate (lie flat) before his brother, then come closer, then again prostrate before his brother, then come closer… seven times?

 

9. Why did Esau run to meet Jacob?

 

10. What does “he fell upon his neck” mean?

 

11. Why did they both weep?

 

XII. Giving and Taking (verses 5-11)

Esau was interested in seeing his brother. He then lifted his eyes and saw the women and children. Esau asked, “Who are these to thee?” Jacob answered, “The children that Elohim favoured thy slave.”

 

The slavewomen and their children neared Esau, and prostrated. Then Leah and her children did the same thing. Finally, Joseph neared, along with Raquel. Esau was amazed. “Who is to thee? All this camp that I encountered?” Jacob’s answer was curious: “To find favour in the eyes of my lord.”

 

Esau expressed that he already had much, and what is to Jacob must be to Jacob (what Jacob owns Jacob needs to keep).

 

Jacob respectfully insisted that Esau take Jacob’s rest from his hand. Jacob compared seeing Esau to seeing the faces of Elohim, and that Esau desired Jacob. Jacob stated, “Take na my blessing that is brought to thee. For Elohim favoured me, and for there is to me all.” Jacob urged Esau, and Esau was finally willing.

 

Questions

1. Why was Esau amazed that Jacob had so many persons and animals?

 

2. What did Jacob mean by, “The children that Elohim favoured thy slave”?

 

3. Why did the different women and their children prostrate before Esau?

 

4. What question was Jacob answering when he said, “To find favour in the eyes of my lord”?

 

5. What did Jacob mean when he answered, “Don’t, na, if na I found favour in thine eyes”?

 

6. Was Jacob exaggerating when he said, “For therefore I saw thy faces as seeing faces of Elohim”?

 

7. What does “thou desired me” mean?

 

8. What does “for there is to me all” mean?

 

9. Why did Esau take the items from his brother?

 

XIII. The Logic of Fear (verses 12-15)

The text does not give the amount of time that Esau and Jacob spoke together. The next part of their conversation involved Esau telling Jacob, “We shall journey. And we have walked. And I have walked to straight-in-front-of thee.”

 

Jacob replied, “My lord knows that the children are tender [they are not used to traveling for distances]. And the flock and the herd ascend upon me. [Both the large cattle and the small, like sheep and goats, ascend upon/by Jacob at his command.]  And they [the cowboys] shall drive them one day. And they shall die—all the flock.”

 

Jacob’s idea was this: “My lord [Esau] shall cross-over, na, to the faces of [in front of] his slave. And I, I will conduct-myself for gentleness to the foot of the errand [to the foot of moving the flock] that is to my faces and to the foot of the children until that I will come unto my lord toward Seir.”

 

Esau then volunteered to post (assign to a task) some of Esau’s men with Jacob. Jacob’s reaction was quick: “Why is this?” Then he said, “I will find favour in the eyes of my lord!” That was akin to saying, “If you will be pleased to permit me to take care of this myself.

 

Questions

1. Why did Esau desire to walk straight in front of Jacob?

 

2. Can one person determine or figure out the motives of another person?

 

3. Would the entire flock die if it were driven along with the cattle?

 

4. When Jacob said, “My lord shall cross-over, na, to the faces of his slave,” wasn’t this the same as Esau’s proposal, “I have walked to straight-in-front-of thee”?

 

5. What is “the foot of the errand”?

 

6. What does “the errand that is to my faces” mean?

 

7. Explain “I will conduct-myself for gentleness … to the foot of the children”:

 

8. Is “until that I will come” good English grammar (proper writing or speaking in English)?

 

9. Why did Esau offer to post some of his men with Jacob’s camps?

 

10. Why did Jacob add, “I will find favour in the eyes of my lord”?

 

XIV. The Departure and the Relief (verses 16-20)

Esau then returned to Seir, his home.

 

Jacob journeyed to Succot. He built an actual house. He constructed camouflages designed for cattle. That is why he called the place Camouflages.

 

Jacob came to Shalem, a city of Shkhem in the land of Canaan when he completed his journey from Padan-Aram. He camped in front of the city.

 

He acquired a portion of the field upon which he spread his tent from the hand of the children of Hamor who is the father of Shkhem. The cost was one hundred certified.

 

Jacob positioned an altar there. He “called to him” (named him) Mighty-One, Gods of Israel.

 

Questions

1. Why did Esau go away from Jacob?

 

2. Why did Jacob build a house for himself?

 

3. Explain “he made camouflages to his cattle”:

 

4. Why did he name the place Succot?

 

5. Why did Jacob decide to travel to Shalem (Peace)?

 

6. Why didn’t Jacob move into the city of Shalem, but instead only camped outside the city, facing it?

 

7. Why did Jacob acquire a portion of the field?

 

8. Explain “he acquired a portion of the field… vial a hundred certified”:

 

9. Why did Jacob position an altar there?

 

10. What is the significance of the expression, “Mighty One, Gods of Israel”?