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”?