Genesis 32:2

And when Jacob saw them, he said, This is God’s host: and he called the name of that place Mahanaim.

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Word by word — the Hebrew

Word	Hebrew	Strong’s	Meaning
Jacob	יַעֲקֹב֙ ya.'a.Ko	H3290	Jaakob · proper noun, a man's name
them	רָאָ֔ם ra.'Am	H7200	to see · verb, qal perfect, 3rd person masculine singular + pronominal suffix, 3rd person masculine plural
said	וַיֹּ֤אמֶר vai.Yo.mer	H559	to say (used with great latitude) · conjunction + verb, qal sequential imperfect, 3rd person masculine singular
God’s	אֱלֹהִ֖ים 'E.lo.Him	H430	gods in the ordinary sense · noun, common masculine plural absolute
host	מַחֲנֵ֥ה ma.cha.Neh	H4264	an encampment (of travellers or troops) · noun, common feminine singular construct
called	וַיִּקְרָ֛א vai.yik.Ra'	H7121	to call out to (i.e. properly · conjunction + verb, qal sequential imperfect, 3rd person masculine singular
name	שֵֽׁם shem-	H8034	an appellation · noun, common masculine singular construct
place	הַמָּק֥וֹם ha.ma.Kom	H4725	properly · definite article + noun, common masculine singular absolute
Mahanaim	מַֽחֲנָֽיִם Ma.cha.Na.yim	H4266	Machanajim · proper noun, a place name

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance (James Strong, 1890/1894), public domain; digitized by Open Scriptures (CC BY-SA). KJV word tagging: eBible.org (public domain). Original-language text, parsing and brief lexicon: STEPBible.org data from Tyndale House, Cambridge (CC BY 4.0).

Cross-references

2 Samuel 2:8 But Abner the son of Ner, captain of Saul’s host, took Ish-bosheth the son of Saul, and brought him over to Mahanaim;
Joshua 5:14 And he said, Nay; but as captain of the host of the LORD am I now come. And Joshua fell on his face to the earth, and did worship, and said…
Joshua 21:38 And out of the tribe of Gad, Ramoth in Gilead with her suburbs, to be a city of refuge for the slayer; and Mahanaim with her suburbs,
2 Samuel 17:24 Then David came to Mahanaim. And Absalom passed over Jordan, he and all the men of Israel with him.
1 Kings 2:8 And, behold, thou hast with thee Shimei the son of Gera, a Benjamite of Bahurim, which cursed me with a grievous curse in the day when I wen…
Psalms 34:7 The angel of the LORD encampeth round about them that fear him, and delivereth them.
Psalms 148:2 Praise ye him, all his angels: praise ye him, all his hosts.
Luke 2:13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying,

Cross-references from OpenBible.info (CC BY), in the lineage of the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (public domain).

Commentary

Matthew Henry on Genesis 32:1-2

Jacob, having got clear of Laban, pursues his journey homewards towards Canaan: when God has helped us through difficulties we should go on our way heaven-ward with so much the more cheerfulness and resolution. Now, 1. Here is Jacob's convoy in his journey (Gen 32:1): The angels of God met him, in a visible appearance, whether in a vision by da or in a dream by night, as when he saw them upon the ladder (Gen 28:12), is uncertain. Note, Those that keep in a good way have always a good guard; angels themselves are ministering spirits for their safety, Heb 1:14. Where Jacob pitched his tents, they pitched theirs about him, Psa 34:7. They met him, to bid him welcome to Canaan again; a more honou…

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Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Genesis 32:2

Mahanaim--"two hosts," or "camps." The place was situated between mount Gilead and the Jabbok, near the banks of that brook.

Adam Clarke on Genesis 32:2

Mahanaim - The two hosts, if read by the points, the angels forming one, and Jacob and his company forming another; or simply hosts or camps in the plural. There was a city built afterwards here, and inhabited by the priests of God, Jos 21:38. For what purpose the angels of God met Jacob, does not appear from the text; probably it was intended to show him that he and his company were under the care of an especial providence, and consequently to confirm his trust and confidence in God. The doctrine of the ministration of angels has been much abused, not only among the heathens, but also among Jews and Christians, and perhaps most among the latter. Angels with feigned names, titles, and influe…

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John Gill on Genesis 32:2

And when Jacob saw them,.... These appeared in a visible form, most probably human, and in the habit, and with the accoutrements of soldiers, and therefore afterwards called an host or army. Aben Ezra thinks that Jacob alone saw them, as Elisha first saw the host of angels before the young man did that was with him, 2 Kings 6:17, he said, this is God's host: or army, hence he is often called the Lord of hosts; angels have this name from their number, order, strength, and military exploits they perform: and he called the name of the place Mahanaim; which signifies two hosts or armies; either his own family and company making one, and the angels another, as Aben Ezra observes; or they were t…

The Church Fathers

GOD'S CAMP. — The camp of God , which Jacob saw on his journey, was undoubtedly a multitude of angels. For this is called in the Scriptures the army of heaven (Cf. Rev. 19:14). [
— Augustine of Hippo, QUESTIONS ON GENESIS, Q. 100 (tr. J. Litteral, draft)

(Chapter XXXII, Verse 2) And Sara died in the city of Arboc, which is in the valley: this is Chebron, in the land of Canaan. This that is placed here, which is in the valley, is not found in authentic codices. The name of the city Arboc has also gradually been corrupted by scribes and readers. For it should not be assumed that the Seventy Interpreters translated the name of the Hebrew city in a barbaric and corrupted manner, differently than it is said in its own language. Indeed, 'Arboc' signifies nothing at all. But it is said to be 'Arbee' (that is, four) because there Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob were buried, and also the first of the human race, Adam, as will be more clearly demonstrated in the book of Jesus.
— Jerome, Hebrew Questions on Genesis

The Church Fathers: public-domain translations (Ante-Nicene and Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers), verse-indexed by SermonIndex (CC BY 4.0).

Dictionary and topics

Mahanaim — Two camps, a place near the Jabbok, beyond Jordan, where Jacob was met by the “angels of God,” and where he divided his retinue into “two hosts” on his return from Padan-aram (Gen. 32:2). This name…
Angel (A Spirit) · .Hosts — .Hosts
Jacob · Meets angels of God on the journey, and — Meets angels of God on the journey, and
Mahanaim · The place where Jacob had the vision of angels — The place where Jacob had the vision of angels

Dictionary: Easton's (1897) and Smith's (1863), public domain. Topics: Nave's Topical Bible (1896) and Torrey's Topical Textbook (1897), public domain. Both as parsed by NEUU (CC BY 4.0).

Genesis 32:2

Word by word — the Hebrew

Cross-references

Commentary

Matthew Henry on Genesis 32:1-2

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Genesis 32:2

Adam Clarke on Genesis 32:2

John Gill on Genesis 32:2

The Church Fathers

Dictionary and topics

Genesis 32:2

Word by word — the Hebrew

Cross-references

Commentary

Matthew Henry on Genesis 32:1-2

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Genesis 32:2

Adam Clarke on Genesis 32:2

John Gill on Genesis 32:2

The Church Fathers

Dictionary and topics

John Calvin on Genesis 32:1-2

Tyndale Open Study Notes on Genesis 32:2