Genesis 32:21
New International Version
So Jacob’s gifts went on ahead of him, but he himself spent the night in the camp.

New Living Translation
So the gifts were sent on ahead, while Jacob himself spent that night in the camp.

English Standard Version
So the present passed on ahead of him, and he himself stayed that night in the camp.

Berean Standard Bible
So Jacob’s gifts went on before him, while he spent the night in the camp.

King James Bible
So went the present over before him: and himself lodged that night in the company.

New King James Version
So the present went on over before him, but he himself lodged that night in the camp.

New American Standard Bible
So the gift passed on ahead of him, while he himself spent that night in the camp.

NASB 1995
So the present passed on before him, while he himself spent that night in the camp.

NASB 1977
So the present passed on before him, while he himself spent that night in the camp.

Legacy Standard Bible
So the present passed on before him, while he himself spent that night in the camp.

Amplified Bible
So the gift [of the herds of livestock] went on ahead of him, and he himself spent that night back in the camp.

Christian Standard Bible
So the gift was sent on ahead of him while he remained in the camp that night.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
So the gift was sent on ahead of him while he remained in the camp that night.

American Standard Version
So the present passed over before him: and he himself lodged that night in the company.

Contemporary English Version
Jacob's men took the gifts on ahead of him, but he spent the night in camp.

English Revised Version
So the present passed over before him: and he himself lodged that night in the company.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
So Jacob sent the gift ahead of him while he stayed in the camp that night.

Good News Translation
He sent the gifts on ahead of him and spent that night in camp.

International Standard Version
So the presents went ahead of him, while he spent that night in the camp.

Majority Standard Bible
So Jacob?s gifts went on before him, while he spent the night in the camp.

NET Bible
So the gifts were sent on ahead of him while he spent that night in the camp.

New Heart English Bible
So the gift passed over before him, and he himself stayed that night in the camp.

Webster's Bible Translation
So the present went over before him; and he himself lodged that night in the company.

World English Bible
So the present passed over before him, and he himself stayed that night in the camp.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
and the present passes over before his face, and he has lodged during that night in the camp.

Young's Literal Translation
and the present passeth over before his face, and he hath lodged during that night in the camp.

Smith's Literal Translation
And the gift will pass over before his face, and he remained in that night in the camp.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
So the presents went before him, but himself lodged that night in the camp.

Catholic Public Domain Version
And so the gifts went before him, but he himself lodged that night in the camp.

New American Bible
So the gifts went on ahead of him, while he stayed that night in the camp.

New Revised Standard Version
So the present passed on ahead of him; and he himself spent that night in the camp.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
So the present went over before him; and he himself lodged that night in the encampment.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
And the offering passed over before him and he lodged in the camp that night.
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
So the present passed over before him; and he himself lodged that night in the camp.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
So the presents went on before him, but he himself lodged that night in the camp.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Jacob's Fear of Esau
20You are also to say, ‘Look, your servant Jacob is right behind us.’ ” For he thought, “I will appease Esau with the gift that is going before me. After that I can face him, and perhaps he will accept me.” 21So Jacob’s gifts went on before him, while he spent the night in the camp.

Cross References
Genesis 33:3-4
But Jacob himself went on ahead and bowed to the ground seven times as he approached his brother. / Esau, however, ran to him and embraced him, threw his arms around his neck, and kissed him. And they both wept.

Genesis 33:10
But Jacob insisted, “No, please! If I have found favor in your sight, then receive this gift from my hand. For indeed, I have seen your face, and it is like seeing the face of God, since you have received me favorably.

Genesis 33:14
Please let my lord go ahead of his servant. I will continue on slowly, at a comfortable pace for the livestock and children, until I come to my lord at Seir.”

Genesis 33:16
So that day Esau started on his way back to Seir,

Genesis 33:20
There he set up an altar and called it El-Elohe-Israel.

Proverbs 21:14
A gift in secret soothes anger, and a covert bribe pacifies great wrath.

Proverbs 18:16
A man’s gift opens doors for him, and brings him before great men.

1 Samuel 25:18-19
Then Abigail hurried and took two hundred loaves of bread, two skins of wine, five butchered sheep, five seahs of roasted grain, a hundred clusters of raisins, and two hundred cakes of figs. She loaded them on donkeys / and said to her young men, “Go ahead of me. I will be right behind you.” But she did not tell her husband Nabal.

1 Samuel 25:27
Now let this gift your servant has brought to my lord be given to the young men who follow you.

2 Samuel 16:1-2
When David had gone a little beyond the summit, Ziba the servant of Mephibosheth was there to meet him. He had a pair of saddled donkeys loaded with two hundred loaves of bread, a hundred clusters of raisins, a hundred summer fruits, and a skin of wine. / “Why do you have these?” asked the king. Ziba replied, “The donkeys are for the king’s household to ride, the bread and summer fruit are for the young men to eat, and the wine is to refresh those who become exhausted in the wilderness.”

2 Kings 8:8-9
So the king said to Hazael, “Take a gift in your hand, go to meet the man of God, and inquire of the LORD through him, ‘Will I recover from this illness?’” / So Hazael went to meet Elisha, taking with him a gift of forty camel loads of every good thing from Damascus. And he went in and stood before him and said, “Your son Ben-hadad king of Aram has sent me to ask, ‘Will I recover from this illness?’”

Matthew 5:23-24
So if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, / leave your gift there before the altar. First go and be reconciled to your brother; then come and offer your gift.

Matthew 18:15
If your brother sins against you, go and confront him privately. If he listens to you, you have won your brother over.

Luke 17:3-4
Watch yourselves. If your brother sins, rebuke him; and if he repents, forgive him. / Even if he sins against you seven times in a day, and seven times returns to say, ‘I repent,’ you must forgive him.”

Luke 19:8
But Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord, “Look, Lord, half of my possessions I give to the poor, and if I have cheated anyone, I will repay it fourfold.”


Treasury of Scripture

So went the present over before him: and himself lodged that night in the company.

Jump to Previous
Ahead Camp Company Face Front Gift Gifts Jacob's Lodged Night Offerings Passed Passeth Present Rest Servants Spent Tents
Jump to Next
Ahead Camp Company Face Front Gift Gifts Jacob's Lodged Night Offerings Passed Passeth Present Rest Servants Spent Tents
Genesis 32
1. Jacob's vision at Mahanaim.
3. His message to Esau.
6. He is afraid of Esau's coming.
9. He prays for deliverance.
13. He sends a present to Esau, and passes the brook Jabbok.
24. He wrestles with an angel at Peniel, where he is called Israel.
31. He halts.














So Jacob’s gifts went on before him
Jacob sends gifts ahead to Esau as a gesture of reconciliation and appeasement. This act reflects the cultural practices of the ancient Near East, where gifts were often used to pacify potential adversaries or to show respect. The gifts symbolize Jacob's attempt to seek favor and forgiveness from Esau, whom he had wronged years earlier by taking his birthright and blessing (Genesis 27). This act of sending gifts can be seen as a precursor to the concept of atonement, where offerings are made to restore broken relationships, paralleling the sacrificial system later established in the Mosaic Law.

while he spent the night in the camp
Jacob's decision to stay in the camp while his gifts went ahead indicates a moment of introspection and preparation. This night is significant as it precedes his encounter with God, where he wrestles with the angel (Genesis 32:24-30). The camp represents a place of solitude and reflection, where Jacob is left alone to confront his fears and seek divine intervention. This setting foreshadows the transformative encounter that will change Jacob's identity to Israel, symbolizing a new beginning and covenant relationship with God. The night also serves as a metaphor for the spiritual darkness and struggle Jacob faces before receiving God's blessing and assurance.

Persons / Places / Events
1. Jacob
The central figure in this passage, Jacob is returning to his homeland after years of living with his uncle Laban. He is preparing to meet his brother Esau, whom he fears due to their past conflict.

2. Esau
Jacob's brother, who he deceived years earlier to obtain the birthright and blessing. Jacob is unsure of Esau's intentions and is concerned about their reunion.

3. The Camp
The place where Jacob stays overnight. It represents a place of preparation and reflection before his encounter with Esau.

4. The Gifts
Jacob sends gifts ahead to Esau as a peace offering, hoping to appease his brother and find favor in his sight.

5. The Journey
This event is part of Jacob's larger journey back to Canaan, which is both a physical and spiritual journey of reconciliation and transformation.
Teaching Points
The Importance of Reconciliation
Jacob's actions demonstrate the importance of seeking reconciliation with those we have wronged. This is a biblical principle that is echoed throughout Scripture.

Trust in God's Promises
Despite his fear, Jacob is acting on God's promise to be with him. Believers are encouraged to trust in God's promises even when facing difficult situations.

The Role of Humility
Jacob's sending of gifts shows humility and a desire to make amends. Humility is a key virtue in Christian life, especially in relationships.

Preparation and Prayer
Jacob's time in the camp can be seen as a time of preparation and prayer. Before facing challenges, believers should seek God's guidance and prepare their hearts.

Faith in Action
Jacob's actions are a demonstration of faith in action. He doesn't just pray for safety; he takes practical steps to ensure peace.Verses 21-23. - So (literally, and) went the present over Before him: and himself lodged that night in the company. And he rose up that night, - i.e. some time before daybreak (vide ver. 24) and took his two wives, and him two women servants (Bilhah and Zilpah), and his eleven sons (Dinah being not mentioned in accordance with the common usage of the Bible), and passed over the ford - the word signifies a place of passing over. Tristram ('Land of Israel,' p. 558) speaks of the strong current reaching the horses girths at the ford crossed by himself and twenty horsemen - Jabbok. Jabbok, from bakak, to empty, to pour forth (Kalisch), or from abak, to struggle (Keil), may have been so named either from the natural appearance of the river, or, as is more probable, by prolepsis from the wrestling which took place upon its banks. It is now called the Wady Zerka, or Blue River, which flows into the Jordan, nearly opposite Shechem, and midway between the Lake Tiberias and the Dead Sea. The stream is rapid, and often Completely hidden by the dense mass of oleander which fringes its banks ('Land of Israel,' p. 558). And he took them, and sent them (literally, caused them to pass) over the brook, and sent over that he had - himself remaining on the north side (Delitzsch, Keil, Kurtz, Murphy, Gerlach, Wordsworth, Alford), although, having once crossed the stream (ver. 22), it is not perfectly apparent that he recrossed, which has led some to argue that the wrestling occurred on the south of the river (Knobel, Rosenmüller, Lange, Kalisch).

CHAPTER 32:24-32

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
So [Jacob’s] gifts
הַמִּנְחָ֖ה (ham·min·ḥāh)
Article | Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 4503: A donation, tribute, a sacrificial offering

went
וַתַּעֲבֹ֥ר (wat·ta·‘ă·ḇōr)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person feminine singular
Strong's 5674: To pass over, through, or by, pass on

on before
עַל־ (‘al-)
Preposition
Strong's 5921: Above, over, upon, against

him,
פָּנָ֑יו (pā·nāw)
Noun - common plural construct | third person masculine singular
Strong's 6440: The face

while he
וְה֛וּא (wə·hū)
Conjunctive waw | Pronoun - third person masculine singular
Strong's 1931: He, self, the same, this, that, as, are

spent
לָ֥ן (lān)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 3885: To stop, to stay permanently, to be obstinate

the
הַה֖וּא (ha·hū)
Article | Pronoun - third person masculine singular
Strong's 1931: He, self, the same, this, that, as, are

night
בַּלַּֽיְלָה־ (bal·lay·lāh-)
Preposition-b, Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 3915: A twist, night, adversity

in the camp.
בַּֽמַּחֲנֶֽה׃ (bam·ma·ḥă·neh)
Preposition-b, Article | Noun - common singular
Strong's 4264: An encampment, an army


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OT Law: Genesis 32:21 So the present passed over before him (Gen. Ge Gn)
Genesis 32:20
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