John Gill Commentary Genesis 32

And Jacob went on his way From Gilead towards the land of Canaan: and the angels of God met him ; to comfort and help him, to protect and defend him, to keep him in all his ways, that nothing hurt him, (Psalms 91:11Psalms 91:12) ; these are ministering spirits sent forth by God to minister to his people, the heirs of salvation; and such an one Jacob was.

And when Jacob saw them
These appeared in a visible form, most probably human, and in the habit, and with the accoutrements ofsoldiers, and therefore afterwards called an host or army. Aben Ezra thinks that Jacob alone saw them, asElisha 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 placeMahanaim ;
which signifies two hosts or armies; either his own family and company making one, and the angels another, asAben Ezra observes; or they were the angels, who very probably appeared in two companies, or as two armies,and one went on one side of Jacob and his family, and the other on the other side; or the one went beforehim, and the other behind him; the latter to secure him from any insult of Laban, should he pursue after him,and distress him in the rear, and the former to protect him from Esau, near whose country Jacob now was, andof whom he was in some fear and danger; thus seasonably did God appear for him.

The Jewish writers ^F20 say, the host of God is 60,000, and that the Shechinah, or divine Majesty, never dwells amongless, and that Mahanaim, or two hosts, are 120,000; there was afterwards a city of this name near this place,which very likely was so called in memory of this appearance, (Joshua 21:38) ; and there seems to be anallusion to it in the account of the church, (Song of Solomon 6:13) ; it was in the land of Gilead, andtribe of Gad, forty four miles from Jerusalem to the southeast ^F21 .

FOOTNOTES:

• F20: In Bereshit Rabba, sect. 75. fol. 66. 1.
• F21: Bunting's Travels, p. 74.

And Jacob sent messengers before him unto Esau his brother ,
&c.] Or "angels": not angels simply, as Jarchi, for these were not under the command, and in the power of Jacob to send, nor would they have needed any instruction from him afterwards given, but these were some of his own servants. Esau it seems was removed from his father's house, and was possessed of a country after mentioned, called from his name; and which Aben Ezra says lay between Haran and the land of Israel; but if it did not directly lie in the road of Jacob, yet, as it was near him, he did not choose to pass by without seeing his brother; and therefore sent messengers to inform him of his coming, and by whom he might learn in what temper and disposition of mind he was towards him:

unto the land of Seir, the country of Edom :
which had its first name from Seir the Horite; and Esau having married into his family, came into the possession of it, by virtue of that marriage; or rather he and his sons drove out the Horites, the ancient possessors of it, and took it to themselves, from whom it was afterwards called Edom, a name of Esau, which he has from the red pottage he sold his birthright for to his brother Jacob, (Genesis 25:30) ; perhaps it is here called Edom by an anticipation, not having as yet that name, though it had in Moses's time, when this history was wrote; see (Genesis 36:18Genesis 36:20Genesis 36:24) (Deuteronomy 1:12Deuteronomy 1:22) .

And he commanded them Being his servants: saying, thus shall you speak to my lord Esau; being not only a lord of a country, but his eldest brother, and whom he chose to bespeak in this manner, to soften his mind, and incline it to him; and that he might see he did not pique himself upon the birthright and blessing he had obtained; and as if these were forgotten by him, though hereby he does not give up his right in them: your servant Jacob says thus, expressing great humility and modesty; for though his father Isaac by his blessing had made him lord over Esau, the time was not come for this to take place, his father not being yet dead; and besides, was to have its accomplishment not in his own person, but in his posterity: I have sojourned with Laban, and stayed there until now; had been a sojourner and a servant in Laban's family for twenty years past, and had had an hard master, and therefore could not be the object of his brother's envy, but rather of his pity and compassion.

And I have oxen, and asses, flocks, and menservants, and
womenservants
This he would have said, lest he should think he was come to ask anything of him, and put himself and his family upon him; and lest he should treat him with contempt, as a poor mean beggarly creature, and be ashamed of the relation he stood in to him.

and I have sent to tell my lord ;
of his coming, and of his state and circumstances.

that I may find grace in your sight ;
share in his good will, which was all he wanted, and that friendship, harmony, and brotherly love, might subsist between them, which he was very desirous of.