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Genesis 32:17
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15 thirty milk camels with their colts, forty cows and ten bulls, twenty female donkeys and ten foals.
16 Then he delivered them to the hand of his servants, every drove by itself, and said to his servants, “Pass over before me, and put some distance between successive droves.”
17 And he commanded the first one, saying, “When Esau my brother meets you and asks you, saying, ‘To whom do you belong, and where are you going? Whose are these in front of you?’
18 then you shall say, ‘They are your servant Jacob’s. It is a present sent to my lord Esau; and behold, he also is behind us.’ ”
19 So he commanded the second, the third, and all who followed the droves, saying, “In this manner you shall speak to Esau when you find him;
20 and also say, ‘Behold, your servant Jacob is behind us.’ ” For he said, “I will aappease him with the present that goes before me, and afterward I will see his face; perhaps he will accept me.”  
Commentaries:


No entry exists in Forerunner Commentary for Genesis 32:17.

Genesis 32:17-18

First, he took a flock of 200 female goats and sent them ahead of him toward Esau. He put a servant in charge, and instructed the servant in this way:

Jacob thought that he might soften Esau’s heart in this way, and escape with his life. But then he got to thinking (I do not know how long it took him to think this way, probably immediately), “Suppose the flock of 200 female goats was not enough? Suppose Esau was not satisfied?” He decided to send 20 male goats after them, so the number of animals is accumulating. After the male goats, Jacob sent 200 ewes. After the ewes, there were 20 rams. After the rams, he sent 30 female camels and their young. Then came 40 cows, ten bulls, 20 female donkeys, ten male donkeys—was he terrified of Esau, his brother? He must have been, because he was trying to pay him off.

Excerpted from Hosea's Prophecy (Part Six)

Genesis 32:17-20

So he is ramping up every time the servant says, “This is from my lord Jacob and my lord Jacob is behind us” and then again “This is from Jacob and Jacob is behind us.” He does not know when this cycle is going to stop. It might just keep on going and going. But he is ratcheting up Esau’s excitement to meet his brother.

Excerpted from Reconciliation (Part One)

 
<< Genesis 32:16   Genesis 32:18 >>

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