Then thou shalt say, [They be] thy servant Jacob’s; it [is] a present sent unto my lord Esau: and, behold, also he [is] behind us.
Coming to see thy face, and beg thy favour.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
13-23. took . . . a present forEsauJacob combined active exertions with earnest prayer; andthis teaches us that we must not depend upon the aid andinterposition of God in such a way as to supersede the exercise ofprudence and foresight. Superiors are always approached withpresents, and the respect expressed is estimated by the quality andamount of the gift. The present of Jacob consisted of five hundredfifty head of cattle, of different kinds, such as would be mostprized by Esau. It was a most magnificent present, skilfully arrangedand proportioned. The milch camels alone were of immense value; forthe she camels form the principal part of Arab wealth; their milk isa chief article of diet; and in many other respects they are of thegreatest use.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
Then thou shall say, [they be] thy servant Jacob’s,…. Both the goats before them, and they themselves that had the care of them, belonged to Jacob, who directed them to speak of him to Esau as his “servant”:
it [is] a present sent unto my lord Esau; which is the answer to the second question:
and behold also he [is] behind us: that is, Jacob: this they were bid to tell, lest he should think that Jacob was afraid of him, and was gone another way; but that he was coming to pay a visit to him, and might expect shortly to see him, which would prepare his mind how to behave towards him.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
Gen 32:18 Then thou shalt say, [They be] thy servant Jacob’s; it [is] a present sent unto my lord Esau: and, behold, also he [is] behind us.
Ver. 18. They be thy servant Jacob’s.] “A soft answer turneth away wrath”: Pro 15:1 a “but grievous words stir up anger.” And it is easier to stir strife than stint it. Still, rain softens the hard earth: and though nothing be more violent than the winds, Iidem tamen imbribus sopiuntur, saith Pliny.
“Lenis alit flammas, grandior aura necat.”
How daintily did Gideon disarm the angry Ephraimites Jdg 8:1 by a mild answer!
It is a present sent, &c.
And, behold, also he is behind us.
a Frangitur ira gravis, quando est responsio suavis.
b Godw., Heb. Antiq. ex Buxtorf.
Gen 32:4, Gen 32:5
Reciprocal: Gen 23:6 – my lord Dan 4:19 – My Lord
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge