“And Jacob lifted up his eyes, and looked, and, behold, Esau came, and with him four hundred men. And he divided the children unto Leah, and unto Rachel, and unto the two handmaids.”
That if the one part were assailed, the other might escape.
“And he passed over before them, and bowed himself to the ground seven times, until he came near to his brother.”
By this gesture he partly did reverence to his brother, and partly prayed to God to mitigate Esau’s wrath.
“Then the handmaidens came near, they and their children, and they bowed themselves.”
Jacob and his family are the image of the Church under the yoke of tyrants which for fear are brought to subjection.
“And Jacob said, Nay, I pray thee, if now I have found grace in thy sight, then receive my present at my hand: for therefore I have seen thy face, as though I had seen the face of God, and thou wast pleased with me.”
In that that his brother embraced him so lovingly, contrary to his expectation, he accepted it as a plain sign of God’s presence.
“Take, I pray thee, my blessing that is brought to thee; because God hath dealt graciously with me, and because I have enough. And he urged him, and he took it. enough: Heb. all things”
Or, gift. By earnest entreaty.
“Let my lord, I pray thee, pass over before his servant: and I will lead on softly, according as the cattle that goeth before me and the children be able to endure, until I come unto my lord unto Seir. according: Heb. according to the foot of the work, etc., and according to the foot of the children”
He promised that which (as seemeth) his mind was not to perform.
“And he bought a parcel of a field, where he had spread his tent, at the hand of the children of Hamor, Shechem's father, for an hundred pieces of money. Hamor: Gr. Emmor pieces: or, lambs”
Or, lambs, or money so marked.
“And he erected there an altar, and called it Elelohe-Israel. Elelohe-Israel: that is God the God of Israel”
He calleth the sign, the thing which it signifieth, in token that God had mightily delivered him.