2, 3. The legend of Maḥanaim.—2. angels . . . met him] The verb for 'meet,' as here construed (v.i.), usually means to 'oppose.'—3. This is God's camp] or a camp of gods. The idea of divine armies appears elsewhere in OT (cf. Jos. 514), and perhaps underlies the expression 'Host of heaven' and the name Yahwe Ẓebā'ôth.—Maḥanaim is here apparently not regarded as a dual (ct. 8. 9. 11). On its site, v.i.
The brief statement of the text seems to be a torso of a legend which
had gathered round the name Maḥanaim, whose original meaning has
been lost. The curtailment probably indicates that the sequel was
objectionable to the religious feeling of later times; and it has been
surmised that the complete story told of a conflict between Jacob and
the angels (originally divine beings), somewhat similar to the wrestling
of vv.24ff. (Gu. Ben.). The word 'camp' (cf. the fuller text of G inf.),
and the verbal phrase (
Hebrew characters) both suggest a warlike encounter.
4-14a. Jacob's precautionary measures (J).—4.
Isaac's death and Esau's settlement in the country afterwards
occupied by his descendants are here assumed to
have already taken place: otherwise P (366).—5, 6. We
note the extreme servility of Jacob's language:—my lord . . . thy servant . . . find grace,—dictated by fear of his
brother's vengeance (2741). In substance the message is
2. After (Hebrew characters) G ins. (Greek characters),
enhancing the vividness of the description.—(Hebrew characters)] =
'encounter with hostility,' Ju. 821 1512 18{25}, 1 Sa. 2217f., 2 Sa. 115, 1 Ki.
225ff., Ru. 222; = 'intercede,' Jb. 2115, Jer. 7{16} 2718, Ru. 116. The neutral
sense 'meet,' with pers. obj., is doubtfully supported by Nu. 3519. 21,
Jos. 216, where hostile intention is evidently implied: elsewhere this is
expressed by acc. pers. (Ex. 520 234, 1 Sa. 105, Am. 519). Gn. 2811 is
somewhat different, the obj. being impers. (cf. the use in Jos. 167 1710
etc.).—3. (Hebrew characters)] an important East Jordanic city and sanctuary, the
capital of Ish-bosheth (2 Sa. 28), and David's headquarters during
the revolt of Absalom (2 Sa. 1724. 27), the centre of a fiscal district under
Solomon (1 Ki. 414). The situation of Maḥne or Miḥne on W. el-Ḥimār,
some 14 m. N of the Jabboḳ (see Buhl, GP, 257), suits all the other
references (cf. Jos. 1326. 30—the boundary of Gad and Manasseh), but
is too far from the Jabboḳ for this narrative (v.23). On the ending,
which is probably no real dual, see on 2410.
4. (Hebrew characters)] G om.—(Hebrew characters)] (cf. Ju. 54) is probably a gloss on (Hebrew characters).—5.
(Hebrew characters)] cf. 1828ff.—(Hebrew characters)] for (Hebrew characters) (G-K. § 64 h).—6. (Hebrew characters)] Cohort.
form with vav consec.—chiefly late; see Dri. T. § 69 Obs., § 72; G-K.
