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Genesis 32:20

in Genesis 32

You are also to say, ‘Look, your servant Jacob is right behind us.’” For he thought, “I will appease Esau with the gift that is going before me. After that I can face him, and perhaps he will accept me.”

BSB

The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾

ASV

and ye shall say, Moreover, behold, thy servant Jacob is behind us. For he said, I will appease him with the present that goeth before me, and afterward I will see his face; peradventure he will accept me.

KJV

And say ye moreover, Behold, thy servant Jacob is behind us. For he said, I will appease him with the present that goeth before me, and afterward I will see his face; peradventure he will accept of me.

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This verse in Genesis 32

Commentary

5 notes on this verse

This site's exposition

He also instructed the second, the third

on Genesis 32:19-21

Verse 20 gives Jacob's own reason, to appease Esau with the gift that goes before him. The verb is kaphar, to cover, the word that stands behind atonement. The Hebrew of that one verse says face four times, and before morning he names a place for seeing God's face.

This site's exposition

I will appease Esau with the gift

Proverbs 21:14 says a gift in secret soothes anger. Abigail meets David's anger the same way at 1 Samuel 25:18 and 19, telling her servants to go on ahead with herself coming after. Both gifts go before the giver.

The record, by era

The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices

A commentator

Matthew Henry

1662–1714

Commentary on the Whole Bible (1710)

proposed

Note, We ought to continue instant in prayer, always to pray and not to faint: frequency and importunity in prayer prepare us for mercy. While Jacob was earnest in prayer, stirring up himself to take hold on God, an angel takes hold on him. Some think this was a created angel, the angel of his presence ( Isa. lxiii.

quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — unbalanced-parens

And say ye moreover, behold, thy servant Jacob is behind us,....

The Nineteenth Century1 voice

A commentator

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown

1802–1910

Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)

proposed

took . . . a present for Esau--Jacob combined active exertions with earnest prayer; and this teaches us that we must not depend upon the aid and interposition of God in such a way as to supersede the exercise of prudence and foresight. Superiors are always approached with presents, and the respect expressed is estimated by the quality and amount of the gift.

quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — starts-lowercase

The words behind it

20 Hebrew words

Every Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.

  • וַאֲמַרְתֶּ֕םand you will say

    vaamartemH559 →5305 times

  • גַּ֗םalso

    gamH1571 →769 times

  • הִנֵּ֛הthere!

    hinehH2009 →843 times

  • עַבְדְּךָ֥servant your

    ʾavdekhaH5650 →799 times

  • יַעֲקֹ֖בJacob

    yaakoH3290 →350 times

  • אַחֲרֵ֑ינוּ[is] behind us

    ʾachareinuH310 →715 times

  • כִּֽי־for

    ki-H3588 →4482 times

  • אָמַ֞רhe said

    ʾamarH559 →5305 times

  • אֲכַפְּרָ֣הI will cover

    ʾakhaperahH3722 →

  • פָנָ֗יוface his

    fanavH6440 →2123 times

  • בַּמִּנְחָה֙by the gift

    baminchahH4503 →211 times

  • הַהֹלֶ֣כֶתthat is going

    haholekhetH1980 →1546 times

  • לְפָנָ֔י<to> before me

    lefanaiH6440 →2123 times

  • וְאַחֲרֵי־and after

    veacharei-H310 →715 times

  • כֵן֙thus

    khenH3651 →771 times

  • אֶרְאֶ֣הI will see

    ʾerehH7200 →1300 times

  • פָנָ֔יוface his

    fanavH6440 →2123 times

  • אוּלַ֖יperhaps

    ʾulaiH194 →45 times

  • יִשָּׂ֥אhe will lift up

    yisa'H5375 →656 times

  • פָנָֽי׃face my

    fanaiH6440 →2123 times

A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.

Related verses

18 in all, six open

The number beside each verse is how many compiled reference works tie it to this one. The strongest six stand open.

Proverbs 18:16A man’s gift opens doors for him, and brings him before great men.6 worksJob 42:8–9So now, take seven bulls and seven rams, go to My servant Job, and sacrifice a burnt offering for yourselves. Then My servant Job will pray for you, for I will accept his prayer and not deal with you according to your folly. For you have not spoken accurately about Me, as My servant Job has.”5 worksProverbs 21:14A gift in secret soothes anger, and a covert bribe pacifies great wrath.4 works1 Samuel 25:19and said to her young men, “Go ahead of me. I will be right behind you.” But she did not tell her husband Nabal.4 works2 Chronicles 20:26On the fourth day they assembled in the Valley of Beracah, where they blessed the LORD. Therefore that place is called the Valley of Beracah to this day.4 works1 Samuel 25:17–35Now consider carefully what you must do, because disaster looms over our master and all his household. For he is such a scoundrel that nobody can speak to him!”2 works
The other 12 cross-references, with their words ▾
1 Samuel 6:5Make images of your tumors and of the rats that are ravaging the land. Give glory to the God of Israel, and perhaps He will lift His hand from you and your gods and your land.2 worksGenesis 43:11Then their father Israel said to them, “If it must be so, then do this: Put some of the best products of the land in your packs and carry them down as a gift for the man—a little balm and a little honey, spices and myrrh, pistachios and almonds.2 works1 Kings 20:31Then the servants of Ben-hadad said to him, “Look now, we have heard that the kings of the house of Israel are merciful. Let us go out to the king of Israel with sackcloth around our waists and ropes around our heads. Perhaps he will spare your life.”2 works2 Timothy 2:25He must gently reprove those who oppose him, in the hope that God may grant them repentance leading to a knowledge of the truth.2 worksProverbs 15:18A hot-tempered man stirs up strife, but he who is slow to anger calms dispute.2 worksProverbs 6:35He will not be appeased by any ransom, or persuaded by lavish gifts.2 worksJonah 3:9Who knows? God may turn and relent; He may turn from His fierce anger, so that we will not perish.”2 worksProverbs 16:14The wrath of a king is a messenger of death, but a wise man will pacify it.2 worksIsaiah 36:16Do not listen to Hezekiah, for this is what the king of Assyria says: Make peace with me and come out to me. Then every one of you will eat from his own vine and his own fig tree, and drink water from his own cistern,2 worksGenesis 32:16He entrusted them to his servants in separate herds and told them, “Go on ahead of me, and keep some distance between the herds.”2 works2 Kings 18:31Do not listen to Hezekiah, for this is what the king of Assyria says: Make peace with me and come out to me. Then every one of you will eat from his own vine and his own fig tree, and drink water from his own cistern,2 worksDaniel 10:17How can I, your servant, speak with you, my lord? Now I have no strength, nor is any breath left in me.”2 works

The walk

8 stops

Each card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.

  • Through

    Proverbs 21:14

    A gift in secret soothes anger, and a covert bribe pacifies great wrath.

    it leads to

    • Proverbs 18:16

      A man’s gift opens doors for him, and brings him before great men.

      Reached by 2 separate paths from here.

    • Proverbs 19:6

      Many seek the favor of the prince, and everyone is a friend of the gift giver.

  • Through

    Genesis 43:11

    Then their father Israel said to them, “If it must be so, then do this: Put some of the best products of the land in your packs and carry them down as a gift…

    it leads to

    • Genesis 37:25

      And as they sat down to eat a meal, they looked up and saw a caravan of Ishmaelites coming from Gilead. Their camels were carrying spices, balm, and myrrh on their way down to…

    • Jeremiah 8:22

      Is there no balm in Gilead? Is no physician there? Why then has the health of the daughter of my people not been restored?

  • Through

    1 Samuel 6:5

    Make images of your tumors and of the rats that are ravaging the land. Give glory to the God of Israel, and perhaps He will lift His hand from you and your gods and…

    it leads to

    • Joshua 7:19

      So Joshua said to Achan, “My son, give glory to the LORD, the God of Israel, and make a confession to Him. I urge you to tell me what you have done; do not…

    • 1 Samuel 5:11

      Then the Ekronites assembled all the rulers of the Philistines and said, “Send away the ark of the God of Israel. It must return to its place, so that it will not kill us…

    • 1 Samuel 5:6–7

      Now the hand of the LORD was heavy on the people of Ashdod and its vicinity, ravaging them and afflicting them with tumors.

    • 1 Samuel 5:3–4

      When the people of Ashdod got up early the next morning, there was Dagon, fallen on his face before the ark of the LORD. So they took Dagon and returned him to his place.

Where this verse is studied

About Genesis

Jacob Wrestles with the Angel — Gustave Doré, Doré's English Bible (1866), public domain
Jacob Wrestles with the Angel — Gustave Doré, Doré's English Bible (1866), public domain
Genesis: the study guide →Read Genesis 32 →

This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.

Read on in Genesis 32 →