Genesis

Genesis 32:6–11

⁶When the messengers returned to Jacob, they said, “We went to your brother Esau, and now he is coming to meet you— he and four hundred men with him.”

⁷In great fear and distress, Jacob divided his people into two camps, as well as the flocks and herds and camels. ⁸He thought, “If Esau comes and attacks one camp, then the other camp can escape.”

⁹Then Jacob declared, “O God of my father Abraham, God of my father Isaac, the LORD who told me, ‘Go back to your country and to your kindred, and I will make you prosper,’ ¹⁰I am unworthy of all the kindness and faithfulness You have shown Your servant. Indeed, with only my staff I came across the Jordan, but now I have become two camps. ¹¹Please deliver me from the hand of my brother Esau, for I am afraid that he may come and attack me and the mothers and children with me.

Read all of Genesis 32

Word by word

Each English word or phrase beside the Hebrew it translates, in the order of the English. Choose a number to open that word’s study.

Genesis 32:6

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
When the messengers	הַמַּלְאָכִ֔ים	ham·mal·’ā·ḵîm	Article; Noun - masculine plural	H4397 messenger
returned	וַיָּשֻׁ֙בוּ֙	way·yā·šu·ḇū	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural	H7725 turn back, return
to	אֶֽל־	’el-	Preposition	H413 motion to
Jacob	יַעֲקֹ֖ב	ya·‘ă·qōḇ	Noun - proper - masculine singular	H3290 Jacob
they said	לֵאמֹ֑ר	lê·mōr	Preposition-l; Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct	H559 utter, say
We went	בָּ֤אנוּ	bā·nū	Verb - Qal - Perfect - first person common plural	H935 come in, come, go in, go
to	אֶל־	’el-	Preposition	H413 motion to
your brother	אָחִ֙יךָ֙	’ā·ḥî·ḵā	Noun - masculine singular construct; second person masculine singular	H251 brother
Esau	עֵשָׂ֔ו	‘ê·śāw	Noun - proper - masculine singular	H6215 Esau
and now	וְגַם֙	wə·ḡam	Conjunction	H1571 also, moreover, yea
he is coming	הֹלֵ֣ךְ	hō·lêḵ	Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular	H1980 go, come, walk
to meet you	לִקְרָֽאתְךָ֔	liq·rā·ṯə·ḵā	Preposition-l; Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct; second person masculine singular	H7122 encounter, befall
he and four	וְאַרְבַּע־	wə·’ar·ba‘-	Conjunctive waw; Number - feminine singular construct	H702 four
hundred	מֵא֥וֹת	mê·’ō·wṯ	Number - feminine plural	H3967 hundred
men	אִ֖ישׁ	’îš	Noun - masculine singular	H376 man
with him	עִמּֽוֹ׃	‘im·mōw	Preposition; third person masculine singular	H5973 with

Genesis 32:7

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
In great	מְאֹ֖ד	mə·’ōḏ	Adverb	H3966 muchness, force, abundance, exceedingly
fear	וַיִּירָ֧א	way·yî·rā	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular	H3372 fear
and distress	וַיֵּ֣צֶר	way·yê·ṣer	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular	H3334 press, be narrow, be in distress
Jacob	יַעֲקֹ֛ב	ya·‘ă·qōḇ	Noun - proper - masculine singular	H3290 Jacob
divided	וַיַּ֜חַץ	way·ya·ḥaṣ	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular	H2673 divide
his	אִתּ֗וֹ	’it·tōw	Preposition; third person masculine singular	H854 with
people	הָעָ֣ם	hā·‘ām	Article; Noun - masculine singular	H5971 people
into two	לִשְׁנֵ֥י	liš·nê	Preposition-l; Number - masculine dual construct	H8147 two
camps	מַחֲנֽוֹת׃	ma·ḥă·nō·wṯ	Noun - common plural	H4264 encampment, camp
as well as the flocks	הַצֹּ֧אן	haṣ·ṣōn	Article; Noun - common singular	H6629 small cattle, sheep and goats, flock, flocks
and herds	הַבָּקָ֛ר	hab·bā·qār	Article; Noun - masculine singular	H1241 cattle, herd, ox
and camels	וְהַגְּמַלִּ֖ים	wə·hag·gə·mal·lîm	Conjunctive waw, Article; Noun - masculine plural	H1581 camel

Genesis 32:8

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
He thought	וַיֹּ֕אמֶר	way·yō·mer	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular	H559 utter, say
If	אִם־	’im-	Conjunction	H518 if
Esau	עֵשָׂ֛ו	‘ê·śāw	Noun - proper - masculine singular	H6215 Esau
comes	יָב֥וֹא	yā·ḇō·w	Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular	H935 come in, come, go in, go
and attacks	וְהִכָּ֑הוּ	wə·hik·kā·hū	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Hifil - Conjunctive perfect - third person masculine singular; third person masculine singular	H5221 smite
one	הָאַחַ֖ת	hā·’a·ḥaṯ	Article; Number - feminine singular	H259 one
camp	הַמַּחֲנֶ֥ה	ham·ma·ḥă·neh	Article; Noun - common singular	H4264 encampment, camp
then	וְהָיָ֛ה	wə·hā·yāh	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person masculine singular	H1961 fall out, come to pass, become, be
the other	הַנִּשְׁאָ֖ר	han·niš·’ār	Article; Verb - Nifal - Participle - masculine singular	H7604 remain, be left over
camp	הַמַּחֲנֶ֥ה	ham·ma·ḥă·neh	Article; Noun - common singular	H4264 encampment, camp
can escape	לִפְלֵיטָֽה׃	lip̄·lê·ṭāh	Preposition-l; Noun - feminine singular	H6413 escape

Genesis 32:9

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
Then Jacob	יַעֲקֹב֒	ya·‘ă·qōḇ	Noun - proper - masculine singular	H3290 Jacob
declared	וַיֹּאמֶר֮	way·yō·mer	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular	H559 utter, say
O God	אֱלֹהֵי֙	’ĕ·lō·hê	Noun - masculine plural construct	H430 God
of my father	אָבִ֣י	’ā·ḇî	Noun - masculine singular construct; first person common singular	H1 father
Abraham	אַבְרָהָ֔ם	’aḇ·rā·hām	Noun - proper - masculine singular	H85 Abraham
God	וֵאלֹהֵ֖י	wê·lō·hê	Conjunctive waw; Noun - masculine plural construct	H430 God
of my father	אָבִ֣י	’ā·ḇî	Noun - masculine singular construct; first person common singular	H1 father
Isaac	יִצְחָ֑ק	yiṣ·ḥāq	Noun - proper - masculine singular	H3327 Isaac
the LORD	יְהוָ֞ה	Yah·weh	Noun - proper - masculine singular	H3068 Yahweh
who told	הָאֹמֵ֣ר	hā·’ō·mêr	Article; Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular	H559 utter, say
me	אֵלַ֗י	’ê·lay	Preposition; first person common singular	H413 motion to
Go back	שׁ֧וּב	šūḇ	Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine singular	H7725 turn back, return
to your country	לְאַרְצְךָ֛	lə·’ar·ṣə·ḵā	Preposition-l; Noun - feminine singular construct; second person masculine singular	H776 earth, land
and to your kindred	וּלְמוֹלַדְתְּךָ֖	ū·lə·mō·w·laḏ·tə·ḵā	Conjunctive waw, Preposition-l; Noun - feminine singular construct; second person masculine singular	H4138 nativity, lineage, native country
and I will make you prosper	וְאֵיטִ֥יבָה	wə·’ê·ṭî·ḇāh	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Hifil - Conjunctive imperfect Cohortative - first person common singular	H3190 be good, well, glad, pleasing

Genesis 32:10

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
I am unworthy	קָטֹ֜נְתִּי	qā·ṭō·nə·tî	Verb - Qal - Perfect - first person common singular	H6994 be small, insignificant
of all	מִכֹּ֤ל	mik·kōl	Preposition-m; Noun - masculine singular construct	H3605 the whole, all
the kindness	הַחֲסָדִים֙	ha·ḥă·sā·ḏîm	Article; Noun - masculine plural	H2617 goodness, kindness
and faithfulness	הָ֣אֱמֶ֔ת	hā·’ĕ·meṯ	Article; Noun - feminine singular	H571 firmness, faithfulness, truth
You have shown	עָשִׂ֖יתָ	‘ā·śî·ṯā	Verb - Qal - Perfect - second person masculine singular	H6213 do, make
Your servant	עַבְדֶּ֑ךָ	‘aḇ·de·ḵā	Noun - masculine singular construct; second person masculine singular	H5650 slave, servant
Indeed	כִּ֣י	kî	Conjunction	H3588 burning, branding
with only my staff	בְמַקְלִ֗י	ḇə·maq·lî	Preposition-b; Noun - masculine singular construct; first person common singular	H4731 rod, staff
I came across	עָבַ֙רְתִּי֙	‘ā·ḇar·tî	Verb - Qal - Perfect - first person common singular	H5674 pass over, through, by, pass on
the	הַזֶּ֔ה	haz·zeh	Article; Pronoun - masculine singular	H2088 this, that
Jordan	הַיַּרְדֵּ֣ן	hay·yar·dên	Article; Noun - proper - feminine singular	H3383 Jordan
but now	וְעַתָּ֥ה	wə·‘at·tāh	Conjunctive waw; Adverb	H6258 now
I have become	הָיִ֖יתִי	hā·yî·ṯî	Verb - Qal - Perfect - first person common singular	H1961 fall out, come to pass, become, be
two	לִשְׁנֵ֥י	liš·nê	Preposition-l; Number - masculine dual construct	H8147 two
camps	מַחֲנֽוֹת׃	ma·ḥă·nō·wṯ	Noun - common plural	H4264 encampment, camp

Genesis 32:11

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
Please	נָ֛א	nā	Interjection	H4994 I (we) pray, now
deliver me	הַצִּילֵ֥נִי	haṣ·ṣî·lê·nî	Verb - Hifil - Imperative - masculine singular; first person common singular	H5337 strip, plunder
from the hand	מִיַּ֥ד	mî·yaḏ	Preposition-m; Noun - feminine singular construct	H3027 hand
of my brother	אָחִ֖י	’ā·ḥî	Noun - masculine singular construct; first person common singular	H251 brother
Esau	עֵשָׂ֑ו	‘ê·śāw	Noun - proper - masculine singular	H6215 Esau
for	כִּֽי־	kî-	Conjunction	H3588 burning, branding
I	אָנֹכִי֙	’ā·nō·ḵî	Pronoun - first person common singular	H595 I
am afraid that	יָרֵ֤א	yā·rê	Adjective - masculine singular	H3373 fear
he may come	יָב֣וֹא	yā·ḇō·w	Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular	H935 come in, come, go in, go
and attack me	וְהִכַּ֔נִי	wə·hik·ka·nî	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Hifil - Conjunctive perfect - third person masculine singular; first person common singular	H5221 smite
and the mothers	אֵ֖ם	’êm	Noun - feminine singular	H517 mother
and	עַל־	‘al-	Preposition	H5921 height
children	בָּנִֽים׃	bā·nîm	Noun - masculine plural	H1121 son