Parashat VaYishlach

(Genesis 32:3 - 36:43)

Messengers: might they have been the ones who had just met him? Edom is southeast of the Dead Sea. On the way from Gil’ad to Hevron, where he had left his father, Yaaqov would not have to pass through Seir. Messengers must have told him that his brother was there, and though he had been able to put his fears of Esau out of his mind for twenty years, he now knew he had to again face Esau, who had in the past twenty years become powerful enough to have his own nation. Yet the word for “region” here is the same word as “field” in 25:27. So Esau is still a “man of the field”, which Yahshua says represents the world. (Mat. 13:38) Therefore everyone who is attached to Esau is still in the field, and on his path of return, Yaaqov has to deal with how he will face the people of the world.

Lived as an outsider: or sojourned. The numerical value of this word is 613, the total number of positive and negative commands in the Torah. The rabbis consider Edom (Esau) to be figurative of the Roman Catholic Church. And we h ave already seen that Lavan is similar. They have much in common. Lavan was his provider to some degree, though he proved an enemy, much as the church that nurtured us to a point then wanted to withhold our further growth so we would always be indebted to it. But now he is presenting this to Esau as credentials. Esau is still the son of Yitzhaq and has some promises from Elohim, but Yaaqov instinctively recognizes that at this point he needs to keep his distance. Living with Lavan had prepared him to know how to deal with Esau.

He thought Esau would respect him more if he mentioned his possessions, since Esau was the kind of man that places the highest value on someone who has the ability to accrue wealth. Yet he is also making it clear to Esau that he has plenty, and is not out to get anything more from him. There was no need for compromise, because he did not need anything more that Esau had; in fact, he would give Esau some of what he had. If YHWH made him wealthy, there was nothing wrong with this, but, unlike Esau, this did not motivate h im, and he was certainly not g oing to serve anyone else again in order to gain wealth. This may also be a warning that though their slick uncle’s motives were worse than Esau’s, Yaaqov had still come away in better condition than he, so he would do well to avoif oppressing Yaaqov in any way that resembled what Lavan had done. Favor: He is not pretending that he wants to be close to Esau, but simply wants no more trouble from him, so he essentially bribes him so that he will just leave him alone.

Meet: a different word from that in v. 1. Here it has more of the sense of a surprise, and running up against a wall. 400 men: Every time this phrase appears in Scripture it is in a military context. It is therefore an idiom that tells Yaaqov that Esau is armed. The Hebrew letter with the value of 400 is tav, and tav means a “mark” such as could be put on one’s forehead. (Yehezqel 9:4-6) YHWH also had set a mark on Qayin, another elder brother who had murdered his younger brother. So when Yaaqov, a man of studies, heard about his elder brother coming with 400 men, what else could he expect but that he wanted to kill him, even though apparently when Rivqah sent for Yaaqov it meant that Esau’s anger had subsided?

Afraid: not as much of Esau as of YHWH, since though he has seen that YHWH is with him, and has His promises, he still senses a need for forgiveness for what he did to Esau. (v. 20) "Two companies": from the same root as Machanayim (the "double camp" in v. 2). It has a military nuance to it in Hebrew as in English. Both camps of YHWH have to be together, or they are weakened. The two parts of Yaaqov can function separately, for a time, as the two kingdoms of Israel later would be. Yahshua said "He who does not gather with ME scatters"; but also "He who is not against you is for you." (We will see more about how he divided them in chapter 33.)

9. Then Yaaqov said, "O Elohim of my ancestor Avraham, and Elohim of my father Yitzhaq, O YHWH, You are the One who said to me, 'Go back to your land and your relatives, and I will deal well with you'.

The cliché "God helps those who help themselves" is not biblical, but the concept is reiterated that after one prays, acknowledging the need for His intervention, we take whatever steps we can to show that we trust Him to act. YHWH would not divide the Reed Sea until Moshe set foot in, nor did Y'rikho's walls fall down until Yehoshua and the nation marched around it. While careful not to rush ahead of YHWH, once He says to move, start the process, however inadequate our resources, and He will ensure our success. How can we expect Him to fight for us if we are not serious about moving forward toward the goal? Here Yaaqov finally recognizes Him as YHWH; invoking him as the Elohim of another is no longer adequate, as He is in a true crisis.

If he were alone, he would not care so much about what happened to him, but now he had much more to lose. Yaaqov's pride was diminished by his regrets about his actions toward Esau, but Yoseyf's glory will be like the horns of the unicorns (Deut. 33:17) and at that time it will not make him a corrupted person because he will have learned its proper place in the scheme of righteousness. Z’kharyah 11 speaks of a stick divided into two companies, which Yehezq’el (Ezek.) 37 says YHWH will bring back into one.

He confesses his fear to YHWH, because he is looking for a way to rid himself of it. His main fear was not death but that there would be no one left to uphold the covenant of Avraham. “Mother” is singular here, though he had four mothers with him. The key is that since Esau was meant to marry Leah, he feared that Esau might kill the rest of them, spare her, and then be back in line to have the birthright back, but Yaaqov knew Esau could not do justice to that position. The world wants to control the things of the Kingdom, but we must not let them, for though they are admirable in their areas of expertise, they are not qualified to own what Israel has been given to guard.

This is one of the few places in the Torah that someone’s prayer is quoted verbatim. He is not trying to manipulate YHWH by repeating His words back to Him. He is passing a test, because YHWH was making sure Yaaqov had heard what He had said, and he shows that he has remembered it for twenty years, and has not taken it out of context, for YHWH had not told Yaaqov that his descendants would be like the sand of the sea, but only mentioned the dust of the earth. (28:14) But Yaaqov knew that the two went together in YHWH’s promise to Avraham (13:14-16), and he has recognized that YHWH’s dealing with him is not about him, but has to do with the seed of Avraham and the Land that was promised to them.

Remained: can also mean complained. Didn’t YHWH say He would protect Yaaqov? Yet he now has misgivings because of how things look. That night: "ha laila ha-hu", which recalls the equivalent phrase "ha laila ha-zeh" (this night) used so much during Passover, which is the only festival specifying a particular commemoration at night. And "pass over" is just what he and his family were doing. But first he has to face the world (the spirit of Esau) with no one to back him up, so he tries to appease Esau (v. 20) with the kind of wealth he likes--animals. He ends up feeling like he has to give away his flocks--those that are under his care--to one who will not care for them, but will drive them hard. (33:13) Yet if it comes to a choice between possessions and his heritage, the animals are not as important as the family. He feels he is “rendering unto Caesar” what belongs to him, for Esau is a man of the field.

15. 30 nursing camels with their 30 colts;
40 cows and 10 bulls;
20 female and 10 male donkeys.

Here we have a glimpse at ancient animal husbandry and how herdsmen reckoned the number of females they needed per male to maintain the flocks and herds of various species. But there are 550 animals in all mentioned here. Edom's kingdom would begin in the year the last of Yaaqov's sons died, 550 years before Israel's kingdom would begin under Sha’ul. So he was actually in a sense giving the birthright back to Esau for that amount of time. Some link Edom with the Palestinians of today (especially as used in Ovadyah 18), in which case we could definitely draw a parallel of modern Israel giving them more power than they would have originally demanded.

A space: so that they would arrive in wave after wave of gifts and soften Esau’s heart, if possible. "Cross over": ivru, from the same root from which "Hebrew" comes. None of those in his entourage had crossed the Yarden before, so he now made "Hebrews" out of them; he remained for one more experience on his journey to identification with his ancestors.

18. "Then tell him, 'To your servant Yaaqov. This is a gift being sent to my master—to Esau—and he himself is right behind us!'"

Your servant: a legal formula by which one represents the one whose favor he seeks as his master. He does not present himself as superior to Esau in worldly matters; in fact, he is not even interested in them, but in all fairness he admits Esau is better at many things than he is, though he has to answer to YHWH for his choice of priorities. Men of the world are masters of security, and we will not claim that we do as well as they at such things, but neither is that our calling. In fact, Yaaqov did not even take the physical aspects of the birthright, and even gave some of his to Esau since that is what he wanted to spend his time on. It even freed Yaaqov up to do more of what he was called to do. Why do the wicked prosper? Because their reward is now; they fade away when their season is over.

20. "and you shall also say, 'Look! Your brother Yaaqov is following us.'" For he said to himself, "I will appease his anger with the gift that arrives before me, and after that I will be able to look him in the face; maybe he will lift up my face."

Appease: literally, cover, the same word used for atonement offerings in the Temple. They do not remove sin, but give us a point of closure for our guilt, and through a definite act put us in a place of being ready to accept forgiveness. Yaaqov was always expecting to be punished for what he did, and now he expects that judgment to fall on his family as well. His thought was that maybe he deserved whatever might befall him, not recognizing that it was YHWH’s choice that removed the birthright from Esau and gave it to the one who pleased Him better, and that it is YHWH’s worthiness that counts, not his own. He had not done wrong; he had been following orders given to his mother by YHWH. There might have been a better way to carry them out, and he may have regretted the way he had to treat his brother in the process of putting the covenant on firmer footing; he just wants to make sure Esau is satisfied enough to stay out of his business so their worlds will not be mixed, for even if he had a right to walk them out in another land, Esau’s ways would only drag down his descendants if they were living together again.

22. But he got up later that same night and took his two wives, his two servant-girls, and his eleven boys, and crossed the ford of the Yabboq.

The Yabboq flows westward through Gil'ad into the Yarden halfway between the Dead Sea and the Sea of Galilee. Later it would be the northern border of the lands of Moav and then of Ammon. Yabboq means "emptying out", and this is truly what was being done to Yaaqov here. He left his old self behind and gained a new identity. (v. 28) At this point it appears that it was under Esau’s control, showing just how powerful he had become, as this is a great distance from the land of Seir proper.

He removed from himself everything that mattered to him, and spent one final night in an alien land. He could not go any further until he dealt with this one pressing matter. Just before his “passing over”, this was his “Gath Shmaney”, when he would be stretched to his limits as Yahshua was the night before a Passover many years later.

He was alone (compare Numbers 23:9), yet he wrestled with someone. How could this be? The numerical value of the word here for "alone" is 613--the number of commandments in the Torah. So he was wrestling with the Word that would later be fleshed out as a man. As we get alone with His word we will also find ourselves in a wrestling match between what we have been, what we are, and what we need to be. Will we remain on our own path, or, like Yaaqov, recognize that our salvation is about the whole camp? In 48:16, this “man” is called a messenger, and Yahshua as this “man” was often called the “Messenger of YHWH”. He was also wrestling with himself—his own inclinations. (Rom. 7). He had to come to terms with what he truly believed: what kind of man was he, now that he was all alone against the world unless he would have faith that this Elohim was truly who He said He was? Was he really the right one to receive the birthright? Was he really ready to be the leader of a nation? He was wrestling with the spirit of his twin Esau, the philosophy of caring only for one's belly, which now threatened him in a very real way as everything hung in the balance. How much of Esau—or Lavan--was still in him? What methods were acceptable in dealing with him? Would he become like him? Or would he remain Yaaqov? Neither. He would become a third option. Another tradition says this angel was Samael--"the poison of the Elohim"--the evil inclination (the flesh), an adversary (Heb., "satan") who was connected with Esau/Edom (much like the angelic Princes of Persia and Greece mentioned by Daniel). Further, he was wrestling with Adam, the prototypical man, and also with the second Adam who awaited Yaaqov's cooperation in order to be reconstituted through his descendant, the Messiah. And he was wrestling with Elohim Himself (see below). All of this took place in the spirit realm, whether or not anyone else was physically present. And all of these aspects of his wrestling are really one and the same. It would be foolish to struggle just for the sake of struggling, as some want to complain even when they are in the best circumstances. Dawn means "that which is sought" in Hebrew. He wanted to wrestle until what he was seeking came to light. Struggling for the sake of enlightenment is an acceptable reason, but still we must do something with our hard-earned knowledge, for when we know more our goals must become clearer. To ignore the better focus and keep aiming where we used to aim, that is the definition of the word “sin” in Hebrew—missing the target. But this word for “dawn” can also mean “blackness”. As he fought against selfishness, the "black cloud was lifted", and his earnest seeking reached the heavenlies. Angels also strengthened Yahshua after his wrestling.

Touched: struck, violently gripped.

Let me go: lit., "send Me away". Dawn is the time for something new to begin. He wanted to receive the blessing the right (legitimate) way this time. Until: or "unless". But the pronouns here are deliberately ambiguous. We can read them as Yaaqov speaking first or as the “man” speaking first. Bless means to bend the knee to, so until Yaaqov “knuckled under” and confessed what he had been doing, he could not be sent into the Land. If our struggle does not produce a greater measure of bowing down to YHWH, it is useless. But the “man” also blessed him. An outcome of our wrestling should be that we better perceive YHWH’s bending down to as as a father to his children.

This was a confession from the “heel-grabber”: "I'm a swindler after all." This is the first time he is recorded as ever using his own name (of which he may have been ashamed). Even his mother never used it in the recorded text. And his descendants through Efrayim also cannot return to their homeland until they admit that they have been partly pagan (Yirmeyahu/Jer. 16:9; 31:19)

No longer: when you live up to it, that is. Yaaqov's name was changed. Israel means "Striving (persistently exerting oneself) with Elohim" or "One who has overcome and become a prince with Elohim". (Yahshua said we could sit with Him on His throne if we overcome, Rev. 3:21.) The confession was the prevailing, just as Gid’on’s action, though done in fear, was recognized by YHWH as strength. (Judg. 6:14) Prevailed: conquered or become able (i.e., to be a prince of a new nation). He was no longer fooling himself as to who he was. ("If we judge ourselves rightly, we would not need to be judged." --1 Cor. 11:31) YHWH also dealt with him, and his identity changed. There was now an entity called "Israel", the one big exception to the rule that "under the sun, all is vanity". He allowed to be born in him a rebirth for all of mankind, a direction and goal for history, and a remedy for all the evils of the whole world. The undoing of the shattering of creation by Adam's sin took another major leap forward. YHWH's response to Efrayim's admission is similar. (Yirm. 31:20) YHWH wants us to become one man again, and to become indeed what "messengers" in our own day are revealing we really are: Israel. We may still see how far we have to go to be what we are meant to be, but when YHWH looks at us, He sees a beloved son, who is not lacking in anything. The obstacle is in our own heads and hearts. Double-mindedness (depicted by the double camp he saw) Striven with men: Lavan, Esau, and Yaaqov’s own flesh.

He needed answers, and he could not get them if he did not ask the right questions. We too might lose some rounds, but will ultimately prevail if we dare to face the hard questions. Manoach, the father of Shimshon (Samson), also asked this question of YHWH's messenger, and received the same answer, with the added detail, "because it is wonderful" (or "beyond your comprehension", Judg. 13:15ff) One of Messiah's names is similar. (Yeshayahu/Isaiah 9:6). Another reason he may not have received an answer is that even YHWH is a name for only that part of His infinitude that He can reveal to us. There is more to Him that we cannot know, and indeed, as Paul says in I Cor. 13, all that we know is "in part", that is, by partitioning and distinguishing things from one another. However, YHWH is "echad"--one, unified, indivisible, the "all in all", so how can His truest name be known? But He does reveal Himself by His attributes and in the fullest sense possible, in His "Word". (Yochanan 14) In Hebrew mysticism, YHWH can be represented as a man's body, and each part or attribute is connected to a different name. The Head, of course, is Yahshua, the first part of the restoration of His image to mankind. By tradition, when YHWH's complete name (over 200 letters long) is discovered, Messiah will come! Psalm 139 ties several aspects of this together: When YHWH's hand was laid on him, David said that the way YHWH knew him was beyond his understanding--or too wonderful for him. Even if he descended into She'ol (the place of the dead), He was somehow there! But the word she'ol is based on the word "to ask". In the same passage. Yochanan 14, Yahshua says he will accomplish whatever we ask for in his name, and he qualifies this with “if you love me”. That is the real test of our motives. Yaaqov battled his evil inclination, but that too could have positive results if he, unlike Qayin, mastered it. It is there for us to inquire what it is there for, but not to participate in; to learn from, but not to serve. We should be glad it is within us to drive us toward being our best by the knowledge of what we could otherwise be. Thus the messenger from YHWH reveals to us who we really are--and that messenger could be anyone.

Elohim: by judging himself he has faced the judge already and can therefore escape further judgment. (1 Qorinthians 11:31) My life was spared: literally, "my soul has been snatched away unto deliverance". His former identity as one whose name is related to “heel” would put him in direct line for being bruised in the destruction of the serpent. (Gen. 3:15) He still was bruised (v. 32), but not destroyed. By changing Yaaqov’s name, the angel changed his identity. Yaaqov owed Esau something, but Israel did not. So he was now free.

P'nu-El-- an alternate, less personal rendering of P'ni-El. ("Turn your face toward Elohim" or "His face toward Elohim" in contrast to "My face toward Elohim".) Hip: the sinew which was benumbed. His walk (Hebraically, a metaphor for how one lives) was permanently altered. Once you come up against the true Word, the real Torah (Yahshua), you have to weigh everything else in light of Him. Nothing can ever be the same afterwards. Yet, like Paul’s thorn in the flesh (2 Cor. 12:7), now that he had been given extraordinary revelation, he had to have a constant reminder that he, in himself, was not worthy of it. He was no longer an individual, but a people.

The sinew: the sciatic nerve. The cut is the finest of all—filet mignon. A few are expert enough to remove the nerve, and they charge top dollar for it. Usually the Jews just sell the whole hind-quarters of the cow to Gentile butchers—a major fence built around the Torah to be sure it is not inadvertently violated. This is a vivid reminder that our walk, too, has been changed, as we, too, are Israel. It is not a command as such, but here the Torah tells us that we do not do this! So as a house rule, it is tantamount to a command, if nothing else but for the honor of our father.

CHAPTER 33

Raised his eyes: often an idiom for seeing as in a vision or premonition. I.e., Yaaqov came to a clear understanding that although he had already fought this battle with the evil inclination (whom Esau also represents as the twin of the one now declared righteous), Esau was still coming. After we confess and deal with our guilt inwardly, our enemies still remain around us. We could fall back into the same traps. The purpose of our experiencing the guilt is to motivate us to do something to avoid repeating it. That is true repentance. Yaaqov had let the Yabbog “empty” him of any perceived guilt, so it could not beat him. He now had a weapon with which to brace for Esau: his new name. He knew where he stood; there was no need to ask Esau’s forgiveness, so he does not.

Yaaqov has only been Israel since last night, yet there is already order in Israel, and not only that; there is rank and preference. Without these, Israel cannot truly exist. Whom he kept safest shows who was most important to him. His setting Yoseyf in a separate category from his other children would turn out to be a lifelong pattern. He also knew from his fathers that other men might want to take their wives. According to the pattern by which the matriarchs had married, Leah should have been Esau’s wife anyway, so he may have reasoned that if Esau wanted to take his wife, he was willing to give up Leah, since he put her ahead of Rakhel.

As the leader, he went out first—a pattern seen in Y’hoshua as general, and in the modern Israeli military as well. Leaders do not sit back in safety and send the troops out to die; it is necessary for them to expose themselves to the same danger. Yaaqov puts himself on the line as the representative of the whole people. He realizes that what is behind him is now more important than he is. Avraham was required to offer his seed (chapter 22), and in doing so, the seed of promise was placed in the proper context—pleasing YHWH above everything else. YHWH took responsibility for Avraham’s side of the covenant by resurrecting Yitzhaq, and this test became a blessing rather than a curse. Since He upheld His promise to a point inconceivable to us, there is now fruit. Now that the seed has been turned over to YHWH, there is no need to offer it up in such a drastic way. Now the seed must be protected at all costs, for the sake of the Kingdom to come. This is now what pleases YHWH. These are not just his children now; they are YHWH’s. When we give something up to YHWH, whether it be our children or simply our thoughts, it is not as if we no longer need to care about it. It has become much more valuable than when it was our own, and now we have the responsibility of guarding something that belongs to Him. But He also backs it up with His “insurance policy”. Everyone attached to Him is also responsible for it. Though this does not relieve us of our responsibility, a shared burden is much lighter. What Yaaqov is doing here is carrying out an ancient rite of courtesy in recognizing Esau’s authority over the place he is standing. Many ancient documents refer to similar rituals. Additional parts of the ritual will be seen throughout the rest of the chapter. He would take several steps, then bow, then takes several steps again before bowing again. He was not capitulating to the evil inclination, but neither did he pretend it was not there. He recognized its power, and kept his eye on it. It is a witness of what is true about us, but we can use those negative traits against it and thus defeat it. Jews have preserved the tradition of breaking a glass at a wedding as a reminder to put Yerushalayim above even our highest joy, for it is still without a king and a Temple. We are still in exile. Rejoicing in the Sabbath rest and other orders YHWH gives us as blessings will help take us back home, but still we must remember that until then we are in a place where others have jurisdiction. We will remain in exile until we do something about it. We have begun, but Lavan (the church) and Esau (the world) still have authority in the lands in which we now live. We don’t have to honor them, and we must not serve them, but they must be acknowledged. At times we must interact with them in order to travel through it to where we are going, but only to the point that we absolutely must. We can be courteous toward them, but must not be fascinated by them, and the less involvement we have, the better. Yaaqov does only what he needs to do so he can keep moving to where he knows he is meant to be.

He had not seen his brother in twenty years, so some natural affection remains. This seems like a sweet reunion with all bygones laid aside. But notice that Yaaqov did not kiss or embrace Esau back. He was very selective in whom he showed affection to—in the text we only see him kiss or embrace Rakhel and her sons, and later Yoseyf's sons. The man who would have crushed him twenty years ago now takes a gentler approach, but he still has an army with him. He uses a different kinbd of weapon, but he is still a man of the world. This is still an attack, though it is far more subtle. On the surface he is friendlier, but his intent is not. The evil inclination may take either a positive or negative face, but its intent is always to undermine confidence in YHWH. First it may tell us that we really do not need to be forgiven, but after we defeat that side of it, it comes back and tells us that we are not really forgiven after all. In the Hebrew text, there are two "tooth-marks" above the word "embraced”, which the Rabbis say indicates that he really meant to bite him, much like Judas’ kiss. In fact, there is only one letter difference between the Hebrew word for kiss (nashaq) and the word for bite (nashak). After years in the field tending animals, he looked and smelled exactly like Esau, so he thought he had conquered him since now they appeared to be the same kind of men. But beware of the embrace of the Gentile, for it can quickly become our captivity, for in it he already has a grip on us. Do not embrace anything that is not worth holding onto.

Again Yaaqov is courteous, but gives only the briefest of answers. He does not tell him the names of his children, and does not even mention his wives. He does not grant Esau any intimacy in his life, but in essence tells him, “You wouldn’t be interested in what I have. I’m just passing through.” For Esau, though older and wiser, does still want what is Yaaqov’s. He simply has learned, as a hunter, that one “catches more flies with honey than with vinegar”. Lavan knew this technique of “loving him to death” long ago, and now the world is learning the church’s approach. It will make all sorts of promises, but only until it gets what it wants out of us. Non-kingdom things tell us we cannot be fulfilled or secure unless we buy what they have, but this is their motivation; they do not truly love us. Their purpose is to enslave and ensnare, but they do it with a smile. But Yaaqov has experienced Lavan and now he knows better. He plays along with it but will not fall for it.

7. Next Leah and her children came up and bowed, and after this, Yoseyf and Rakhel came near and bowed.

They all pay their respects in turn as part of the ritual. But unlike verse 2, Yoseyf is now ahead of Rakhel. Though probably still only a toddler, he was already acting according to his calling as a provider, protector, and defender of Israel. His descendants are also called to act on behalf of their “mother”. (Hoshea 2:2ff) Edom is another name for Esau, and Yoseyf’s descendants will play a special role in Edom’s final defeat. (Ovadyah 18)

“Company” can have a military sense, and Esau is probably being facetious, saying, “I saw that you have an army too!” But of course this is designed to call Yaaqov’s attention to Esau’s army.

Plenty: literally, in excess. He uses another ancient formula—accepting by rejecting—as apparently he did not accept the gifts sent on ahead the first time. But he brings it up to make sure there will be a second and third offer, for the world always says it will stop lusting for more when it has enough, but in reality it never does stop. Yet he is impressed, because Yaaqov left empty-handed, but has now shown that he “knows his way around” too and is productive. I.e., "You have become materially wealthy like me; stay that way!" He is less likely to harass Yaaqov since he has put his whole heart into whatever his hand found to do, and, as the proverbs would say, not been lazy. This will make Esau keep his distance.

From my hands: If I am going to have possessions, they will be those YHWH has granted me, and I will not empower the demon Security, because I know it is an enemy and a liar. His animals would reproduce further and be replenished, but right now they were more of a burden to Yaaqov anyway until he was in his own Land. As if seeing the face of Elohim: When he did “see that face”, he was also relieved because his life was spared. (32:30) But elohim can simply mean “judges”, for since Yaaqov has judged himself, he can face this judge as well without worryin; he does not need to wrestle with Esau this time. In any case, what he did give his brother--the "remnant of Edom" will again be possessed by Yaaqov's descendants (Amos 9:12).

Everything: as contrasted with Esau’s “plenty” (v. 9), though he has given much away, so he is showing that his “everything” is not material things, but relationship with YHWH. According to the tradition, Esau does accept the gift upon the third offer.

Go before you: i.e., lead the way. Since he had begun to acquire wealth, Esau offered to give him more tips on how to acquire even more. What a team they could make together! There was somewhere he still wanted to take Yaaqov. The church has taken him up on it, by bringing in seminars on how to have financial success. But if Yaaqov becomes part of Edom, as he had become part of Lavan’s house for so long, Esau would gain control of the birthright again. Wherever the Kingdom is being built, the world wants to benefit from the blessings. But Yaaqov had learned his lesson about who he really was, and knew he could no longer follow someone else’s agenda. “Go” literally means “walk”, and “before you” can also mean “counter” or “opposite you”, because Esau is a prophet. His walk is to be an example to us of what NOT to do, so we will know to go the other way. Remember, these men are twins; they are each other’s counterpart, and each of us can be inclined just as well in either direction. We are not doomed to always make the wrong choice. Even Esau tried to please his parents; he just did not know how, but this does not mean he was thoroughly evil. The evil inclination is present to show us how to walk in righteousness.

The evil inclination indeed knows our weak spots. He is not thinking of himself, but of his children and his flocks, and we too must make our choices based not only on what will affect us, but on what will affect those who take us as their examples. Yaaqov wisely does not lead them into temptation—i.e., taking them where only the more mature can survive. (Edom is a harsh, dry climate on the edge of the desert.) Paul also spoke of deferring to the "speed" of the "weaker brothers"--staying back with them to teach at their pace and help them catch up. (Romans 14) If they could take our liberties as an excuse to become slack, we must not use those liberties. (Gal. 5:13) This is Yaaqov’s excuse to not walk like Esau, and it is all the “excuse” we should ever need. The fact that we have this responsibility is what makes us different.

Yahshua did something reminiscent of this when He said, "I'm not going to the feast; you go on ahead." He would follow later, but not in the company of those who were pressing him to go “now”. Make my way: literally, “flow genmtly” (a term used of a river). This is not necessarily slower than Esau’s way, for there are turbulent places in a river as well, but the point is that it is not at Esau’s pace. By stages: literally, according to the step of the messenger. I.e., as YHWH’s word dictates for each season. Sometimes we will be told to be still when the world is busy, like on Yom Kippur, or vice versa, like on Sunday. We are not trying to conquer the world (or even to directly save it, for that matter); we are traveling at the pace of the Kingdom. In his lifetime, Yaaqov never did literally reach Seir. He told Esau what he wanted to hear, so that Esau would stay there and wait for him, and thus have no influence over Yaaqov’s children. He does not directly say he will ever go to Seir; he only implies that he will. Yaaqov haas “grabbed Esau’s heel” again, and it was right. He is still “slick”, but it is now for the sake of the Kingdom. By fooling the evil inclination, he did not sin; Yahshua told us not to let our left hand know what our right hand is doing; it has no business knowing. It is enough that we see the numerous pictures that are here. Learned Jews consider Edom to be figurative of Rome (and there may be a physical link as well). When Yaaqov’s descendants do reach Edom's territory in the latter days, however, the results will not be beneficial to Esau, as this portion's parallel haftarah (the book of Ovadyah) reveals.

Leave with you: or station, permanently attach, assign to you. I.e., "Let me at least leave some of what is mine in your camp so I can temper your ways with some of my point of view." If we hang onto any of the pagan principles that had mixed themselves in with the church, the evil inclination will still have us where it wants us. No, we are Israel, and we are not walking by anyone else’s rules; we have our own path to take. What he tells him, though, is, “What need is there? Please indulge me just this once”, and thus escapes any obligation to come back to Esau. We need to ask ourselves what it will really cost us if we do things the world’s way. Will we lose our souls? (Mat. 16:26)

Like Lavan, he recognized that YHWH was indeed with Yaaqov, and let him go. He drops all his pretenses and goes back to being what he was before, unaffected by Yaaqov’s ways, for Seir means "a shaggy goat". Started back: literally, he turned, or "repented on his way to the goat". Goats juxtaposed with repentance clearly suggest Yom Kippur, when one repents and becomes like one of the two identical goats, which parallel the twins Yaaqov and Esau. The word for “goat” in Lev. 16:7, which instyructs us regarding that day, is identical. (Compare Lev. 23:42ff.) If we repent at the right season, dealing with the Esau in us, the Yaaqov in us can go on to the next festival, the season of our joy (Sukkoth):

Sukkoth means "booths", “shelters”, or "temporary dwellings". Why did he call it this, instead of, for example, "Beyth-Yaaqov"? Sukkoth is also the Festival that falls on the 15th day of the first civil month--directly across earth's orbit from Passover, the 15th of the other first month (that is, on the religious calendar), and recalls the temporary dwellings in the wilderness with Moshe after the Passover. But it also pictures the coming day when it will again be safe to dwell in open structures. In Hebrew, we would say that Yahshua was born in a sukkah (the singular form, used also of "stable" as proven here), and there is much evidence that He may have been born during that festival. Today we hear the ownership of the “West Bank” disputed; Sukkoth would later be King David’s “East Bank” military headquarters.

“Safely” here means “in completeness” (shalom). He left none of his heart behind in Paddan-Aram; he brought with him everything that was worth bringing. He now has children and servants—a completeness we still partake of today. He has been through much that could have destroyed him, and has just given away much of the wealth he acquired, but he has hung in there and trusted YHWH. He took all of it as for his profit, learned all he could from each thing, and is anxious for nothing. He did not let the pain or adversity hold him back, because YHWH had said He would bring him back home, and now He had done so. Yahshua is preparing a place for us, which we will inhabit once the Kingdom is fully established. But how can we live in paneled houses while YHWH’s House is not yet restored? (Haggai 1:4) As the other Y’hoshua would tell Yaaqov’s descendants, the tribes of Reuven and Gad, who wanted to settle on that side of the Yarden since it was a place for livestock, they still had other duties to fulfill within the Land proper before they could settle down. He had built a permanent dwelling at Sukkoth, yet continued to live as a sojourner, because the peace of the Land depends on him. Undoubtedly he left some of his servants in the house to care for the animals, but he had to go on to Sh’khem first. He is in the Land of promise, yet it is not yet time to go back to Mount Moryah where he has a house to build. He does not even go back to see his father yet, because Sh’khem means “the part of the back, neck, and shoulder that bears burdens”. Even where there is shalom there is a unique burden to bear. He has to take up his execution stake and follow, for he had a job to do here, but YHWH lightened the burden just as Yahshua would. (Mat. 11:28-30) Israel dwells in tents so that it can move when the Ark of the Covenant moves. He left a “house of promise” at Sukkoth, which symbolizes the final ingathering of the whole nation. It has an eighth day, which is symbolic of eternity or the world to come. We “own a house in the Kingdom” and visit it each year for eight days, but cannot yet stay there all the time, for only when we have completed our work in this age will we be able to fully celebrate the time to dwell in sukkoth all the time when it comes. Sh’khem was his entry point into the Land, and Yahshua used it to open His mission to the “lost sheep of the House of Israel” by seeking His “bride” first at Yaaqov’s well in this town (Yochanan 4), just as Moshe, Yitzhaq, and Yaaqov had done.

100 coins: or possibly, pearls or even lambs. The word Kanaanite also means “merchant”, so Yaaqov knew their hospitality would not come without a price, so he beat them to it and did not request refuge from them, but paid for his own place to camp, though a campsite is by nature temporary. He bought it so that he could keep it forever, though he would move on to greater things. We, too, have a price to pay with each step we take, but this means that though we move on to accomplish other things, no one can claim that the truths we learned at this place were not ours. Yaaqov bought the place where Yoseyf's tomb is, and thus his descendants still own it, though the Palestinians are trying to drive them away. The camp of Israel that left Egypt would also stop by a place named Sukkoth in order to bring Yoseyf’s bones here as he requested.

Set up: or established; El Elohey-Yisrael: "El is the Elohim of Israel", or “Mighty is the Elohim of Israel”. Twice he uses the name for judgment rather than YHWH, which speaks of His mercy, for it is the season for judging himself. Before we go into the Land “in that day”, courts must be set up, just as Moshe was required to do.

CHAPTER 34

Instead of staying and caring for her own people, her curiosity about "the ways of the Gentiles" became her downfall. In the same way, Yerushalayim (also described as a daughter in Yeshayahu 10:32) today is making her decisions not based on what is best for the nation, but what the rest of the world thinks. Their opinion does not matter; Israel is called to be a set-apart nation, and to be the influencer, not the influenced. She may only have wanted to see what kind of clothes they wore, as would interest a girl of her age (by the foregoing chronology she is certainly under fifteen years old, and if it is immediately after they re-entered the Land, even younger). But Dinah is the only daughter of Yaaqov about whom we are told. There were certainly many daughters among Yaaqov’s servants—her larger family—but none who could be considered her peers. Since she was the firstborn of Leah, Lavan’s firstborn, in that matriarchal line, she would be next in the chain of royalty seen in Sarah and Rivqah. And all of them were very eye-catching, and because she was where she should not have gone alone in the context of the descendants of Kanaan, this worked against her, because with the daughters of the Land come the sons as well…

Sh’khem menas a shoulder or the part of the back that bears a burden. Khamor means "donkey". So both of them are “beasts of burden”. Being royalty, he was used to getting what he wanted, and he found her irresistible, and took her by force. But this was no excuse. Violating her: This term can mean many things, and it is the same term used in Lev. 16:29ff and 23:22ff of what we are to do to our souls on Yom Kippur. In one sense, it means, “he was busy with her”, and that was how he saw it. But the term can also mean "he humbled her", “he afflicted her”, “he pressed her down”, or “he brought her low”. That is what it meant to her. Everyone wants a piece of Yerushalayim, but by owning parts of it they defile it. Dinah is the feminine form of the word “judge”. When those who do not understand true justice want to control the court system, they also bring corruption.

Spoke to her heart: spoke soothing words, appealed to her emotions, comforted her with words of peace. But peace was out of season. He should have been speaking to his own heart, judging his motivations and telling it to get in line and be disciplined, for though his emotions said one thing, his reason should have told him to act more wisely. He could have asked for her in a proper way, but instead he actually stole her. He got the cart ahead of the horse.

5. Then Yaaqov heard that he had defiled his daughter Dinah, but his sons were out in the field with the livestock, so Yaaqov kept quiet until they had come in.

Defiled: rendered her unclean, which in Scripture is a picture of selfishness. By taking away her innocence, this uncircumcised man made her self-conscious. All foreign things are a defilement to Israel. Intimacy with the world makes us unclean, even when that contact was not our own choice. This is part of the price we must pay for our ancestors’ sins, but we must also do what we can to deal with it. What affects one affects us all, so Dinah’s whole family has been defiled because she has been. His daughter: whereas in v. 1 she was described as Leah’s, now that a man has his eye on her, he takes chief responsibility. His sons may have been out in the field for several days; how could he possibly wait so long? Had his wrestling match weakened him that much? Was he simply tired of dealing with such people? Yet though he thought he was staying out of trouble, by being passive he allowed more trouble to brew.

7. Yaaqov's sons arrived back from the field. When they heard what had taken place, they were distressed and extremely angry, because he had done an outrage in Israel by lying with Yaaqov's daughter—such a thing [as] should not be done!

Distressed: deeply offended. An outrage: folly; a stupid, senseless, disgraceful act. It was senseless partly because she was so young. While this may have been tolerated among other peoples, it went against what was proper for the holiest. This is the first time the phrase “in Israel”, very common later in Scripture, appears. And indeed, a small tract of the Land indeed belongs to this new nation. But notice that the man now named Israel is still acting as Yaaqov. He is still walking in the flesh. It is his sons who are acting as Israel. Why do the patriarchs seem to become more slack as they get older? Yaaqov is backing off, but his sons will not. Yaaqov was still seeing himself as an individual; his sons were thinking of themselves corporately, as a people. They were acting for each other. This was not a crime only against Dinah, but against all Israel--a people among whom such a thing should not be done (v. 7), whether or not it was common anywhere else. They saw this before he did.

Why should he be given what he has stolen? Just so his soul can be satisfied? Instead he should be disciplining his son’s soul for making such a stupid move. A soul must be taught what to delight in and to yearn for the things that should be done. It must be exposed to the right things so it can take a totally different shape instead of being turned over to its desires. It takes extreme bravery to let the Torah define right and wrong in one’s life, which is why YHWH so often says, “Do not be afraid!”

I.e., “Why can’t we all just get along? He makes it sound like it would be to Yaaqov’s advantage to overlook this offense. We have something for you too—wives for your many sons! We’ll pay you back well for this prize!” But we cannot just get along if there will be no justice, as any ancient people would have recognized. This is all a bribe.

This would give them an instant "in" with the people over whom Khamor was prince. After all, Dinah would become a princess in fact, as she deserved according to her lineage, which she was not otherwise in a position to actually live out. But he would be offering none of this if he did not know he owed Yaaqov’s family an immense debt.

12. "Pile on me ever so high a bride price or a present, and I will give you whatever you say—just give me the girl as a wife!"

"The girl": a letter is missing from the Hebrew spelling here, indicating that though he made it sound like she was still a "maiden", she was not. He, too, was trying to bribe Yaaqov, but how could any amount of money or possessions pay for a wrong done? One must make reparation and find forgiveness by turning away from it—but he wants to keep going further into it. All that has been done wrongly requires repentance, even if our emotions are to blame. The soul cannot blame the body, nor can the body blame the soul (which is one reason YHWH brings them both back together at the resurrection to be judged as a single unit.) This whole city does not have enough to compensate for this offense, though they should certainly do all they can to try. But keeping Dinah is out of the question! Bride price: It was not as though they were paying for her as chattel; women in this society had a much higher standing (Prov. 31). But the family was compensated for raising her to be a valuable wife, and since they would have one less pair of hands to help in their own household. She was given a dowry by which to survive in case she were to be divorced or widowed.

In a misleading way: cleverly, shrewdly, even deceitfully—just like their father had. But Rahav, who lied to Israel’s enemies, was called righteous, so we cannot fault them for tricking a people who had already wronged them.

15. "Only on this condition would we consent to you: if you will become as we are, having every male among you circumcised,

Like those who were influencing the non-Jewish Galatians, they said, “Be circumcised and you will be one of us.” Even the rabbinic authorities agree with Paul’s insistence that circumcision is not the first step to becoming YHWH’s people.

One people: a single socioeconomic entity. But they really wanted these men to feel pain for what they had done to Dinah. "Our daughters" (plural)? There was only one. But the servants they brought back from Lavan would have had some children as well, and they also expected this to go on for several generations.

They thought this would be too high a price and discourage Sh'khem. They thought this would be enough to make them stop asking. They underestimated the enemy, never expecting them to accept the prerequisite. (Dinah must have been extremely beautiful!) A simple “no” would have been better. They had no more obligation to them than Israel of today has to negotiate with terrorists. Later YHWH would mandate that Israel must not make a treaty with the inhabitants of Kanaan. (Ex. 23:32; Deut. 7:2) They made things more difficult for themselves.

19. and the young man did not delay in doing the thing, because he enjoyed Yaaqov's daughter so much, and he carried more weight than all [the rest of] his father's household.

20. So Khamor and his son Sh'khem came to the gate of their city, and they spoke with the men of their city, saying,

The gate: where the city elders made legal decisions.

22. "except that only on these terms will the men consent to become one with us: that every male among us be circumcised as they are.

He never mentions the fact that all this is simply so that Sh’khem can have Dinah! If the people would have called their king’s bluff on this like King Sha’ul’s subjects did in 1 Shmu’el 14, the story might have turned out better for them all.

They offered Yaaqov their wealth, but their true motives are showing. If a powerful, wealthy family is added to their own community, they will become wealthier. Or was this appeal to their greed simply a bribe on Khamor's part to make the men willing?

Everyone who went through the gate: not just those who lived within the city, but also the vassal peasants who lived outside the city but would come there for protection if there was a threat from an enemy. If they were to do this, they had to put themselves under the authority of its gates—that is, answer to its judges when necessary. They agreed to be made vulnerable, opening themselves to judgment. But they agreed to this covenant for the wrong reasons, so it was really an act of selfishness, not one of true repentance and entrance into greater holiness.

Confidently: raising no one's suspicions, as they were now to become relatives; or the term may mean "unawares" (undetected) or simply, boldly. Killed: not the Hebrew word for murdered. These people deserved to die for what they had done or allowed to be done based on their unacceptable standards. Shim’on means “hearing very well (and supremely obedient)”, and Levi means “joined to Me”. When Yaaqov did not do what was right, these two knew what had to be done to avenge their sister’s honor.

The root word of Khamor means “heap”, and is related to the term khomer, a measurement of which an eyfah (which symbolizes a complete congregation) is a tithe. Thus a khomer symbolizes the whole world. As the whole world, which seeks to unite but not on the basis of YHWH’s truth continues to turn against Israel, it will be the responsibility of those who truly hear YHWH and those who are attached to Him to end the reign of the “world” system. Old ideas and church ideals constantly want to have a say in what Israel is to turn out to be like. As wisely as serpents, we, like Yaaqov’s sons, must “make war” on those who have defiled Yahshua’s true wisdom. It appears that Dinah had never come home; either due to her disgrace or being held hostage, she remained in Sh'khem's household. In fact, she is never mentioned again after this. Certainly she was traumatized by this event. We can only hope that she was able to find an understanding husband who would accept her in spite of all this. In that day, it was unlikely, but not impossible.

They: only one had, but as their prince he represented the whole community.

29. thus they seized all their wealth, took captive all their little ones and their wives, and looted all that was in the house.

This was the price they exacted for Dinah’s honor. One Israelite was worth many Chivvites. Dinah’s very name means “justice”, and it is rooted in a mariner’s term—“to sail a straight course”. That is, set everything straight between the right hand and the left. Be balanced, judging the facts of the case with no room for twisting or distorting. Getting straight to the point of what someone actually did, whatever his intentions might have been. YHWH will judge based on the path we should have been on (loving Him and our fellows with all of our hearts), not the one we have ended up on. Not that there are never extenuating circumstances, but very few are worthy of consideration; even if the wind is blowing the wrong direction, trim your sail and use its power anyway. That is what makes a true mariner. Israel did take what the men of the city had promised anyway. (v. 21) Those who survived became servants in Israel; what more could they be given? For they were servants of servants, not of slave-drivers. Our mission is to rescue many from teachers who have proven to have false motives, and make them part of Israel as they were meant to be.

Making me odious: or obnoxious, i.e., giving me a bad name. Note that his name Yaaqov is used again, showing that he has lapsed into thinking of things from the natural, fleshly standpoint (Everything is first person: "What will happen to ME?"), rather than a spiritual one, symbolized when his name "Israel" is used. They do not even answer this aspect of his complaint. If we know better, we never have an obligation to compromise. There may be consequences, but there is never no way out. If he does not consider his Elohim adequate to protect him, what else can they say? He is acting from fear, already forgetting that just two of his sons were able to overpower a whole city; who would dare to bother such a powerful people? They did more than he had done. But that is part of what scares him. They are muddying what he thought he had clarified at the Yabboq. They are acting like what he used to be, not the way he sees himself now, and he does not consider this a gift. He has seen the big picture when he saw the vision of the camp in the wilderness on the way out of Egypt; it was a larger version of Pharaoh’s war camp. I.e., YHWH will only give his descendants the Land through warfare. But Yaaqov has not fully embraced this. He was a successful deceiver, but has never killed anyone, and may not have even killed many animals. He does not want to be like Esau, but he also cannot do everything with the right hand; YHWH does not encourage a taste for blood, but like Avraham with Yitzhaq, we must be willing to go beyond what our right hand wants to allow. Thinking righteous thoughts will not by itself bring the Kingdom; there must be some carnage before the Land will be fully theirs. This does not sit well with many people, but even priests would later fight to restore the Temple service. We must bribng the left hand under control, not cut it off, for it was never YHWH’s plan for Israel to share the Land with anyone who was not willing to become part of Israel.

Moshe lets this be the last word, for though their actions may have been extreme, they were defending their sister’s honor—a concept almost forgotten today, but so important. They thought more highly of her dignity than to let such a wrong go unpunished, and didn't seem to care what the consequences might be. The brothers also may have wished to be rid of this child-molesting people. Yaaqov had no answer for them. This ended the discussion, yet Yaaqov always considered it an extreme act (49:5ff). He even kept his distance from all of his sons except Rakhel’s for the rest of his life. He never seemed to accept what had to be. But while Yaaqov was allowed some say in the matter, YHWH brought His viewpoint to bear as well. He vouched for Israel being in the right by keeping others from attacking them. (35:5) In the long run He showed what He thought of Levi by giving his tribe “dinah”—the right to be the judge in Israel, because he had proven zealous for justice when others were willing to forfeit it due to other concerns. We need to rebuke those who hold back from doing what is right because it will not make us popular with others. Telling the truth may cost you family, friends, money, and certainly respect, but if YHWH is not in these alliances, they are useless anyway. Shim’on became virtually indistinguishable from Yehudah, inheriting cities, but not tribal land, but this may be because Yehudah had such a huge territory compared to the rest and needed more real warriors to defend it. Today Yehudah is the most distinguishable tribe, and many Shim’onites must still be among its ranks. It could be that they are the “settlers” in the so-called “occupied territories” who are most willing to do whatever it takes to h old onto the Land that YHWH has deeded to Israel. Note that the brothers do not do as the Arabs do and say the have a whore for a sister (giving Dinah an “honor killing” to cleanse their house’s reputation), but only that their sister has been treated like one—a major difference!

CHAPTER 35

Right after Yaaqov is shown to really be most concerned about his safety and reputation, YHWH tells him to arise (which also means to prove, confirm, and establish himself), and elevate himself. YHWH had told Avraham that He would “raise up” a covenant for him (17:7), and now Yaaqov is told to take it up as well. At the same place his father had been an elevation offering, he is told to die to his old self, Yaaqov. The altar must always be built before the Temple. Many altars have been built by the patriarchs, but this is the first one ever commanded. He is not even in that place yet, so he is told to come where YHWH dwells in a special way, specifically to build this memorial.

All those who were with him: including the women and children from Sh’khem, who were likely to have idols, and of course there were still those Rakhel stole from her father. YHWH's altar is to be shared by no other, so we must not cling to anything that defiles the congregation. In your midst: at root, the word means, in the bisecting. Foreign gods will divide us; there will be no unity for his people as long as they remain. Purify yourselves (with water) and change your clothing: a prototype for what the priests had to do in the Temple before beginning any new task, especially the high priest on Yom Kippur; this was also like what Yaaqov’s descendants would do on the first Shavuoth when they approached Mt. Sinai, where YHWH would give the Torah. (Ex. 19:10-15) The root meaning of “purify” is to brighten or become light. The particular word here for clothing means that which takes the shape of the wearer, and thus resembles him—essentially undergarments, though the term is also used of idols, for our own form can become an idol to us. His descendants today also need to become light and change what we resemble, so we no longer look like what we used to be or what we used to worship. (Compare 1 Yochanan 3:2; 2 Cor. 3:18) As they still had items carried along out from Lavan’s house, we must also put away the vestiges of not only Gentile ways, but church ways as well, and be fully Israel. Yahshua provides us with new clothes to change into, but we still must put them on to be accepted at His banquet. (Mat. 22:10ff) Y’hoshua gave a very similar challenge in Y’hoshua 24:14ff, reminding Israel to expect YHWH’s wrath if we commit but then turn back.

With me: as my support. The day of my distress: We often do not call on YHWH until we are in distress, but then He sticks around even if we are ignoring Him, for much longer than any man would, though His patience has its limits too. Have you noticed that He is still nearby wanting to commune with us? This distress is also a prophetic link with "the time of Yaaqov's trouble" (Yirmeyahu 30:1-7), when both "camps" of his descendants come back into the Land and are in dire straits, yet are rescued from them.

Rakhel had to now reveal what she had brought from her father’s house. (31:32) Earrings: used as amulets for idol-worship. They symbolize that which prevents us from hearing YHWH’s voice clearly, as well as the adornment of self. Having one’s ear pierced later meant being a loyal servant. (Ex. 21:6ff) So these earrings bespeak the former loyalties of those now becoming Israelites, while she is in fact married to Another. The only other use of earrings in Scripture is when a man takes a wife and adorns her with jewelry that say she is attached to him, much like a wedding ring today. Oak: or terebinth, held sacred by Kanaanite tree worshippers . It is sometimes translated the turpentine tree, and turpentine comes from the pine tree. This would possibly explain the continuing connection between the evergreen tree and idolatry, as seen at Christmas, etc. However, humans were sometimes buried under them (v. 8) and prophets were often seen sitting under them. There was a perceived connection between them and divine oracles. Why did he bury them rather than destroying them? Was he leaving himself an "out" just in case following YHWH didn't work? This "burial" uses the word for "concealed" rather than piled up in a memorial mound. In Judges 9:6, we see some evil men crown a king in this same location, assuming that their actions would seem righteous because of the history described here. Similarly, many are using the call to return to the roots of our faith as a way to entertain and to create what is merely “Christianity with a kippah”. As documents bearing YHWH’s name were never destroyed, but only buried or cached away (e.g., the Dead Sea Scrolls), it is quite possible that the reason these idols were buried is because they had YHWH’s name etched on them, much as Aharon called the golden calf “YHWH”. We put YHWH’s name on our own idols—even such things as “following our hearts”. YHWH mercifully gave us a Tabernacle which could satisfy this craving for visual stimulation while still keeping our focus on Him. (Rob Miller) Yet how much closer could we come to Him if we did not need such things?

None of his boys could have been much more than twelve years old, considering that Yaaqov had been gone twenty years and the first seven he worked for Lavan before being given a wife. If two boys could kill off a whole city-state, how much more could this whole company do, even if it was small? By showing themselves strong rather than letting the Sh’khemites have their way, they made their enemies keep their distance. Yaaqov’s worst fears (34:30) were not realized, proving that his sons had been right and he had been wrong about this incident. He had been a deceiver, but would not hurt anyone; now he does not even like to deceive, but his sons do not mind doing either. He was not comfortable with this, but the people called to be teachers of the world cannot be doormats. That is not true humility. The Hebrew word for “treach” means to prod, so they must be sure of who they are and assert this right when necessary, being lowly only before YHWH, so that we are not forced into compromising situations.

7. And he built an altar there, and called the place El Beyth-El, because it was there that Elohim had revealed Himself to him when he had fled from his brother.

El Beyth-El: "The El of the House of Elohim". YHWH makes sure Yaaqov will identify with this place, because He does, even though the Temple would not stand here for twelve more generations. His eye is on Yerushalayim, so ours must be as well. When alone and outward-bound, Yaaqov had set up a single "cornerstone" there for the Temple that would one day be on this site (28:18), representing his own commitment to YHWH. As a single man, he had been "saved", but there remained a community to be built for the glory of YHWH’s Name. Now that he is a clan and on the way to becoming a nation, he now has enough "building materials" (on which the word "stone" is based in Hebrew) to make a whole altar, showing that he is no longer a loner before Elohim. He was bringing the tithe he had promised twenty years before that.

D'vorah: tradition says Rivqah had sent her with Yaaqov as proof to her family that he really was Rivqah’s son. More likely she had come at the time Yoseyf was born, as Rivqah’s emissary, for that is the first time Yaaqov spoke of leaving Lavan. Rivqah may have thought Lavan would respect her request since he had grown up with her, but apparently he resisted her as well. She must have been quite old by now, and the journey had taken its toll. But though she had provided nourishment to his mother, still she too had to be put away from this entourage because she was from Paddan-Aram. He could not go on building the altar with her there. D'vorah means a bee, and bees naturally are a well-organized congregation. So she represents a congregation which benefits Israel in many ways but is not itself Israel. The church, though at one time it nourished us, is fading from this role, so that Israel can become all it can be. (See note on v. 16).

Appeared: literally, made Himself perceptible. There are certain aspects of the Judge that we can only see after we have obeyed certain orders. YHWH is not just a “sugar daddy”; He expects things from us, but Yaaqov might not have been able to tolerate the intensity of light prior to his wrestling.

Wasn't he already named Israel? (32:28) The messenger had done his job. He was given a promise of being called Israel. Spiritually, he already was Israel, as for those who place their confidence in Messiah, "by one offering he has[already] forever perfected those who are [still] being made holy" (Heb. 10:14) But, as another Yaaqov ("James") says, it is because of our visible deeds that we are declared to be righteous; though “the Man” (who at least represents Yahshua) had already called him Israel, YHWH Himself did not recognize Yaaqov as Israel until he had changed his walk, learned what it meant to be Israel, become established, offered himself on the altar, and gotten rid of his family's idols. It was a process to grow into the person represented by this name. It was incumbent that he become Israel, but being given this title encouraged him to live up to it. He had to continue prevailing with Elohim and man, but this gave him new hope to keep going.

Now that he is addressed as Israel, the first command given to him is the same as the first given to Adam and Chavvah. This is the beginning of a new creation, because through this nation, mankind would be restored and the world "repaired". In both mystical and literal senses, the procreative organs are associated with the idea of a "foundation". And Yaaqov did procreate once more shortly hereafter. This place has the first letter of “Shaddai” written right into the terrain. The root of the name "Shaddai" may be traceable to the words for "breast" and “enough”, and indeed it is linked here to nurturing children. But this name shows the balance of YHWH as both mighty and a provider. We do not need to look anywhere else but within His Land’s borders for anything we need, if we will line up with both sides of His nature, not just see Him as one or the other. It is interesting that He reveals Himself as such right after Rivqah’s wet nurse (who perhaps had nursed Yaaqov) died. Multiply: or increase, a different thing from merely becoming fruitful. The particular nation would then be divided into two, and because one kingdom would go astray from the covenant and be scattered among and mixed with the other nations, an eclectic company from many nations could also be attached to Yaaqov and be drawn in to share in his inheritance. Assembly: or congregation; in the Septuagint it is synagogue. Nations: or Gentiles. A synagogue of Gentiles! Yet this is exactly what Yaaqov promised Yoseyf’s sons Efrayim and Menashe would be! (He passed this promise on to them.) The other nation, which remained identified with the Covenant all along, was Yehudah.

The promise narrows further from the descendants of Avraham and Yitzhaq to Yaaqov. This is part of the arising of verse 1, and here YHWH confirms to him that he is indeed the firstborn, the inheritor of what He had promised to his father. Yaaqov had never been sure if he deserved this or if he had only stolen it, so YHWH lets him know that He had done the right thing. Now not even Edom (ancestor of many of today's Arabs, through intermarriage with Yishmael's seed) has any claim to this Land. To acknowledge this is the only solution for the Middle East peace crisis. Today we have arrived back at this inner stirring in regard to our Land, but first, like Yaaqov, we must die to all that is foreign. YHWH could not give it to him while he was in the house of Lavan. The indiviual “grains of sand” who make up the Land must be collected back out, and we must attain the spiritual plane of being Israel, a people united under YHWH’s control.

14. and Yaaqov set up a memorial pillar —one made of stone—in the place where He had spoken with him, and he poured a drink offering on top of it, and anointed it with oil.

The Messiah is called an anointed stone, and Yaaqov "set him up": in a very real sense, his obedience made it possible for the Messiah to be born.

He had already realized that this is what it was on his outgoing journey to Paddan-Aram. (28:17-19) And above, YHWH had already called it by this same name. Now Yaaqov reconfirmed it as such, just as Yitzhaq had renamed his father’s wells by their same names after they had been filled and dug again.

Considerable stretch: a kibrah, an uncertain measurement, but the LXX takes it as a “horse-run”, i.e, not more than 10 miles, the distance a horse could normally run at one time. The root word of “stretch” means to bind or weave together. Efrath means "fruitfulness". So an alternate reading is, there was already a witness of the binding together of the Land for fruitfulness. This foreshadows the harvest at which Boaz redeemed Ruth at this same site (Ruth 4:11), and the Messiah's birth in Beyth-Lekhem, Efrath (Micha 5:2). This is one way in which “before she went into labor, she gave birth” (Yeshayahu 66:7), for Messiah came long before the time called the Birthpangs of the Messiah, which we are only now entering. It is only a few miles south of Jerusalem, adding credibility to the idea that this Beyth-El was the site of the Temple Mount. After we study the Temple to learn about dying to self, there is still a measure—a setting in place of the gifts by which YHWH makes the whole congregation fruitful through each of us—before we actually arrive there. The time for her fruitfulness was near, but her descendants would not become "doubly fruitful" until the “son who adds" (Yoseyf) had a son named "doubly fruitful" (Efrayim). Great difficulty: probably precipitated by their having to pick up stakes and leave Sh'khem so quickly. Perhaps he blamed Shim'on and Levi for her death, as he apparently never forgave their behavior there.

Don't be afraid: i.e., "Rest assured in the fact that your desire that Elohim ‘add another’ is being fulfilled." We, too, must not be afraid to bring the House of Israel out of the church, its temporary place of nurturing, so that it can become YHWH’s son in a fuller way. It was a breach birth, because she could tell that he was male before he was fully born. Thus he was born feet first, which is probably why she died--a symbol of what is happening to the paganized church as her children come out of her to walk in the biblical festivals, which is what "feet" symbolize (as in the three "pilgrim festivals", literally called "feet" in Ex. 23:14). His antetype Yahshua also prophesied (Rev. 2-3) that those who did not overcome and come out from under the influence of the harlot or kept tolerating compromise would have their menorah removed from its place.

She also died because Yaaqov prophesied it due to her association with idolatry; this is also what became of the parts of the church that remain in idolatry. Yet we do see Rakhel show up again at the time of Yahshua’s birth. (Mat. 2:18) This ties in with YHWH’s statement that the Northern Kingdom was no longer His wife, yet she would become so again after a long delay. (Hos. 2-3) Ben-Oni: Son of my agony/trouble/sorrow. Binyamin: Son of the right hand, i.e., his favorite wife Rakhel, or, Son of days (i.e., my old age). Yahshua is also called a man of sorrows, YHWH’s right, and the one whom the Ancient of Days gave a throne at His right hand. The Birthpangs of the Messiah are also a time of great trouble and upheaval, in which the old order dies, but they bring the Messiah to prominence and His Kingdom to actuality on the physical earth. Part of the tribe of Binyamin stayed with Yehudah, and part did not. The Temple Mount and more of Yerushalayim actually belong to his tribal land. (1 Shmuel 10:2)

By tradition she was only 36 years old. The small nation of Israel was indeed on its way to fruitfulness, which is embodied in two ways by Beyth-Lekhem. David, Israel's first truly-rightful king (that is, from the tribe of Yehudah, who was promised the throne) as well as her Messiah were both born there. Beyth-Lekhem means "house of bread" (or, more anciently, simply "food"--i.e., the staple), and indeed, the Messiah called himself the "bread of life".

And thus it remains, now with a more elaborate mausoleum near the entrance to Beyth-Lekhem, and it is one of the most hotly-disputed sites in the war with the Palestinians.

When Yaaqov buried what he cherished most from Lavan’s house and what he even loved more than YHWH, after the birth pangs of the last of his children, his community is finally able to act as Israel. The Mishnah says this tower was the boundary of a perimeter around Yerushalayim within which all lambs to be slain for the daily Temple sacrifice (by the priests) had to be born--a major reason it is also mentioned in Micha 4:8 in conjunction with the more precise location of "the first dominion". This refers to its being the birthplace of Messiah (the king) at his first coming. The Aramaic targum identifies it as the place where Messiah would reveal Himself at the end of days. Beyth-Lekhem is visible from here, but it is still within the Temple precincts. That Yaaqov stretched his tent "beyond it" may allude to the directive given to Messiah in Yeshayahu/Isaiah 54:2, 3. It also means going beyond the fact of Messiah’s coming to the purpose for which He came—that we could be a united Israel and a real physical kingdom again. But the fact that literally he was going beyond the limit of the holiest part of the Land may be what set the stage for the next event:

That the shortcomings of the patriarchs are described so matter-of-factly is proof that the Torah is what it says it is. As Yaaqov heard about Dinah's rape before any of his sons came home, it seems he "heard" because he was a prophet. This cost Reuven his birthright. (49:3,4) But Yaaqov did not deal with it until his deathbed. He did not even call him to repentance until he was in a position to withhold his inheritance from him. He remained passive when, if he had confronted him immediately, he could have kept the root of bitterness from growing and festering, and have had his relationship with his firstborn restored. Because he so disliked confrontation, he had let Lavan waste thirteen years of his life. The head of a household cannot be passive, and his very name includes the concept of struggling against something and gaining the victory—not just through trickery and finding loopholes, which he excelled at, but more directly, for there is more profit in this. His sons recognized this better than he did, and they were therefore the ones who often acted as Israel.

These were the sons of Yaaqov, who were born to him in Paddan-Aram.

From this time on, the number twelve is often symbolic of Israel. Binyamin was not born in Paddan-Aram, but may have been conceived there. All the rest of his children must have been born within the seven years following his marriages to Leah and Rakhel.

YHWH had told him (31:3) to return to his Land and the relatives to whom he was born—and Yitzhaq is the only one of these left in the Land. This may be the main reason he left the place YHWH had told him to settle. (v. 1) But should he have gone back after seeing him, rather than waiting there for him to die? (Compare Luqa 9:59)

29. then Yitzhaq expired and died, and was gathered to his people, old and having fulfilled his days. And his sons Esau and Yaaqov buried him.

Fulfilled his days: Over twenty years before this, he had thought his life was over because his eyes were growing dim. But after he blessed Yaaqov, they were revived, and he made every day count, because now he was a source of wisdom and teaching for others, and he now more than ever needed to be able to see well. Yaaqov finally catches up with Esau as he said he would, though it is not in Esau’s land, but his own, so he is at the advantage.

CHAPTER 36

To Esau, when Yitzhaq died, it was only his father who died; to Yaaqov, it was one of “the Fathers” who had passed away. There is a contrast here with Yaaqov’s line (35:22ff), and from here on the emphasis is on Esau’s being Edom rather than Yaaqov’s brother. Like Yaaqov, he receives a new name which reflects his priority—the “red stuff” for his belly. We have seen that as twins, Esau depicts the evil inclination, and Yaaqov the inclination to do right. To Jewish scholars since at least Yahshua’s day, Edom is seen as both the literal and symbolic father of Rome (v. 43). Rome certainly embodied the spirit of wanting to destroy Israel, and to this very day, through its religious system, we still see it trying to take the birthright back from Yaaqov, who bought it. Notice in how many ways this son of Yitzhaq who marries pagan wives parallels the church. Most of us entered it for selfish reasons—so we would not perish. While this is legitimate, it is inadequate. And as Keyfa (Peter) warned, the church has twisted Paul’s teachings to appear lawless (anti-Torah), so that those in it could continue to serve self, though it claims to be a light to the nations, and has often done a better job of it than Yehudah, though with the wrong focus. Yet even in that, it is still a hunter like Esau in its approach, rather than a shepherd. King Herod was half-Idumean (Edomite) and half-Jewish. His father had been forced to convert to Judaism under the Hasmoneans, and this mixture has, as could be expected, brought about mixed results. As the quintessential politician, always a step ahead of changes in Roman powers through bribery. He gained for the Jews many exemptions from Roman laws He greatly embellished YHWH’s Temple, but built pagan temples in the Land of Israel for his other constituency, even having pigs sacrificed for their sakes. Many Messianic Jews today are the same mixture of Judaism and Christianity, but as we saw upon a deeper reading of 33:16-17, Esau must repent in order for Yaaqov to journey on. Those in the church who truly belong to YHWH must change their course in order for Israel (His greater wish, a unified people among whom He can make His home) to be brought to maturity. We must distinguish Edom from Israel, so we will not have Esau’s priorities.

He did not come from the daughtes of Milkah, the line who are pictures of the Torah, whose instruction we are to follow. (27:13) Esau is not attached to the right things to be able to carry on the covenant. His descendants in Rome do not have the Torah for a mother, though they are children of Avraham. Adah means "ornament"; Eylon, "mighty oak". Whereas Yaaqov got rid of pagan ornaments under a mighty oak, Esau joined himself to them. Oholibamah means “my tent is a cultic platform”; i.e., she symbolizes pagan worship and knowledge. No wonder Yitzhaq and Rivqah recognized that it would be the end of the line for their family if Yaaqov also married such women, and sent him to other Semitic women, also daughters of Ever, and Hebrews in that sense. (Hebrew, or Ivrit, stems from the name Ever.) In v. 24, Anah ("answer/afflicted") appears to be not a daughter at all, but a man; Rashi explains that Tziv'on ("colored" or "dyed") adulterously cohabited with his daughter-in-law, and so was the actual father, while Anah was her assumed/legal father.

Bas'math: "Spicy fragrance". See 26:34; 28:8. Some of her ancestors were Egyptian, hence Rome’s preoccupation with death (even having a crucifix as its symbol) as compared with Israel’s focus on choosing life. (Prov. 3:11-13; Deut. 4:5-8) Why should we seek the living among the dead? (Luqa 24:5)

Elifaz: "My Elohim is refined gold"—another indication that Esau’s family represents the church, which became the richest organization on earth through its political intrigues and compromises; Re'u-El: "friend of Elohim".

Ye'ush: or Ye'ish, "assembler" or “hasty”; Ya'alam: "concealed", “veiled”, even “occult”; despite the radical difference on the surface from the refined Elifaz, they still have the same father. Qorach means "bald".

Members: literally, "souls". Moved: fulfilling the prophecy in 27:39-40 and foreshadowing what will happen to any Edomites who survive the slaughter described in Ovadyah 18. Esau’s descendants are not from the same place as Israel’s. This also pictures the church after the era of persecution, when in order to become the unifying factor of the Roman Empire, cut all its ties to Yaaqov (its Hebraic roots), even forbidding the practice of holy days YHWH had commanded.

This is a reiteration of what took place with Avraham and Lot. Why could they not sell or slaughter some of these animals so they could stay together? Because possessions were not the deepest reason. As we saw in 13:6, Lot had to leave the covenant community because he had his own tents (a symbol of having his own way of teaching Scripture), and likewise, Edom has since the beginning taught that the Torah brings death while Israel teaches that it is life. Sojournings: Esau did not consider the Land his own, but even Yaaqov was still only living there; it was really not his own in the fullest sense until his descendants dispossessed it; the sins of the Emorites were not yet complete. (15:16) The more we recognize that we are Israel, the less common ground we find with the “brother” entity we now realize is Edom.

Esau who is Edom: reiterated so that there is no doubt who Edom is. He is undeniably Israel’s kinsman, but is not part of the Avrahamic covenant, even spiritually. Israel and the church are two separate entities.

10. The names of Esau's sons were:
Elifaz the son of Adah, [one] wife of Esau,
[and] Re'u-El the son of Bas'math, [another] wife of Esau;

11. And the sons of Elifaz [Iyov/Job 2:11] were:
Theyman [southward, on the right side],
Omar [eloquent speaker],
Tzefo [spy or watchtower],
Ga'tham [a burnt valley], and
Qenaz [hunter].

Elifaz: possibly the man spoken of in Iyov/Job 2:11ff, though he is called a Theymanite, so the one mentioned there may have been named after his grandfather. In any case, he was a contemporary of the Patriarchs, Iyov being the earliest-compiled book in Scripture. Theyman is the Hebrew name for Yemen.

Descendants: grandsons. Though Thimna ["restrained"] was from a royal family (v. 22), she preferred to become even a concubine to a descendant of Avraham. Yet her mother was a Chorite, whose land Edom had seized. Amaleq ["valley-dweller"] was to become Israel's--and Elohim's--arch-enemy (Ex. 17:16; Deuyt. 25:17ff) Again, the theme plays out that his mother is not a wife in the full sense of the word, but more of a slave-woman. True to this scenario, Amaleq preyed on the weak, sickly, and slack. Failure to destroy this nation spelled the demise of King Sha’ul’s reign. It survived to produce Haman. As a strong parallel, Hitler’s birthplace was in the Roman Church. We need to look for the final attack of Amaleq to come not so much from a government as from the church.

These were the descendants of Esau's wife Bas'math.

14. And these were the descendants of Oholibamah, the daughter of Anah, the daughter of Tziv'on—Esau's wife: she bore
Ye'ush,
Ya'lam, and
Qorach.

He had three sons by this wife as compared to one from each of his others. Was she his favorite? Or were the others too modern and “liberated” to want more than one child?

Chiefs: chieftains, patriarchs, uncrowned heads among them. Literally, leaders of a thousand.

These were the chiefs of Elifaz in the land of Edom; these were the descendants of Esau's wife Adah.

Qorach seems out of place here. He is mentioned again in v. 18 in the proper context, according to v. 14. The reason seems to be to make the total of the chiefs anything but twelve, so that they are not overly identical to Israel.

These were the chiefs of Re'u-El in the land of Edom; these were the descendants of Bas'math, Esau's wife.

18. And the sons of Esau's wife Oholibamah:
Chief Ye'ush,
Chief Yalam, and
Chief Qorach.

These were the chiefs of Oholibamah, the daughter of Anah—Esau's wife.

19. These were the descendants of Esau (who is Edom), and these were their chiefs.

“Esau, who is Edom" is repeated three times. It is important to know whom we are up against.

these were the chiefs of the Chorites—the sons of Seir—in the land of Edom.

Chorite: from Mt. Chor, near Petra. Literally a "cave dweller". Same land: Edom, where Esau also settled. Since the colophon of v. 1 may indicate that Esau himself documented the lists in this section (possible since it only goes through his grandsons), he may have included this family since his wife and concubine came from among them. His true kinsmen are thus pagans.

23. And these were Shoval's sons:
Alwan [tall],
Manachath [rest],
Eyval [bare stone mountain],
Sh'fo [bold or wind-swept], and
Ownam [strong, vigorous].

24. And these were the sons of Tziv'on: Ayah and Anah. (He is the Anah who found the hot springs in the desert while he was feeding the donkeys for his father Tziv'on.)

Found the hot springs...donkeys: or, who discovered how to breed mules.

Anah: probably the same as the Be’eri od 26:34. Recall that most kings had another name conferred upon their inauguration.

27. These were the sons of Etzer:
Bilhan [their troubling],
Zaavan [quaking from terror], and
Aqan [sharp-sighted].

28. These were the sons of Dishan:
Utz [wooded or counselor] and
Aran [overcome with joy].

29. These were the chiefs of the Chorites:
Chief Lotan,
Chief Shoval,
Chief Tziv'on,
Chief Anah,
30. Chief Dishon,
Chief Etzer, and
Chief Dishan.

These were the chieftains of the Chorites, chief by chief, in the land of Seir.

31. And these are the kings who reigned in the land of Edom before there was any king reigning over the children of Israel:

Esau took on the ways of the world long before Israel did.

Bela means "swallowing". The prophet Bilaam, who knew for whom he worked, but used his influence against Israel, was also a son of Be'or. (Num. 24) We therefore know he was Edomite royalty. Dinhavah means "Give judgment!"

Botzrah, an Edomite city southeast of the Dead Sea, will figure prominently in the Messiah's return with power and glory: Yeshayahu/Isaiah 34:6; 63:1; Yirmiyahu/Jeremiah 48:24; 49:13; Amos 1:12.

Yovav: could possibly be translated "Father Iyov (Job)". Iyov did live in the land of Utz (v. 28) Chusham means "haste".

Hadad means "mighty"; B'dad, "solitary" or "isolated". Awith means "distorted ruins". Notice that the “capital” city-state of the Edomites was whatever city the strongest man who prevailed over others to gain the throne was from.

Samlah means "outer garment"; Masreqah, "vineyard of noble vines".

So there was a King Sha'ul before Israel's. His name means "asked for". Rekhovoth means "wide open spaces".

Ba'al-Chanan: "Ba'al (the lord) showed favor"; this is the first mention of the Ba’als, a class of elohim that reigned over a particular area of geographyor jurisdiction only. Akhbor: "mouse".

Pa'u means "crying out"; Mehetavel: "pleasing to El"; Matred: "pushing forward" or "chasing"; Mey-Zahav: waters of gold, or "the goldsmith".

Chief Thimna [restrained],
Chief Alvah [injustice],
Chief Yetheth [nail],
41. Chief Oholibamah [my tent is a cultic platform],
Chief Elah [an oak],
Chief Piynon [darkness],
42. Chief Q'naz [hunter],
Chief Teyman [south],
Chief Mivtzar [fortified],
43. Chief Magdi-El [El is my excellence], and
Chief Iyram [urbane].

These were the chiefs of Edom (that is Esau, the father of the Edomites), according to their settlements, in the land of their possession.

This fourth time, Esau is called the father (the builder of the house) of the Edomites. Like these very opposite twins, two “men” are being built, one a Body of whom Messiah is the head, and another pseudo-unified entity of whom Babylon is the head. The Messiah spoke of two houses being built, one on a solid foundation and th eother on mere sand. Magdi-El is the traditional ancestor of the Romans, leaving no doubt as to which house Esau was building. Notice that some of these chiefs have the same names as some other women. Likewise, the church has blurred the distinctions through being merciful where it should judge and too strict in areas tat do not matter as much. But, like the church, Edom’s line also has some of the same names as people within Israel. Yet they do not mean as much to those whose language is clearly similar to but already diverging from Hebrew. Again the list is missing at least one so that the total will not come to twelve. Edom must not be mistaken for Israel! It may be that the disciples of Yahshua wanted to replace Judas because they did not want their number to be the same as that of Edom’s leaders.