Now as Jacob went on his way, the angels of God met him.
Parallel translations
- WEB Jacob went on his way, and the angels of God met him.
- KJV And Jacob went on his way, and the angels of God met him.
- BSB Jacob also went on his way, and the angels of God met him.
- NKJV So Jacob went on his way, and the angels of God met him.
- NLT As Jacob started on his way again, angels of God came to meet him.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
As Jacob continues homeward, the angels of God meet him. The encounter signals God's protective presence at a fearful moment.
Overview
Having left Laban behind, Jacob now faces the prospect of meeting Esau, and God grants him a vision of angelic hosts. The angels recall the ascending and descending angels of Bethel, assuring Jacob he is not alone. Scripture testifies that God's unseen armies attend His people, a comfort to all who walk by faith.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 6
- Ps 91:11For he will put his angels in charge of you, to guard you in all your ways.
- Eph 3:10to the intent that now through the assembly the manifold wisdom of God might be made known to the principalities and the powers in the heavenly places,
- Ps 34:7Yahweh’s angel encamps around those who fear him, and delivers them.
- Heb 1:4having become so much better than the angels, as he has inherited a more excellent name than they have.
- 2 Kgs 6:16–17He answered, “Don’t be afraid; for those who are with us are more than those who are with them.”
- 1 Cor 3:22whether Paul, or Apollos, or Cephas, or the world, or life, or death, or things present, or things to come. All are yours,
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Christ at the center
From the first promise that the seed of the woman would crush the serpent (3:15), through Abraham's blessing to all nations and Judah's coming ruler, Genesis sows every seed that flowers in Christ — the true offspring, the better Adam, the ram caught for Isaac.
How Genesis 32:1 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.