“And say ye moreover, Behold, thy servant Jacob is behind us. For he said, I will appease him with the present that goeth before me, and afterward I will see his face; peradventure he will accept of me.”
My Notes
What Does Genesis 32:20 Mean?
"I will appease him with the present that goeth before me, and afterward I will see his face; peradventure he will accept of me." Jacob's strategy for meeting Esau is built on appeasement: send gifts ahead, soften the anger with generosity, and then — maybe — receive acceptance. The word "peradventure" (ulai — perhaps, maybe) reveals Jacob's uncertainty: the strategy might not work. The gifts might not be enough. The face he'll eventually see might still be hostile.
The phrase "appease him" (kaphar panav — literally, cover his face) uses the same root word as the Hebrew word for atonement (kippur). Jacob is attempting to make atonement with Esau through gifts — to cover his brother's anger the way sacrificial blood covers sin. The reconciliation is being purchased with goats, camels, and cattle.
The three-part plan — present, then appearance, then (maybe) acceptance — mirrors the sacrificial system: the offering goes first, the worshipper approaches second, and the acceptance is hoped for but not guaranteed. Jacob's reconciliation strategy is unconsciously liturgical.
Reflection Questions
- 1.What reconciliation are you attempting where the outcome is honestly uncertain?
- 2.What 'gifts' are you sending ahead of your vulnerable appearance?
- 3.How does the uncertainty — 'peradventure' — of reconciliation require faith?
- 4.What does Jacob's unconscious use of atonement language teach about how reconciliation actually works?
Devotional
I'll send the gifts first. Then I'll show my face. And maybe — maybe — he'll accept me. Jacob's reconciliation plan is built on generosity, timing, and honest uncertainty about the outcome.
The word 'appease' uses the root for atonement. Jacob is unconsciously performing a liturgy: the offering goes before the person. The gift covers the offense. The worshipper approaches after the covering has been applied. And the acceptance — like every act of atonement — depends on the one receiving the offering.
The 'peradventure' is Jacob's most honest word: maybe. Not certainly. Not guaranteed. Maybe he'll accept me. After twenty years of separation, after the stolen blessing, after the deception — Jacob doesn't know if any amount of goats will cover what he did. The maybe is the gap between what he's done and what he hopes.
Jacob's three-part strategy — gift, appearance, maybe-acceptance — is the structure of every reconciliation attempt: you offer something costly. You show up vulnerably. And you wait to see if the other person receives you. The offering doesn't guarantee the outcome. The appearance doesn't force the acceptance. You give, you show up, and you hope.
What reconciliation are you trying to make? What gifts are you sending ahead of your face? And are you honest enough to say 'peradventure' — maybe — about the outcome? The maybe is where faith operates in broken relationships. You do what you can and wait for what you can't control.
Commentary
Trusted original commentary from respected historical Bible scholars and theologians.
And say ye moreover, behold, thy servant Jacob is behind us,.... This is repeated to impress it upon their minds, that…
- Jacob Wrestles in Prayer 3. מחנים machănāyı̂m, Machanaim, “two camps.” 22. יבק yaboq, Jabboq; related: בקק bāqaq…
Jacob, having piously made God his friend by a prayer, is here prudently endeavouring to make Esau his friend by a…
I will appease him Lit. "I will cover his face," in the sense of "I will propitiate." The present will so "cover his…
Cross References
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