The same night he arose and took his two wives, his two female servants, and his eleven children, and crossed the ford of the Jabbok.
22. And he rose up that night. After he has prayed to the Lord, and arranged his plans, he now takes confidence and meets the danger. By which example the faithful are taught, that whenever any danger approaches, this order of proceeding is to be observed; first, to resort directly to the Lord; secondly, to apply to immediate use whatever means of help may offer...
Jacob, having piously made God his friend by a prayer, is here prudently endeavouring to make Esau his friend by a present. He had prayed to God to deliver him from the had of Esau, for he feared him; but neither did his fear sink into such a despair as dispirits for the use of means, nor did his prayer make him presume upon God's...
Commenting on Genesis 32:13-23
And he rose up that night,.... In the middle of it, for it was long before break of day, as appears from Gen 32:24, and took his two wives, Rachel and Leah: and his two womenservants, Bilhah and Zilpah, or, "his two concubines", as the Targums of Onkelos and Jonathan; which distinguishes them from other womenservants or maidservants, of which, no doubt, he had many...