Genesis 32:2

Gen 32:2 And when Jacob saw them, he said, This [is] God’s host: and he called the name of that place Mahanaim.

Ver. 2. This is God’s host.] So called, for their number, order, obedience, strength, &c. God hath a complete host of horse and foot. Angels, and heavenly bodies, are his horse, as it were; "horses and chariots of fire"; {2Ki 6:17} yea, both horse and foot: for there are whole "legions" of them. {Mat 26:53} Now a legion is judged to be six thousand foot, and seven hundred horse. Daniel tells us, there be millions of angels, {Dan 7:10} yea, "an innumerable company," saith the author to the Hebrews. {Heb 12:22} The Greek poet could say, There were thirty thousands of them here upon earth, keepers of mortal men, and observers of their works: {a} some think they are meant in the parable, by the ninety and nine sheep; as if they were ninety and nine times as many as mankind in number. All these, how many soever, pitch camp round about the godly, {Psa 34:7} make a lane for them, as they did here for Jacob at Mahanaim (which signifies a double camp), fight in battle array against their enemies, {Dan 10:20} and convey them at death, as they did Lazarus, through their enemies’ country, the air, into Abraham’s bosom. {Luk 16:22} So that all God’s children may call death, as Jacob did this place, Mahanaim; because there the angels meet them. And as the palsied man, in the gospel, was let down with his bed through the tiling before Jesus, {Luk 5:19} so is every good soul taken up in a heavenly couch (or coach, rather) through the roof of his house, and carried into Christ’s presence, by the blessed angels.

{a} Tρις γαρ μυριοι εισις επι χθονι πουλυβοτειρη Dαιμονες αθανατοι, φυλακες μεροπψν ανθρωπων. - Hesiod.

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Gen 32:2. This is God’s host — Or army; so the angels are justly called, because of their great number, their excellent order, their mighty power, and the service they perform for God and his church, for the protection of which they are sent. A good man may see by faith what Jacob saw with his bodily eyes. To preserve the remembrance of this favour Jacob named the place Mahanaim, two hosts, or two camps. Probably they appeared to him in two hosts, one on either side, or one in the front and the other in the rear, to protect him from Laban behind and Esau before, and be a complete guard: or Jacob’s family made one army, representing the church militant and itinerant on earth, and the angels another army, representing the church triumphant, and at rest in heaven.

Joseph Benson's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1811–1818) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

32:2 This is God’s camp! Jacob must have seen the angels that revealed God’s presence as a sign of protection, as with the earlier vision when he was departing the land (28:10-22). • Mahanaim (“two camps”): Jacob’s company and the company of angels were together in one place.

Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Or, tents.

He acknowledgeth God’s benefits: who for the preservation of his, sendeth hosts of Angels.

Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain. Text via Bolls.life.

Mahanaim--"two hosts," or "camps." The place was situated between mount Gilead and the Jabbok, near the banks of that brook.

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Verse 2. Mahanaim.] The two hosts, if read by the points, the angels forming one, and Jacob and his company forming another; or simply hosts or camps in the plural. There was a city built afterwards here, and inhabited by the priests of God, Jos 21:38. For what purpose the angels of God met Jacob, does not appear from the text; probably it was intended to show him that he and his company were under the care of an especial providence, and consequently to confirm his trust and confidence in God.

The doctrine of the ministration of angels has been much abused, not only among the heathens, but also among Jews and Christians, and perhaps most among the latter. Angels with feigned names, titles, and influences, have been and still are invoked and worshipped by a certain class of men; because they have found that God has been pleased to employ them to minister to mankind; and hence they have made supplications to them to extend their protection, to shield, defend, instruct, c. This is perfectly absurd.

1. They are God's instruments, not self-determining agents.

2. They can only do what they are appointed to perform, for there is no evidence that they have any discretionary power.

3. God helps man by ten thousand means and instruments some intellectual, as angels; some rational, as men; some irrational, as brutes; and some merely material, as the sun, wind, rain, food, raiment, and the various productions of the earth. He therefore helps by whom he will help, and to him alone belongs all the glory; for should he be determined to destroy, all these instruments collectively could not save. Instead therefore of worshipping them, we should take their own advice: See thou do it not - Worship God.

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

(2) Mahanaim.—That is, the two camps, his own and that of the angels; or, possibly, two camps of angels, one on either side of him. Mahanaim was in the tribe of Gad, and became an important town. (See 2Sa_2:8; 2Sa_17:24; 1Ki_4:14.)

A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

2. This is God’s host] The Heb. word for “host” (maḥaneh) is usually, and ought here to be, rendered “camp.” The angels are regarded as the warriors of Jehovah; cf. the narrative in Jos_5:13-15, and 1Ki_22:19; Psa_103:21; Psa_148:2.

Mahanaim] That is, Two hosts, or, companies. The termination -aim denotes the dual. Possibly Jacob here refers to the two “companies,” or “encampments,” one of the angels, and the other of his own followers. The LXX renders παρεμβολαί = “camps”; Lat. Mahanaim, id est, Castra, without reference to the dual number. For another derivation of the name, see on Gen_32:7; Gen_32:10.

Mahanaim was in later times a place of considerable importance. During Absalom’s rebellion it was the residence and head-quarters of David; see 2Sa_17:24; 2Sa_17:27. Cf. 2Sa_2:8; 2Sa_2:12; 2Sa_2:29; 1Ki_2:8. The site is uncertain: from Gen_32:11 it would appear to be not far from the banks of the Jordan, and from Gen_32:22 to lie north of the Jabbok (modern Zerka). In Jos_13:26-30, it appears to lie on the confines of Gad and Manasseh.

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

And when Jacob saw them,.... These appeared in a visible form, most probably human, and in the habit, and with the accoutrements of soldiers, and therefore afterwards called an host or army. Aben Ezra thinks that Jacob alone saw them, as Elisha first saw the host of angels before the young man did that was with him, Kg2 6:17,

he said, this is God's host: or army, hence he is often called the Lord of hosts; angels have this name from their number, order, strength, and military exploits they perform:

and he called the name of the place Mahanaim; which signifies two hosts or armies; either his own family and company making one, and the angels another, as Aben Ezra observes; or they were the angels, who very probably appeared in two companies, or as two armies, and one went on one side of Jacob and his family, and the other on the other side; or the one went before him, and the other behind him; the latter to secure him from any insult of Laban, should he pursue after him, and distress him in the rear, and the former to protect him from Esau, near whose country Jacob now was, and of whom he was in some fear and danger; thus seasonably did God appear for him. The Jewish writers (t) say, the host of God is 60,000, and that the Shechinah, or divine Majesty, never dwells among less, and that Mahanaim, or two hosts, are 120,000; there was afterwards a city of this name near this place, which very likely was so called in memory of this appearance, Jos 21:38; and there seems to be an allusion to it in the account of the church, Sol 6:13; it was in the land of Gilead, and tribe of Gad, forty four miles from Jerusalem to the southeast (u).

(t) In Bereshit Rabba, sect. 75. fol. 66. 1. (u) Bunting's Travels, p. 74.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Mahanaim, "two camps." A town was afterwards built here.

George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).

God’s host; so the angels are justly called for their great number, Dan 7:10; Luk 2:13, excellent order, mighty power, and for their use and service to God, and to his church, for whose protection they are sent. See 2Ki 6:17; Psa 34:7.

Mahanaim, i.e. two hosts; so called, either because the angels divided themselves into two companies, and placed themselves some before, others behind him, or some on each side of him, for his greater comfort and security; or because the angels made one host, and his family another.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

2. This is God’s host — Or, God’s band. He at once recognises them as the same class of heavenly powers that had appeared to him in the vision of Beth-el. He has around him his own company, no small host; and behold, he is also encompassed by another camp, God’s company of holy watchers, set to guard and guide him in his way.

Mahanaim — Two camps; his own and that of the angels. Comp. Psa_34:7. The great lesson of this event was that of the immanent providence of God. His angels ever guard the ways of his chosen. The site of Mahanaim is probably the modern Maneh, on the north of mount Ajlun. It was on the border of Gad and Manasseh, (Jos_13:26; Jos_13:30,) and was a city of the Levites. Jos_21:38. Here Ishbosheth, Saul’s son, reigned two years.

2Sa_2:8-12.

Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

And when Jacob saw them, he said, This is God"s host: Mahaneh Elohim; i.e. the army (cf. Gen_1:9; Exo_14:24) or (1Sa_14:15; Psa_27:3) of God, as opposed to the Mahanoth, or bands of Jacob himself (vide ver. 7, 10)and he called the name of that place Manahan. i.e. Two armies or camps, from the root hnj; decline or bend, and hence to fix oneself down or encamp; meaning either a multitudinous host, reading the dual for a plural (Malvenda), or two bands of angels, one before, welcoming him to Canaan, and another behind, conducting him from Mesopotamia (Jarchi and others), or one on either side to typify the completeness of his protection, as in Psa_34:8 (Calvin, Bush, Gcrlach, "Speaker"s Commentary") or, as the best expositors interpret, his own company and the heavenly host (Abort Ezra, Clericus, Dathe, Keil, Lange, Rosenm Kalisch, Murphy). Mahanaim, afterwards a distinguished city in the territory of Gad, (Jos_13:26) and frequently referred to in subsequent Scripture. (2Sa_2:8 2Sa_17:24 27 19:32; 1Ki_4:14) as well as mentioned by Josephus ("Ant." 7. 9, 8), as a strong and beautiful city, has been identified with Mahneh, a deserted ruin six or seven miles north-west by north of Ajlun (Mount Gilead), and about twenty miles from the Jabbok (vide "Robinson," vol. 3. App. 166; and of. Tristram, "The Land of Israel, p. 483); but the narrative appears to say that Mahanaim lay not north of Ga-leed, but between that place and Jabbok. Hence Porter suggests Gerasa, the most splendid ruin east of the Jordan, and bordering on the Jabbok, as occupying the site of Mahanaim (vide Kitto s "Cyclopedia," art. Mahanaim, and cf. "Handbook for S. and P." 2. 311, seq.).

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

This is God's house - A good man may, with an eye of faith, see the same that Jacob saw with his bodily eyes. What need we dispute whether he has a guardian angel, when we are sure he has a guard of angels about him? To preserve the remembrance of this favour, Jacob gave a name to the place from it, Mahanaim, two hosts, or two camps probably they appeared to him in two hosts, one on either side, or one in the front, and the other in the rear, to protect him from Laban behind, and Esau before, that they might be a compleat guard. Here was Jacob's family that made one army, representing the church militant and itinerant on earth; and the angels another army, representing the church triumphant, and at rest in heaven.

John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.

Mahanaim

i.e. two hosts, or bands -- the visible band, Jacob and his servants; the invisible band, God’s angels. Cf. 2Ki 6:13-17.

The Scofield Reference Bible (1917 edition), notes by C. I. Scofield — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

ויפגעו בו מלאכי אלהים AND THE ANGELS OF GOD MET HIM — The angels who minister in the Land of Israel came to meet him in order to escort him into the Holy Land (see Genesis Rabbah 74:17).

Rashi on the Tanakh — English translations: “The Judaica Press complete Tanach with Rashi, translated by A. J. Rosenberg” (CC BY 4.0); “Pentateuch with Rashi's commentary by M. Rosenbaum and A.M. Silbermann, 1929-1934” (public domain); “The Metsudah Tanach series, Lakewood, N.J” (CC BY 4.0); and “The Book of Joshua, Metsudah Publications, 1997” (CC BY 4.0). Text via Sefaria.

AND THE ANGELS OF G-D MET HIM. Rashi comments: “The angels who minister in the Land of Israel came to meet him. And he called the name of that place Mahanaim: the plural form implies two camps, one consisting of the angels ministering outside of the Land of Israel who had accompanied him thus far, the other consisting of those ministering in the Land of Israel who had come forth to meet him.”But I wonder at this, for Jacob had not yet reached the Land of Israel and was still distant from there for he sent messengers to Esau from afar. And then it says there, And he passed over the ford of the Jabbok, which is the river Jabbok which is the border of the children of Ammon. This is to the southeast of the Land of Israel, and he still had to pass the boundary of the children of Ammon and Moab, and then the land of Edom, and his first entry into the Land was at Shechem, as it is said, And Jacob came in peace to the city of Shechem, which is in the land of Canaan. Instead, we must say this vision came to Jacob as he arrived in enemy territory in order to inform him that “they that are with him are more than they that are with them.” And the name of the place was called “Mahanaim” in the plural, for such is the way of Scripture with names. It may be that “Mahanaim” refers to His camp and the camp of the higher beings, that is to say that His camp on earth is as the camp of the angels, all of them being camps of G-d, blessing Him and confessing His Unity, may His name be blessed forever.

Ramban (Nachmanides) on the Tanakh — English translation: “Commentary on the Torah by Ramban (Nachmanides). Translated and annotated by Charles B. Chavel. New York, Shilo Pub. House, 1971-1976” (CC BY 4.0). Text via Sefaria.

ויעקב...מלאכי אלוקים. G’d sent His angels to him to keep him safe while he was journeying.

Radak on the Tanakh — English translations: “Sefaria Community Translation” (CC0 1.0 (public-domain dedication)); “Eliyahu Munk, HaChut Hameshulash” (CC BY 4.0); “Rabbi Mike Feuer, Jerusalem Anthology” (CC BY 4.0); and “R. David Kimhi on the first book of Psalms, Translated by R.G. Finch, London, 1919” (public domain). Text via Sefaria.