New American Standard Bible 1995

Back to Reader

Genesis

32

:

7

Then Jacob was greatly afraid and distressed; and he divided the people who were with him, and the flocks and the herds and the camels, into two companies;

Lexicon

Verse part Definition: Part of speech: Strong's: Hebrew: Transliteration:
Then Jacob a son of Isaac, also his desc. Noun H3290 יַעֲקֹ֛ב ya·'a·kov
Analysis:
Read more about: Jacob
was greatly muchness, force, abundance Adjective H3966 מְאֹ֖ד me·'od
afraid to fear Verb H3372 וַיִּירָ֧א vai·yi·ra
and distressed; to bind, tie up, be restricted, narrow, scant, or cramped H6887    
and he divided to divide Verb H2673 וַיַּ֜חַץ vai·ya·chatz
the people people Noun H5971 הָעָ֣ם ha·'am
who who, which, that Particle H834 אֲשֶׁר־ a·sher-
were with him, and the flocks small cattle, sheep and goats, flock Noun H6629 הַצֹּ֧אן ha·tzon
and the herds cattle, herd, an ox Noun H1241 הַבָּקָ֛ר hab·ba·kar
and the camels, a camel Noun H1581 וְהַגְּמַלִּ֖ים ve·hag·ge·mal·lim
into two two (a card. number) Noun H8147 לִשְׁנֵ֥י lish·nei
Analysis:

Two: Two divergent opinions

The classic example for the number "two" is found in Matthew chapter 26. There, Yeshua says to His disciples,

"You know that after two days comes the Passover, and the Son of Man will be given over for crucifixion."  Matthew 26:2

The phrase "after two days" is somewhat meaningless because after two days can mean three or more days. The period is unspecified. The reason for such ambiguous language is because the purpose of the number two in this passage is not solely numerical. This means that the text is not intending to provide the reader with some definite information concerning a time period. Rather, the purpose of the number two in this context is one of the numerological meanings of the number two.  Often the number two relates to two divergent opinions. In the aforementioned verse, the author wants to inform the reader that there are two very different understandings for this coming Passover. Yeshua wants to emphasize that He is going up to Jerusalem in order to die as the true Passover sacrifice. Even though Yeshua states this emphatically, the disciples did not receive this. In fact, the disciples did not perceive at all what was going to take place during Passover in regard to Yeshua. In other words, Yeshua and the disciples have two divergent opinions concerning the Passover.

This same principle is also found in the Hebrew Bible (Old Covenant). In the book of Amos one reads,

"Can two walk together without them having agreed" Amos 3:3

The word which was translated into English with the phrase "them having agreed" is נועדו. The root of this word is יעד, which relates to a specific destination. The word which precedes this word is בלתי and in this context the word implies a change to the condition. In other words, had there not been a change in the condition, then the two could not walk together, i.e. they could not have arrived at the common destination.

The concept of divergent or different is also seen in the book of Genesis. In speaking about the sun and moon one reads, "And God made two great lights…" (Genesis 1:16). Obviously the sun and moon are very different, as one is a source of light, while the latter just reflects light. Also in the book of Genesis, one encounters the account of the flood. Here Noah is commanded to bring onto the ark two sorts of each type of animal. In this passage, the two relates to two different (or divergent) kinds of the same sort, i.e. male and female. 

Likewise, two angels came to Sodom, demonstrating that the people of Sodom had a very different way of living from that of the Law of God. Once again, the reader should not assume that every occurrence of the number two in the Bible demands this interpretation. However, one will find in a great majority of Biblical passages, the reader will be assisted in arriving at the proper interpretation, when he considers this divergent quality for the number two. 

Loveisrael.org - Baruch Korman, Ph.D. - All Rights Reserved - Used with Permission 2016 

companies; an encampment, camp Noun H4264 מַחֲנֹֽות׃ ma·cha·no·vt.

People

Jacob

Jacob, the son of Isaac, and twin to Esau. Jacob [N] [B] [H] [S] one who follows on another's heels; supplanter, ( Genesis 25:26 ;  27:36 ;  Hosea 12:2-4 ), the second born of the twin sons of Isaac by Rebekah. He was born probably at Lahai-roi, when his father was fifty-nine and Abraham one hundred and fifty-nine years old. Like his father, he was of a quiet and gentle disposition, an... View Details

Parallel Verses

Removed text
Added text
New American Standard Bible 1995 Then Jacob was greatly afraid and distressed; and he divided the people who were with him, and the flocks and the herds and the camels, into two companies;
King James Bible Then Jacob was greatly afraid and distressed; distressed: and he divided the people who were that was with him, and the flocks flocks, and the herds herds, and the camels, into two companies;bands;
Hebrew Greek English Then Jacob was greatly afraid and distressed; and he divided the people who were with him, and the flocks and the herds and the camels, into two companies;