Jacob’s messengers bring no reply from Esau. The news that Esau and so many men are coming toward Jacob’s camp can only be bad news for Jacob. See 27.40.

Then Jacob was greatly afraid and distressed: distressed translates a word derived from a verb meaning to “tie up,” “bind,” “restrict.” It pictures Jacob as immobilized by fear. This is sometimes expressed in English as being “scared stiff.”

And he divided the people that were with him: in spite of his fear, Jacob is still resourceful enough to devise a plan aimed at a partial escape. (However, nothing further will be said about this division.) This clause begins with the regular Hebrew connective, which in this case indicates consequence: Jacob acts as a consequence of his fear. This connection is often shown by making the first clause a dependent clause or phrase: “In great fear and distress Jacob divided” (New International Version), “Jacob, much afraid and distressed, divided” (Revised English Bible).

And the flocks and herds and camels: the animals listed here are not exactly those given in Gen 32.5. In each herd of animals there were flocks (sheep and goats), herds of cattle, and camels. Camels is lacking in the Septuagint; furthermore the grammatical construction is odd, in that the Hebrew object marker is missing. In addition camels are not mentioned in Gen 32.5. They are, however, mentioned in 31.17, where Jacob’s wives and children mount them. Hebrew Old Testament Text Project admits that there is some doubt about camels in this verse, and rates it with a {B}. Nevertheless there is not sufficient reason to omit the word in translation.

Into two companies: companies translates the word for “camp” used in Gen 32.2. The narrator is making a rhetorical connection between the appearance of the angels (a sign of protection) and the present crisis.

Quoted with permission from Reyburn, William D. and Fry, Euan McG. A Handbook on Genesis. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 1997. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .