‘And Jacob said, “Oh God of my father Abraham and God of my father Isaac, Oh Yahweh who said to me, ‘Return to your country and to your kindred and I will do you good,' I am not worthy of the least of all your mercies and of all the truth which you have shown to your servant, for with only my staff I passed over this Jordan and now I am become two companies. Deliver me I pray you from the hand of my brother, from the hand of Esau. For I am afraid of him lest he come and smite me, the mother with the children. And you said, “I will surely do you good and make your seed as the sand of the sea which cannot be numbered for multitude.”
Jacob speaks to Yahweh by name and as the God of his fathers Abraham and of his father Isaac. This immediately links with his experience at Bethel (Genesis 28:13). (He does not here call God ‘the Fear of Isaac' as in Genesis 31:53. That name must not be overemphasised. It was particular to Isaac and useful for communication to foreigners).
He now also aligns himself particularly closely with the covenant in relation to the family tribe and reminds God of the particular promise made to him on his leaving Paddan-aram (Genesis 31:3). As He has watched over him with regard to Laban, let Him now watch over him in the face of the new threat.
The impact on his life of his experiences now comes out in a new humility. As he considers all he has received at God's hand (with a little help from himself) he is profoundly grateful. He recognises that he is not worthy of it. He had started off personally owning nothing but a staff, and now he is exceedingly rich and wealthy.
But he expresses the fear of what Esau intends to do to him. He thinks that he intends to slay Jacob and all his family. (This will be necessary so that Esau can get back his inheritance). And he points out that this would be contrary to what God had promised about the multitude of his descendants.
This prayer is a pattern prayer. It begins with a sense of humility and unworthiness, it continues with a reminder of the promises and faithfulness of God and it seeks help on the basis of those promises. We too must ever remember that our prayers must be in accordance with the will and purposes of God. Then, and then only, can we confidently claim His faithfulness. The prayer is a sublimely personal and private prayer. There is nothing cultic about it. It is spontaneous and heartfelt.
“The least of all your mercies and of all the truth ---.” The word truth should here be rendered faithfulness. God has been merciful and faithful in what He has given Jacob.
“With only my staff --.” All he permanently possessed which was his own when he left Canaan was his staff. The servants were not his. The goods and presents were not his. Only the staff he carried was his.
“I passed over this Jordan --.” As he speaks he is looking at the river in front of him. This river is probably the one which is later called the River Jabbok (Deuteronomy 2:37; Deuteronomy 3:16; Joshua 12:2) but it is possible that as a tributary of the Jordan it was in Jacob's time known only as the Jordan. Jabbok is here the name of a particular ford over the river (Genesis 32:22), the name which later became attached to the river.
“And now I am become two companies.” Now his possessions are so large that he can divide them into two companies, each of which appears to be complete in itself.