Preparing to Meet Esau

32 Jacob went on his way, and God’s angels met him.^{(A) 2} When he saw them, Jacob said, “This is God’s camp.” So he called that place Mahanaim.^[a](B)

Commander of the Lord’s Army

¹³ When Joshua was near Jericho, he looked up and saw a man standing in front of him with a drawn sword in his hand.^(A) Joshua approached him and asked, “Are you for us or for our enemies?”

¹⁴ “Neither,” he replied. “I have now come as commander of the Lord’s army.”^(B)

Then Joshua bowed with his face to the ground in homage^(C) and asked him, “What does my lord want to say to his servant?”

¹⁵ The commander of the Lord’s army said to Joshua, “Remove the sandals from your feet, for the place where you are standing is holy.”^(D) And Joshua did that.