Threatened with death by the wrath of Esau, Jacob went out from his father's home a fugitive; but he carried with him the father's blessing; Isaac had renewed to him the covenant promise, and had bidden him, as its inheritor, to seek a wife of his mother's family in Mesopotamia. Yet it was with a deeply troubled heart that Jacob set out on his lonely journey. With only his staff in his hand he must travel hundreds of miles through a country inhabited by wild, roving tribes. In his remorse and timidity he sought to avoid men, lest he should be traced by his angry brother. He feared that he had lost forever the blessing that God had purposed to give him; and Satan was at hand to press temptations upon him.

Dette kapitel er bygget op over 1 Mos 28-31
Truet med døden på grund af Esaus vrede forlod Jakob sin faders hus som en flygtning, men han tog sin faders velsignelse med sig. Isak havde gentaget pagtens løfte for ham og påbudt ham, i hans egenskab af løftets arvtager, at søge sig en hustru i sin moders familie i Mesopotamien. Og dog var det med dybt bekymret hjerte, Jakob begyndte sin ensomme rejse. Med blot en stav i hånden måtte han rejse hundreder af kilometer gennem et land, der var beboet af vilde, omstrejfende stammer. I sin anger og frygt forsøgte han at undgå mennesker for ikke at blive opsporet af sin vrede broder. Han frygtede, at han for stedse havde mistet den velsignelse, som Gud havde haft til hensigt at give ham, og Satan var der straks for at friste ham.