Genesis 32:2

32:2 When Jacob saw them, he exclaimed, ¹  “This is the camp of God!” So he named that place Mahanaim. ² 

Joshua 5:14

5:14 He answered, ³  “Truly I am the commander of the Lord’s army. ⁴  Now I have arrived!” ⁵  Joshua bowed down with his face to the ground ⁶  and asked, “What does my master want to say to his servant?”

Psalms 148:2

148:2 Praise him, all his angels! ⁷ 

Praise him, all his heavenly assembly! ⁸ 

¹ tn Heb “and Jacob said when he saw them.”

² sn The name Mahanaim apparently means “two camps.” Perhaps the two camps were those of God and of Jacob.

³ tc Heb “He said, “Neither.” An alternative reading is לוֹ (lo, “[He said] to him”; cf. NEB). This reading is supported by many Hebrew mss, as well as the LXX and Syriac versions. The traditional reading of the MT (לֹא, lo’, “no, neither”) is probably the product of aural confusion (the two variant readings sound the same in Hebrew). Although followed by a number of modern translations (cf. NIV, NRSV), this reading is problematic, for the commander of the Lord’s army would hardly have declared himself neutral.

⁴ sn The Lord’s heavenly army, like an earthly army, has a commander who leads the troops. For the phrase שַׂר־צְבָא (sar-tsÿva’, “army commander”) in the human sphere, see among many other references Gen 21:22, 32; 26:26; Judg 4:2, 7; 1 Sam 12:9.

⁵ sn The commander’s appearance seems to be for Joshua’s encouragement. Joshua could now lead Israel into battle knowing that the Lord’s invisible army would ensure victory.

⁶ tn Heb “Joshua fell on his face to the ground and bowed down.”

⁷ tn Or “heavenly messengers.”

⁸ tn Heb “all his host.”