We often do everything in our power to avoid being completely alone. In the verses preceding this passage, Jacob is terrified. He is about to face his brother Esau, the man he cheated out of a birthright and a blessing years ago. In an act of self-preservation and deep anxiety, Jacob sends his family, his servants, and all his possessions across the Jabbok River ahead of him. Once the noise of the caravan fades, the reality of his situation sets in. Jacob is utterly, inescapably alone in the dark.