a man wres tled with him till day break . 25 When the man saw that he could not over pow er him , he touched the sock et of Ja cob ’ s hip so that his hip was wrenched as he wres tled with the man .
26
Then the man said , “ Let me go , for it is daybreak .”
But Ja cob re plied , “ I will not let you go un less you bless me .”
27
The man asked him , “ What is your name ?” “ Ja cob ,” he an swered .
28
Then the man said , “ Your name will no lon ger be Ja cob , but Is ra el , a be cause you have strug gled with God and with hu mans and have over come .”
29
Ja cob said , “ Please tell me your name .” But he re plied , “ Why do you ask my name ?”
Then he blessed him there .
30
So Ja cob called the place Pe ni el , b say ing , “ It is be cause I saw God face to face , and yet my life was spared .”
31
The sun rose above him as he passed Pe ni el , c and he was limp ing be cause of his hip . 32 There fore to this day the Is ra el ites do not eat the ten don attached to the sock et of the hip , be cause the sock et of Ja cob ’ s hip was touched near the ten don .
Genesis 33:8 | 65
Jacob Meets Esau
Ja cob looked up and there was Esau , com ing
33 with his four hun dred men ; so he di vid ed the chil dren among Leah , Ra chel and the two female ser vants . 2 He put the fe male ser vants and their chil dren in front , Leah and her chil dren next , and Ra chel and Jo seph in the rear . 3 He him self went on ahead and bowed down to the ground sev en times as he ap proached his broth er .
4
But Esau ran to meet Ja cob and em braced him ; he threw his arms around his neck and kissed him . And they wept . 5 Then Esau looked up and saw the wom en and chil dren . “ Who are these with you ?” he asked .
Ja cob an swered , “ They are the chil dren God has gra cious ly giv en your ser vant .”
6
Then the fe male ser vants and their chil dren ap proached and bowed down . 7 Next , Leah and her chil dren came and bowed down . Last of all came Jo seph and Ra chel , and they too bowed down .
8
Esau asked , “ What ’ s the meaning of all these flocks and herds I met ?”
“ To find fa vor in your eyes , my lord ,” he said . a
28 Israel probably means he struggles with God . b
30 Peniel means face of God . c
31 Hebrew Penuel , a variant of Peniel with Jacob . Jacob refuses to relent until God blesses him ( v . 26 ). After God blesses him , Jacob renames the place to reflect his encounter with God ( vv . 29 – 30 ). This story explains the origin of the name Israel , as God changes Jacob ’ s name to Israel ( see v . 28 and note ).
32:22 his eleven sons Jacob ’ s daughter Dinah is not mentioned for literary reasons ( 30:21 ). Only the main characters in the narratives that follow are noted — particularly the sons of Jacob , who are the eponymous ( or name-giving ) ancestors of the 12 tribes of Israel , once Jacob ’ s name is changed ( vv . 27 – 28 ). 32:24 and a man This man is a divine being in physical , bodily form ( vv . 28,30 ; compare ch . 18 ). In Hos 12:3 – 4 , the man who visits Jacob is called an angel , but then it is said that Jacob met God at Bethel — this is because the identity of the angel of God ( or angel of Yahweh ) and Yahweh himself are sometimes blurred . See note on Ge 21:17 . wrestled The Hebrew word used here , ‘ avaq , sounds like Jacob ’ s name ( ya ’ aqob in Hebrew ). In addition to being wordplay on Jacob ’ s name , there is wordplay here with the place of the scene , the Jabbok ( yabboq in Hebrew ; v . 22 ). Compare note on 25:26 ; note on 27:36 ; note on 32:28 . 32:25 he could not overpower him Jacob is quite strong , as he was able to roll away the stone at the well when he arrived in Harran ( 29:10 ). 32:26 you bless me Jacob ’ s request for a blessing suggests that he recognizes that his combatant is neither an ordinary man nor out to destroy him . Though not specifically affirmed in the text , there are indications that the man was Yahweh embodied ( compare note on 32:24 ). 32:28 name will no longer be Jacob , but Israel Jacob ’ s name must be changed due to its association with his misdeeds ( see note on 25:26 ; note on 27:36 ). Here , the reasoning for the name Israel ( yisra ’ el , in Hebrew ) is the verbal phrase “ you have striven with ( or struggled with ) God .” This suggests the name derives from the
Hebrew verb sarah , meaning “ to struggle ,” “ to strive ” or “ to fight .” The name yisra ’ el itself could mean “ God will struggle ,” “ May God struggle ” or “ God fights ,” suggesting that the meaning given here is wordplay . See the table “ Symbolic Names of People in Hebrew ” on p . 1388 . 32:29 Why do you ask my name Jacob may make this request because he wishes to honor the one he has wrestled with ( compare Jdg 13:17 – 18 ), or because of the ancient Near Eastern belief that knowing a spiritual being ’ s name gave a person the ability to evoke the power of that being ( compare Ex 20:7 ; Lk 10:17 ). Similarly , the man asks Jacob his name before blessing him — indicating that the usage of a name was necessary for a blessing to be given . 32:30 Peniel This name in Hebrew ( penu ’ el ) means “ face of God ”— hence the explanation that follows . The place Peniel is mentioned elsewhere in the OT ( e . g ., Jdg 8:8 – 9 ). 32:32 tendon attached Jewish tradition associates this with the sciatic nerve . In refraining from eating this part of an animal , Israelites were reminded of Jacob ’ s name change and God ’ s blessing on Israel . This tradition is only noted here in the OT .
33:1 – 20 As Esau approaches , Jacob divides his children among their respective mothers and then greets his brother with respect and deference ( Ge 33:1 – 3 ). Despite Jacob ’ s concerns ( see 32:6 – 8 ), Esau welcomes Jacob affectionately ( vv . 4 – 7 ). Esau initially refuses Jacob ’ s gift , but he eventually yields to Jacob ’ s urging ( vv . 8 – 11 ). Esau then encourages Jacob to return to Edom with him , but Jacob continues to Shechem ( vv . 12 – 20 ). The chapter ends with Jacob following the pattern of Abraham and Isaac by erecting an altar to God ( see v . 20 and note ).
33:3 bowed down to the ground seven times The sevenfold prostration was used to express subordination to a superior . See the infographic “ The Amarna Letters ” on p . 337 .