Add parallel Print Page Options

Jacob Wrestles with God

22 During the night Jacob got up and took his two wives, his two servant wives, and his eleven sons and crossed the Jabbok River with them. 23 After taking them to the other side, he sent over all his possessions.

24 This left Jacob all alone in the camp, and a man came and wrestled with him until the dawn began to break. 25 When the man saw that he would not win the match, he touched Jacob’s hip and wrenched it out of its socket. 26 Then the man said, “Let me go, for the dawn is breaking!”

But Jacob said, “I will not let you go unless you bless me.”

27 “What is your name?” the man asked.

He replied, “Jacob.”

28 “Your name will no longer be Jacob,” the man told him. “From now on you will be called Israel,[a] because you have fought with God and with men and have won.”

29 “Please tell me your name,” Jacob said.

“Why do you want to know my name?” the man replied. Then he blessed Jacob there.

30 Jacob named the place Peniel (which means “face of God”), for he said, “I have seen God face to face, yet my life has been spared.” 31 The sun was rising as Jacob left Peniel,[b] and he was limping because of the injury to his hip. 32 (Even today the people of Israel don’t eat the tendon near the hip socket because of what happened that night when the man strained the tendon of Jacob’s hip.)

Read full chapter

Footnotes

  1. 32:28 Jacob sounds like the Hebrew words for “heel” and “deceiver.” Israel means “God fights.”
  2. 32:31 Hebrew Penuel, a variant spelling of Peniel.

22 And he arose that same night and took his two wives and his two servant-women and his eleven children and crossed the ford of the (A)Jabbok. 23 And he took them and sent them across the stream. And he sent across whatever he had.

Jacob Wrestles with God

24 Then Jacob was left alone, and a man (B)wrestled with him until the [a]breaking of dawn. 25 And he saw that he had not prevailed against him, so he touched the socket of his thigh; and so the socket of Jacob’s thigh was dislocated while he wrestled with him. 26 Then he said, “Let me go, for the dawn is [b]breaking.” But he said, “(C)I will not let you go unless you bless me.” 27 So he said to him, “What is your name?” And he said, “Jacob.” 28 (D)Then He said, “Your name shall no longer be Jacob, but [c]Israel; for you have striven with God and with men and have prevailed.” 29 Then (E)Jacob asked him and said, “Please tell me your name.” But he said, “Why is it that you ask my name?” And he blessed him there. 30 So Jacob named the place [d]Peniel, for he said, “(F)I have seen God face to face, yet my [e]life has been delivered.” 31 And the sun rose upon him just as he crossed over (G)Penuel, and he was limping on his thigh. 32 Therefore, to this day the sons of Israel do not eat the sinew of the hip which is on the socket of the thigh because he touched the socket of Jacob’s thigh in the sinew of the hip.

Read full chapter

Footnotes

  1. Genesis 32:24 Lit rising
  2. Genesis 32:26 Lit rising
  3. Genesis 32:28 Lit he who strives with God, God strives
  4. Genesis 32:30 Lit the face of God
  5. Genesis 32:30 Lit soul