Jacob Wrestles with God

22 The same night he arose and took his two wives, his two female servants, and his eleven children,[a] and crossed the ford of the (A)Jabbok. 23 He took them and sent them across the stream, and everything else that he had. 24 And Jacob was left alone. And (B)a man wrestled with him until the breaking of the day. 25 When the man saw that he did not prevail against Jacob, he touched his hip socket, and Jacob's hip was put out of joint as he wrestled with him. 26 Then he said, “Let me go, for the day has broken.” But Jacob said, (C)“I will not let you go unless you bless me.” 27 And he said to him, “What is your name?” And he said, “Jacob.” 28 Then he said, (D)“Your name shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel,[b] for (E)you have striven with God and (F)with men, and have prevailed.” 29 Then Jacob asked him, “Please tell me your name.” But he said, (G)“Why is it that you ask my name?” And there he blessed him. 30 So Jacob called the name of the place Peniel,[c] saying, “For (H)I have seen God face to face, and yet my life has been delivered.” 31 The sun rose upon him as he passed (I)Penuel, limping because of his hip. 32 Therefore to this day the people of Israel do not eat the sinew of the thigh that is on the hip socket, because he touched the socket of Jacob's hip on the sinew of the thigh.

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Footnotes

  1. Genesis 32:22 Or sons
  2. Genesis 32:28 Israel means He strives with God, or God strives
  3. Genesis 32:30 Peniel means the face of God

22 Later that night, he woke up, quickly took his two wives, his[a] two women servants, and his eleven children, and forded the river at Jabbok. 23 He took them across the river, along with all his possessions.

Jacob Struggles with God

24 And so Jacob was left alone, and he struggled with a man until daybreak. 25 When the man realized that he hadn’t yet won the struggle, he injured the socket[b] of Jacob’s thigh, dislocating it as he wrestled with him, 26 and said, “Let me go, because the dawn has come.”[c]

“I won’t let you go,” Jacob[d] replied, “unless you bless me.”

27 Then the man[e] asked him, “What’s your name?”

“Jacob,” he responded

28 “Your name won’t be[f] Jacob anymore,” the man[g] replied, “but Israel, because you exerted yourself against both God and men, and you’ve emerged victorious.”

29 “Please,” Jacob inquired, “Tell me your name.”

But he asked, “Why are you asking about my name?” And he blessed Jacob[h] there.

30 Jacob would later call that place Peniel,[i] because “I saw God face to face, but my life was spared.”

31 The sun was rising above Jacob[j] as he crossed over from Peniel, limping due to his wounded thigh. 32 Therefore, to this day the Israelis do not eat the hip tendon that connects to the thigh socket, because he had injured the socket of the thigh where the tendon connected to Jacob’s hip.

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Footnotes

  1. Genesis 32:22 The Heb. lacks his
  2. Genesis 32:25 Or hollow and so throughout the chapter
  3. Genesis 32:26 Lit. has ascended.
  4. Genesis 32:26 Lit. he
  5. Genesis 32:27 Lit. Then he
  6. Genesis 32:28 Lit. be called
  7. Genesis 32:28 Lit. anymore,” he
  8. Genesis 32:29 Lit. him
  9. Genesis 32:30 The Heb. name means facing God
  10. Genesis 32:31 Lit. him