BRAGADAYJAH 112

Having sent his peace offerings to his brother Esau, Jacob lagged behind, and that night, he took his two wives, his two women servants, and eleven sons and went over the ford, Jabbok, and with them all his possessions and servants, so that he could spend the rest of the night alone. At that point there came upon him a man who wrestled with him until the breaking of day. They wrestled long and strenuously; and when the man with whom Jacob wrestled could not subdue him, the man touched the hollow of Jacob’s thigh so that the hollow of his thigh was put out of joint. Not withstanding the condition of Jacob’s joint, he held on and continued to wrestle; and when the man said, “let me go,” Jacob refused saying, “I will not let you go until you bless me. “ So the man asked Jacob, “What is your name?” And Jacob responded and said, “Jacob” And now the man replied and said, “Thy name shall be called no more Jacob, but Israel; for as a prince has thou power with God and with men and hath prevailed.” Now it was Jacob’s turn to ask the man his name so Jacob said, “Tell me I pray thee thy name?” But the man asked, “Wherefore is it that thou ask me my name?” In other words, “Why do you want to know my name?” And he blessed Jacob at the very place. Jacob at once knew that this man with whom he wrestled was none other than the God of his fathers, the God of heaven. So he called the name of the place Pe’ni’el. That is to say, “I have seen God face to face and my life is preserved.” And as Israel journeyed on the sun rose upon him; the discomfort in his thigh reminding him that on that night, he had seen God face to face and had wrestled with him. Thus throughout the rest of this biblical journey, this reviewer shall henceforth use the name Israel when referring to Jacob. More