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He did not. Rather, he wrestled with the angel that was sent by God. It happened at the banks of the Yabok stream (Genesis 32).
God sent a mysterious messenger to wrestle with Jacob one night (Genesis 32:25). Tradition states that it was an angel in human form; the guardian angel of Esau (Rashi commentary, quoting the Midrash). The angel's task was to attempt to spiritually blind Jacob (K'li Yakar commentary, ibid), but Jacob prevailed (Genesis 32:26-29), and because of that, he was renamed Israel. At first the angel conferred the new name (Genesis 32:29), and later, God also did (Genesis 35:9-12).

Note that the word Elohim, in the text, often refers to things other than God, such as judges (Exodus 21).

  • Another answer:
Isaac's son, Jacob was left alone and wrestled with an opponent all night until the break of day, when the man said he must leave (Genesis 32:24ff). Even though his leg was dislocated, Jacob refused to let his opponent go unless he blessed Jacob.
That the 'man' was a god is amply demonstrated - Jacob asked for his blessing, he had the prerogative of changing Jacob's name, Jacob's new name was Israel (generally assumed to mean 'wrestled with God') and Jacob called the place Peniel ('the face of God') because he had seen God face to face. If the man who wrestled with Jacob was a god, then Jacob was also a god in a much earlier tradition behind this passage, as demonstrated by the fact that he was such an even match for his opponent. And if the opponent was a god, he was also a sun god - daybreak signalled the end of the contest, he had to leave Jacob before the sun could rise, then the sun rose upon Jacob. This is consistent with the ancient daily struggle in which the sun god defeats the moon god at dawn.

The name of the place Jacob wrestled with God is right there in the text. It is Peniel.
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What angel wrestled Jacob?

Although modern English translations often use the word 'angel', Jacob did not wrestle with an angel, but with a god - el. So the question could be about what god wrestled with Jacob.In an ancient tradition inserted into the life story of Jacob at Genesis 32:24ff, he was left alone and wrestled with a man all night until the break of day. Even though his leg was dislocated, Jacob refused to let his opponent go unless he blessed Jacob. That the 'man' was a god is amply demonstrated - Jacob asked for his blessing, and he had the prerogative of changing Jacob's name. The new name he gave Jacob was Israel (generally assumed to mean "wrestled with God'). If the man who wrestled with Jacob was a god, then Jacob was also a god in the very early tradition behind this account, as demonstrated by the fact that he was such an even match for his opponent. And if the opponent was a god, he was also a sun god - daybreak signalled the end of the contest, he had to leave Jacob before the sun could rise, then the sun rose upon Jacob. There is evidence elsewhere in the Bible that suggests Jacob was worshipped as the moon god in very early times before his story evolved into that of a mortal hero. Jacob called the place Peniel ('the face of God') because he had seen God face to face.When we accept that this was once the story of a contest between two gods, or even if we imagine that the patriarch Jacob could wrestle a god for the entire night, then we have few choices but to see that the god who wrestled Jacob was, in pre-biblical times, the sun god.


What had Jacob been doing all night just before God changed his name to Israel?

A:In Genesis chapter 32, Jacob wrestled all night with a stranger, until it was time for the sun to come up and it was time for the stranger to leave. Jacob refused to let the stranger leave unless he blessed Jacob. The stranger, who was clearly a god, told Jacob that henceforth his name would no longer be Jacob, but instead be Israel, for he had wrestled with God. And if the opponent was a god, he was also a sun god - daybreak signalled the end of the contest, he had to leave Jacob before the sun could rise, then the sun rose upon Jacob. And Jacob, now Israel, named the place Peniel because he had seen God face to face. A little later, after meeting his brother Esau, whom he had feared, Jacob went to Shalem, where he bought land and built an altar, calling the place El-elohe-Israel.There is substantial evidence in the Bible itself that Jacob was originally a moon god before the story evolved into one of a human Patriarch, so when he wrestled all night with the god who blessed him and changed his name to Israel, this could have originated as the daily struggle in which the sun god defeats the moon god at dawn, after the moon god had prevailed all night. And not only was Jacob likely to have once been a moon god, but his twin brother and constant rival (even before birth), Esau, was likely to have been the sun god in the earliest version of their story. If so, the 'man' who wrestled with Jacob was another incarnation of his own brother, Esau.The name Israel (Yisra'el) is commonly translated as "Wrestled with God", but it can also mean "Champion (or Prince) of God", "Striver with (or against) God", "Ruler (or Prince) over God", "God Prevails", "God Rules", "God will Rule", or possibly "God Who will Rule".Later, Jacob went to Bethel, where he had previously fled from his brother Esau. In an apparently independent account Genesis 35:10-12), because God did not seem to know that Jacob had already been renamed Israel, God appeared to Jacob and told him that his name would no longer be Jacob, but instead be Israel, and that he would father a great nation in fulfilment of the covenant with Abraham and Isaac.


When in the Bible did God change Jacob's name to Israel?

God didn't change Joseph's name. He changed his father, Jacob's name to Israel. It was symbolic of when Jacob wrestled with God. God called him Israel which means "wrestles with God" and declared that God's new nation, his chose people, would be given that name. God didn't change Joseph's name. He changed his father, Jacob's name to Israel. It was symbolic of when Jacob wrestled with God. God called him Israel which means "wrestles with God" and declared that God's new nation, his chosen people, would be given that name. You are wrong Israel has nothing to da with wrestling Gen 32:28 says Israel means "prince that has power with God and men" God did not change Joseph's name to Israel but Jacob's name. According to the KJV of the Bible, in Gen 32:24 Jacob wrestled with a man (angel) that he prevailed not against. In Gen 32:24 Jacob refuses to let the man go unless he (Jacob) is blessed. In Gen 32:27 Jacob is asked what his name is. In Gen 32:28 the man who Jacob wrestled with tells him that his name is changed to Israel (Prince with God): for as a prince hast thou power with God and with men, and hast prevailed (for you have struggled with God).


What names was given to the descendats of Jacob means one who struggles with God?

The name given to the descendants of Jacob, who struggled with God, was Israel. This name was bestowed upon Jacob after he wrestled with an angel all night and refused to let go until he received a blessing.


Why did Jacob and Esau struggle in the womb?

A:The twins, Esau and Jacob, fought in Rebekah's womb. Then, at the moment of birth, Jacob, the second born, held onto Esau's heel as if to hold him back, requiring a physical ability far beyond that of mortal babies. As a supposed historical account it is an implausible story without witnesses, presaging their rivalry in later life. Undoubtedly, the story of Jacob and Esau that we now have in the Bible was intended to be the story of two men, but this is more typical of the birth legend of pagan gods than a true story of ordinary mortals. As we see the story now, the two unborn babies fought in the womb out of sibling rivalry, and Jacob sought to hold Esau back because he somehow already knew that the firstborn would inherit the birthright.This is more than just improbable, but there is evidence that this story evolved from a very different story right back in the very beginnings of Israel. We now have compelling evidence that the Israelites were at all times polytheistic until the destruction of the kingdom in 722 BCE. Their gods included the moon god and the sun god, in many ways rivals just as the sun and the moon seemed to be rivals. It is very plausible that, in early tradition, Jacob was the moon god and Esau was the sun god, and it was only later that the story of the brothers became stories of extraordinary humans. Another story in the Book of Genesis, inserted into the story of Jacob and Esau shortly after a dispute between the brothers, underlines the identification of Jacob with the moon god.Jacob was left alone and wrestled with a man all night until the break of day, when the man said he must leave (Genesis 32:24ff). Even though his leg was dislocated, Jacob refused to let his opponent go unless he blessed Jacob. That the 'man' was a god is amply demonstrated - Jacob asked for his blessing, he had the prerogative of changing Jacob's name, Jacob's new name was Israel (generally assumed to mean "wrestled with God') and Jacob called the place Peniel ('the face of God') because he had seen God face to face. If the man who wrestled with Jacob was a god, then Jacob was also a god in the very early tradition behind this passage, as demonstrated by the fact that he was such an even match for his opponent. And if the opponent was a god, he was also a sun god - daybreak signalled the end of the contest, he had to leave Jacob before the sun could rise, then the sun rose upon Jacob. This was the daily struggle in which the sun god defeats the moon god at dawn. This tells us that Jacob was indeed the moon god in early times; it does not mention Esau by name, but is interleaved with stories of the rivalry between Jacob and Esau. All the stories of sibling rivalry began as stories of rivalry between two gods, only later becoming stories of rivalry between two human brothers, and the story of Esau and Jacob struggling in the womb is explained easily once we recognise that these stories were originally about two gods seeking supremacy.

Related Questions

Who injured his hip when a messenger from God wrestled with him?

Answer - Jacob.


Why did God wrestle with Jacob?

God wrestled with Jacob as a test of his faith and determination. It was a way for Jacob to demonstrate his strength and perseverance in seeking God's blessing.


What angel wrestled Jacob?

Although modern English translations often use the word 'angel', Jacob did not wrestle with an angel, but with a god - el. So the question could be about what god wrestled with Jacob.In an ancient tradition inserted into the life story of Jacob at Genesis 32:24ff, he was left alone and wrestled with a man all night until the break of day. Even though his leg was dislocated, Jacob refused to let his opponent go unless he blessed Jacob. That the 'man' was a god is amply demonstrated - Jacob asked for his blessing, and he had the prerogative of changing Jacob's name. The new name he gave Jacob was Israel (generally assumed to mean "wrestled with God'). If the man who wrestled with Jacob was a god, then Jacob was also a god in the very early tradition behind this account, as demonstrated by the fact that he was such an even match for his opponent. And if the opponent was a god, he was also a sun god - daybreak signalled the end of the contest, he had to leave Jacob before the sun could rise, then the sun rose upon Jacob. There is evidence elsewhere in the Bible that suggests Jacob was worshipped as the moon god in very early times before his story evolved into that of a mortal hero. Jacob called the place Peniel ('the face of God') because he had seen God face to face.When we accept that this was once the story of a contest between two gods, or even if we imagine that the patriarch Jacob could wrestle a god for the entire night, then we have few choices but to see that the god who wrestled Jacob was, in pre-biblical times, the sun god.


Did Jacob physically wrestle with God in the Bible"?

Yes, in the Bible, Jacob is said to have wrestled with God in the book of Genesis.


In what chapter of Genesis did Jacob wrestle with an angel?

A:There is no mention in the Bible of Jacob wrestling with an angel. In Genesis chapter 32, Jacob wrestled all night with a stranger, until it was time for the sun to come up and it was time for the stranger to leave. The stranger, who was clearly a god, told Jacob that henceforth his name would no longer be Jacob, but instead be Israel, for he had wrestled with God. This ancient tradition was inserted into the story of Jacob and Esau shortly after a dispute between the brothers. Jacob was left alone and wrestled with a man all night until the break of day, when the man said he must leave (Genesis 32:24ff). Even though his leg was dislocated, Jacob refused to let his opponent go unless he blessed Jacob. That the 'man' was a god is amply demonstrated - Jacob asked for his blessing, he had the prerogative of changing Jacob's name, Jacob's new name was Israel (generally assumed to mean "wrestled with God') and Jacob called the place Peniel ('the face of God') because he had seen God face to face. If the man who wrestled with Jacob was a god, then Jacob was also a god in the very early tradition behind this passage, as demonstrated by the fact that he was such an even match for his opponent. And if the opponent was a god, he was also a sun god - daybreak signalled the end of the contest, he had to leave Jacob before the sun could rise, then the sun rose upon Jacob. This was the daily struggle in which the sun god defeats the moon god at dawn. This tells us that Jacob was indeed the moon god in early Hebrew times.


When Jacob wrestled with the angel what does this represent?

Although modern English translations often use the word 'angel', Jacob did not wrestle with an angel, but with a god - el. In an ancient tradition inserted into the life story of Jacob, he was left alone and wrestled all night until the break of day, when his opponent said he must leave (Genesis 32:24ff). Jacob received the new name 'Israel' (generally assumed to mean "wrestled with God') and he named the place Peniel ('the face of God') because he had seen God face to face. No, this was not an angel.There is evidence in the Bible itself that Jacob was originally a moon god, long before his story evolved into that of a patriarch, so this story represents the daily struggle in which the sun god defeats the moon god at dawn.


Why was Jacob renamed Israel?

Jacob was renamed Israel in the Bible because he wrestled with God and prevailed, symbolizing a new identity and relationship with God.


When did God change Jacob's name to Israel?

God changed Jacob's name to Israel after he wrestled with an angel in the book of Genesis, chapter 32.


Who wrestled all night with god and was left with a permanent limp?

It was Jacob who fought an angel (messenger) of the Lord.(He did not wrestle with God himself, only with an angel. The notion that he wrestled with God is based on a mistranslation of Genesis 32:29. The word Elohim, in some contexts such as this one, does not refer to God.)


Did Jacob truly wrestle with God in the Bible"?

Yes, in the Bible, Jacob is said to have wrestled with a divine being, often interpreted as God, in the book of Genesis.


Why was Jacob's name changed to Israel?

Jacob's name was changed to Israel because he wrestled with God and prevailed, symbolizing a transformation in his character and relationship with God.


How did Jacob encounter God?

Jacob had two important experiences of meeting god.The first occurance when he was fleeing his brother.On the road of Bethel,he had a remarkable dream of angels ascending and descending the ladder to Heaven. In this dream god repaeted the terms of the covenant made with his grandfather,Abraham. Years later Jacob desired a reconsilliation with Esau. Before the meeting took place,Jacob had a strange meeting with a mysterious person who wrestled with him all night Jacob presisted all night and earned a name Israel-meaning "one who contends with God"This meeting blessed Jacob transforming him into an honerable man.