"Then Jacob was left alone; and a Man wrestled with him

until the breaking of day. Now when He saw that He did

not prevail against him, He touched the socket of his

hip; and the socket of Jacob's hip was out of joint as

He wrestled with Him. And He said, "Let Me go, for the

day breaks." But he said, "I will not let You go unless

You bless me!" So He said to him, "What is your name?"

He said, "Jacob." And He said, "Your name shall no longer

be called Jacob, but Israel; for you have struggled with

God and with men, and have prevailed" (Gen 32:24-27).

And Jacob called the name of the place Peniel: "For I have

seen God face to face, and my life is preserved" (Gen 32:30).

Then God said to Jacob, "Arise, go up to Bethel and dwell there;

and make an altar there to God, who appeared to you when you fled

from the face of Esau your brother; And he built an altar there

and called the place El Bethel, because there God appeared to him

when he fled from the face of his brother" (Gen 35:1,7).

Matthew Henry Commentary

A great while before day, Jacob being alone, more fully spread

his fears before God in prayer. While thus employed, One in the

likeness of a man wrestled with him. When the spirit helpeth our

infirmities, and our earnest and vast desires can scarcely find

words to utter them, and we still mean more than we can express,

then prayer is indeed wrestling with God. However tried or discouraged,

we shall prevail; and prevailing with Him in prayer, we shall prevail

against all enemies that strive with us. Nothing requires more vigour

and unceasing exertion than wrestling. It is an emblem of the true

spirit of faith and prayer. Jacob kept his ground; though the

struggle continued long, this did not shake his faith, nor silence

his prayer. He will have a blessing, and had rather have all his bone

put out of joint than go away without one. Those who would have the

blessing of Christ, must resolve to take no denial. The fervent prayer

is the effectual prayer. The Angel puts a lasting mark of honour upon

him, by changing his name. Jacob signifies a supplanter. From henceforth

he shall be celebrated, not for craft and artful management, but for true

valour. Thou shalt be called Israel, a prince with God, a name greater

than those of the great men of the earth. He is a prince indeed that is

a prince with God; those are truly honourable that are mighty in prayer.

Having power with God, he shall have power with men too; he shall prevail,

and gain Esau's favour. Jacob gives a new name to the place. He calls it

Peniel, the face of God, because there he had seen the appearance of God,

and obtained the favour of God. It becomes those whom God honours, to

admire his grace towards them. The Angel who wrestled with Jacob was the

second Person in the sacred Trinity, who was afterwards God manifest in

the flesh, and who, dwelling in human nature, is called Immanuel,

(Hosea 12:4,5). Jacob halted on his thigh. It might serve to keep him

from being lifted up with the abundance of the revelations. The sun

rose on Jacob: it is sun-rise with that soul, which has had communion

with God.

Beth-el was forgotten. But as many as God loves, he will remind

of neglected duties, one way or other, by conscience or by

providences. When we have vowed a vow to God, it is best not to

defer the payment of it; yet better late than never. Jacob

commanded his household to prepare, not only for the journey

and removal, but for religious services. Masters of families

should use their authority to keep up religion in their families,

(Joshua 24:15). They must put away strange gods. In families

where there is a face of religion, and an altar to God, yet

many times there is much amiss, and more strange gods than

one would suppose. They must be clean, and change their

garments. These were but outward ceremonies, signifying the

purifying and change of the heart. What are clean clothes,

and new clothes, without a clean heart, and a new heart?

If Jacob had called for these idols sooner, they had parted

with them sooner. Sometimes attempts for reformation succeed

better than we could have thought. Jacob buried their images.

We must be wholly separated from our sins, as we are from

those that are dead and buried out of sight. He removed from

Shechem to Beth-el. Though the Canaanites were very angry

against the sons of Jacob for their barbarous usage of the

Shechemites, yet they were so kept back by Divine power, that

they could not take the opportunity now offered to avenge

them. The way of duty is the way of safety. When we are about

God's work, we are under special protection; God is with us,

while we are with him; and if He be for us, who can be against

us? God governs the world more by secret terrors on men's minds

than we are aware of.