Jacob Wrestles with God, Who Names Him Israel

32:22-32

22 Later that same night Jacob got up and took his two wives, his two servant wives and his eleven sons across a shallow place in the Jabbok Stream. 23 After he had taken them across the stream, he went back and had his servants take all his animals and other belongings across the stream too. 24 Then Jacob was there by himself for a while, and a man came and fought with him until daybreak. 25 When the man realized that he was not able to defeat Jacob, he struck him on his hip, so that it went out of place as they fought with each other. 26 Then the man said to him, “Let go of me, because it is daybreak!” But Jacob replied, “No! I will not let go of you until you first bless me!” 27 So the man asked him, “What is your name?” He answered, “My name is Jacob.” 28 Then the man said, “Your name will no longer be Jacob, but rather it will be Israel, which means “he who wrestles with God,” because you have wrestled with God and with people, and you have won.”

29 Then Jacob asked the man to tell him his name. But he replied, “There is no need for you to ask me what my name is!” Then the man blessed Jacob there. 30 So Jacob named the place Peniel, which means “God’s face,” because he exclaimed, “I saw God’s face here, but yet he allowed me to live!”

31 The sun was shining as Jacob left Penuel and returned to his family. He was limping as he walked because of his hip injury. 32 That is why even today the people of Israel do not eat meat that comes from an animal’s hip joint, because that is the place on Jacob’s hip that God struck and injured.