Genesis 32:25

_AND JACOB WAS LEFT ALONE; AND THERE WRESTLED A MAN WITH HIM UNTIL THE BREAKING OF THE DAY._ There wrestled a man with him until the breaking of the day - an unknown person appeared suddenly to oppose his entrance into Canaan. Jacob engaged in the encounter with all the mental energy, and grasped his opponent with all the physical tenacity he could exert; until the stronger, unable to shake him off or to vanquish him, touched the hollow of Jacob's thigh-the socket of the fermoral joint-which was followed by an instant and total inability to continue the contest х_ TEEQA`_ (H8629), was dislocated]. This mysterious person is called an angel by Jacob himself (Genesis 48:15-16), and God (Genesis 32:28;...

25._And when he saw that he prevailed not against him_. Here is described to us the victory of Jacob, which, however, was not gained without a wound. In saying that the wrestling angel, or God, wished to retire from the contest, because he saw he should not prevail, Moses speaks after the manner of men. For we know that God, when he descends from his majesty to us, is wont to transfer the properties of human nature to himself. The Lord knew with certainty the event of the contest, before he came down to engage in it; he had even already determined what he would do: but his knowledge is here put for the experience of the thing itself. _He touched the hollow of his thigh_. Though Jacob gains the victory; yet the angel strikes him on the thigh, from which cause he was lame even to the end of his life. And although the vision was by night, yet the Lord designed this mark of it to continue th...

24-32 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 r...

Verse Genesis 32:25. _THE HOLLOW OF JACOB'S THIGH WAS OUT OF JOINT_] What this implies is difficult to find out; it is not likely that it was complete luxation of the thigh bone. It may mean no more than he received _a stroke_ on the groin, not a _touch_; for the Hebrew word _naga_ often signifies to _smite with violence_, which stroke, even if comparatively slight, would effectually disable him for a time, and cause him to halt for many hours, if not for several days. I might add that in this place-the groin, a blow might be of fatal consequence; but as the angel gave it only as a proof of his power, and to show that he _could not_ prevail because he _would not_, hence the blow was only _disabling_, without being _dangerous_; and he was probably cured by the time the sun arose....

- Jacob Wrestles in Prayer 3. מחנים _machănāyı̂m_, Machanaim, “two camps.” 22. יבק _yaboq_, Jabboq; related: בקק _bāqaq_ “gush or gurgle out” or אבק _'ābaq_ in niphal, “wrestle.” Now Wady Zurka. 29. ישׂראל _yı̂śrā'ēl_, Jisrael, “prince of God.” 31. פניאל _p__e__nı̂y'ēl_ = פנוּאל _penû'ēl_, Peniel, Penuel, “face of God.” After twenty years spent in Aram, Jacob now returns to Kenann. As his departure was marked by a great moment in his spi

EXPOSITION GENESIS 32:24 AND JACOB WAS LEFT ALONE (probably on the north bank of the Jabbok; but _vide_ on Genesis 32:23); AND THERE WRESTLED—thus assaulting in his strong point one who had been a wrestler or heel-catcher from his youth (Murphy). The old word נֶאֱבַק, niph. of אָבַק, unused, a dehorn, from חָבַק, dust, because in wrestling the dust is raised (Aben Ezra, Gesenius), or a weakened form of חָבַק, to wind round, to embrace (Furst), obviously contains an allusion to the Jabbok (_vide_ on Genesis 32:22)—A MAN—called an angel by Hosea ...

AND WHEN HE SAW THAT HE PREVAILED NOT AGAINST HIM,.... That he, the man, or the Son of God in the form of man, prevailed not against Jacob, by casting him to the ground, or causing him to desist and leave off wrestling with him; not because he could not, but because he would not, being willing to encourage the faith of Jacob against future trials and exercises, and especially under his present one: besides, such were the promises that this divine Person knew were made to Jacob, and so strong was Jacob's faith at this time in pleading those promises in prayer to God, that he could not do otherwise, consistent with the purposes and promises of God, than suffer himself to be prevailed over by him: HE TOUCHED THE HOLLOW OF HIS THIGH; the hollow part of the thigh or the groin, or the hollow place in which the thigh bone moves, and is said to have the form of the hollow of a man's hand recurv...

Genesis 32:1. _And Jacob went on his way, and the angels of God met him._ When he left the promised land, he had a vision of angels, ascending and descending upon the ladder, as if to bid him farewell. Now that he is going back, the angels are there again to speed him on his way home to the land of the covenant, the land which the Lord had promised to give to Abraham and his seed. Genesis 32:2. _And when Jacob saw them, he said, This is God's host: and he called the name of that place Mahanaim._ The marginal reading is «Two hosts, or, camps.» The angels of the Lord were encamping round about the man who feared him, though shore had been much in his character and conduct which the Lord could not approve....

CHAPTER 32 JACOB'S FEAR OF ESAU AND PRAYER AT PENIEL _ 1. The vision at Mahanaim (Genesis 32:1)_ 2. The message to Esau (Genesis 32:3) 3. Esau's coming and Jacob's fear (Genesis 32:6) 4. Jacob's prayer (Genesis 32:9) 5. Preparing to meet Esau (Genesis 32:13) 6. Jacob's prayer at Peniel (Genesis 32:24) What a welcome it was when he came near to his land, that the angels of God met him. They were like divine amb

THE WRESTLING OF JACOB. The narrative, for which Hosea 12:3 should be compared. is distributed between J and E by recent critics. Gunkel attributes Genesis 32:23_ a_, Genesis 32:25_ a_, Genesis 32:26; Genesis 32:31_ a_ to E; Genesis 32:22; Genesis 32:24; Genesis 32:25_ b_