KJV ORIGINAL
And God said unto him, Thy name is Jacob: thy name shall not be called any more Jacob, but Israel shall be thy name: and he called his name Israel.
Close to the original. Clear modern English.
✦ MADE SIMPLE
God said to him, 'Your name is Jacob, but you will no longer be called Jacob. From now on, your name will be Israel.' And God named him Israel.
⚡ THE BOTTOM LINE
God is giving Jacob a new name—Israel—which marks a permanent change in his identity and destiny.
📚 Historical Context
This occurs at Bethel, where Jacob had previously encountered God in a dream years earlier. Jacob had already wrestled with God and received the name Israel once before, but this appears to be God's formal confirmation of that name change. The name Israel means 'he who wrestles with God' or 'God fights,' and Jacob's descendants would become the twelve tribes of Israel.
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