And he said, Thy name shall be called no more Jacob, but Israel: for as a prince hast thou power with God and with men, and hast prevailed.
And he said, 'Your name will no longer be Jacob, but Israel, because like a prince you have wrestled with God and with people, and you have overcome.'
God is giving Jacob a new name, Israel, because he has struggled with both God and people and has persevered through it all.
📚 Historical Context
This verse comes after Jacob's all-night wrestling match with a mysterious figure (understood to be God or an angel) at the Jabbok River. Jacob was on his way to meet his estranged brother Esau after twenty years of separation, and this encounter transformed him both spiritually and physically. The name 'Israel' means 'he who wrestles with God' or 'God prevails,' marking Jacob's transformation from a deceiver into the father of the twelve tribes of Israel.
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