KJV ORIGINAL
And as he passed over Penuel the sun rose upon him, and he halted upon his thigh.
Close to the original. Clear modern English.
✦ MADE SIMPLE
As Jacob crossed over Penuel, the sun came up, and he was limping because of his injured hip.
⚡ THE BOTTOM LINE
This verse shows Jacob walking away from his wrestling match with God at dawn, forever changed and walking with a limp as a reminder of that encounter.
📚 Historical Context
This follows Jacob's all-night wrestling match with a mysterious figure (understood to be God or an angel) at a place he named Penuel, meaning 'face of God.' During the struggle, Jacob's hip was injured, but he refused to let go until he received a blessing. This encounter marked Jacob's transformation into Israel, and occurred as he was preparing to face his brother Esau after twenty years of separation.
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