Warrior Tribe
He said, “Your name shall no longer be Jacob, but Israel; for you have striven with God and with men and have prevailed.” Genesis 32:28 NASB
Israel – Why is Jacob called Israel? The man (angel?) in the story tells us. Israel is somehow a name that means “striving with God.” Payne’s comment is instructive (but pay very close attention to what he writes):
The name yiśrāʾēl was bestowed upon Jacob by the Angel of Yahweh (q.v.) himself, after he had wrestled with him all night (Gen 32:24 [H 25]). Jacob’s struggle was spiritual, in prayer (Hos 12:4 [H 5]), as well as physical. And in it the patriarch “prevailed.” Not that Jacob defeated God, but that he finally attained God’s covenantal requirement of yielded submission (dramatically signalized by his injured thigh, Gen 32:25 [26]). And he persisted in refusing to let the Angel go until he had blessed him (v. 26 [H 27]). The Lord then declared, “Your name shall no longer be Jacob, yaʿăqōb “supplanter” (q.v.), but yiśrāʾēl “Israel”; for you have striven, śārîtā (KJV, for as a prince hast thou power, as if from the root śar “prince”) with God and with men and have prevailed” (v. 28, NASB).[1]
A few comments are necessary. The idea that Jacob’s struggle was spiritual and in prayer is an interpretation of the prophet Hosea. It is possible, of course, but the actual account doesn’t say this. Payne’s remark that Jacob “attained God’s covenantal requirement” is also an interpretation of the text. The story says nothing about this. In fact, the story is much more terse than the usual expansions of later theology. Payne declares that the pronouns refer to “Lord” (“the Lord declared”), but the text doesn’t even say this. It is Jacob, not YHVH, who states that the encounter was with elohim. The narrator says only that Jacob wrestled with a man (‘ish). Furthermore, the statement of the contender (“Let me go for the dawn is breaking” makes almost no sense if the combatant is YHVH. Whatever is happening in this story, there is no doubt at all that it has become fodder for endless amplifications and midrashim.
There is also no doubt that the name Israel is related to struggle! That’s what the “man” says. That’s what the story clearly reveals. The only question is whether or not this struggle is also true of all who bear the ancestry and adoption of Ya’akob. When anyone is the offspring of Ya’akob, is he or she then destined for struggle?
Weiss adds an illuminating comment. “The language of the service itself [that is, the Jewish synagogue practice] underscores the inherent assertiveness of Jewish prayer. In the petitional passage of the Amida, we ask for discernment (haskel), understanding (bina), and knowledge (de’ah)—ambitious requests by any standard. We ask that we be repeatedly forgiven (hamarbeh lisloah)—not just marginally excused. We ask that the arrogant among us be uprooted (te’aker), crushed (teshaber), cast down (temager), and humbled (takhniya)—not just defeated. We ask that Jerusalem be established for eternity (binyan olam)—not just built.”[2] In other words, we declare, proclaim and insist that God do what He says He will do! We hold Him accountable. We press Him to keep His word.
This is not the kind of prayer I grew up with, but it is a needed correction to my feeble and enervated ritual. Perhaps you need the same reinvigoration; prayer with teeth. Yes, that’s what’s required.
If you happen to encounter a man in the middle of the night who seems intent of wrestling you to the ground, fight! And maybe you will also find a blessing—after you have been wounded for life.
Topical Index: prayer, Jacob, Israel, Genesis 32:28
[1] Payne, J. B. (1999). 2287 שָׂרָה. In R. L. Harris, G. L. Archer, Jr. & B. K. Waltke (Eds.), Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament (electronic ed.) (883). Chicago: Moody Press.
[2] Avraham Weiss, Holistic Prayer, p. 55.
Thanks Skip. I needed this! Rabbi Gorelik said something similiar in our Torah study this past Shabbat. I love it when God keeps confirming what He is saying to me. Thank you for your diligence and faithfulness in what God has called you to do. We need it!
Wow! Another on-time word, Skip! Thank you! I needed this.
Now, Now, the Prayer at Gethsemene makes perfect sense. Do it and do it now, Father.
Thank you Skip.
The struggle to understand. Marriages and families know this one. How often do we avoid the illuminating clash? How often do we just ‘get along’ instead of insisting that the relationship answer to the disfunction? How often do we settle for less than love, so that we can avoid the underlying issues that keep us distant?
It takes courage to call a relationship to the line and insist that it answer for the distance, and for the disfunction. It takes courage, for most always, with humans, disfunction has two sides, and both sides are going to have to consider changing. But, like my brother says, nobody likes change except a baby with a wet diaper. I think we would rather pretend that ours aren’t that wet!
Love risks it all, all the time. It is so scary to call a relationship to the line and hold it there, knowing that if it gets pressed hard enough, the relationship itself may be lost; the marriage may disintegrate along those fault lines or the child may leave home. But there is one nice benefit to a marriage, say, that keeps calling itself to the line and insisting on that understanding, and it is that in that way you also retain, in like manner, the elements that were there at the beginning of the relationship: the wonder, the risk, the suspense, but also the careful attention to every nuance of possible pleasure for the beloved by which you hoped they would want to stay – which, by the way, were likewise the biggest parts that drove the initial romance.
If you go look at the plan of salvation, the very fact that we can walk away from it is also the part that creates the possibility of the intimacy salvation is designed to give us. True love takes that risk to obtain that intimacy. So should we.
Amein, Laurita! That’s precisely well expressed!! And timely too, ‘cos I am challenging a young couple on these issues. The guy has difficulty facing the questions I asked him concerning his relationship, and aggressively defending himself. The wife on the other hand is so afraid to be confronted with them, indecisive if the relationship is really there.
The timing of this line of teaching lately is perfect for me! I have been struggling terribly lately and have not known how to respond to the struggle. I have lost my understanding of how to meet God in these times. This is encouraging to me at a time when I am in the depths of an unseen but very real battle with one who threatens to destroy me in every area of my life. It’s empowering to know I can struggle back and maybe even receive a blessing in the end. A glimmer of hope where hope was fleeting. Thank you!
This reminds me of Ephesians 6:10-20. There is much speculation on exactly who Jacob wrested with. Like him, we too wrestle with men. Often these men aren’t like the angel of YHVH. Men (and children!) that we struggle with can be driven by by principalities, powers, rulers of the darkness of this age, and spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. I like what you are saying about our prayers for they go along with the rest of the spiritual armor. We have to use all of it. We can’t just be beaten and left to die, or be ashamed at what has come our way. We need to pray for and expect discernment, wisdom, understanding, and knowledge to deal with the battles we face. We need to pray “in the Spirit”–however you want to define it. This is how we can be left standing–how to persevere…now that I’ve said this, I desperately have to go and do it. I feel like I’m constantly in a multi-faceted battle. I intend to be the one standing when it’s over. I don’t want to be crippled either. I need to be chayil. Perhaps this is YHVH’s goal for me. As you’ve pointed out, Jacob got a name change; perhaps as a result of all of our struggles, we will get an awesome name change too.
More puzzling is the fact the change was not irrevocable. Once Abram became Abraham, his former name was never again used. ” Is Jacobs or Israel’s spiritual potential already fully realized, here and the time was ripe to convert all of humanity.
But even though Jacob’s name was changed to Israel, he still retained his former name. Why is this ? Is this idea for G-d or the change in the person towards G-d and his creation like Jonah..
Did a name change mean this for those in The Gospels? Is it similar to name changes for a Bar/Bat Mitzvah committing his life to all of torah, to become, learn, chant, pray, teach torah, seek , learn kindness, honor, love all creation according to G-d’s. seek to try to love and do his mitzvoth’s with a heart open to service to G_D and the community . As we pray after this it is their new name Hebrew. on this path we wrestle, seek, live , prayer and ask questions, fall down , do we do as those in future chapters coming, as gentile and Jew can or will we accept is that the question or the answer.. start at Sinai, and allow the work to start, as he God will make them a “kingdom of priests and a holy nation” (Exodus 19:6). Upon hearing these words, the people respond, “All that God has said, we will do” (19:8).
Adonai help me to become and to live in your strength , be my safe place and always may I seek your refuge, new hope to cling to each moment , may my eye fix to you where my help comes from with new vision to change learn and live in to my new name.. Amen
“Let me go for the dawn is breaking”, interesting! Is there a time frame for angelic beings? For, in a midrash, it is said it was time for the angels to praise YHWH.
“We ask that we be repeatedly forgiven (hamarbeh lisloah)—not just marginally excused.” Nor presumably forgiven.
Better to be wounded, to know for sure we have won! And gotten a name/nature changed.
So, fight in spite of being wounded, rather than die losing.
Shalom! Thank you, Skip.