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King James Version
And when he saw that he prevailed not against him, he touched the hollow of his thigh; and the hollow of Jacob's thigh was out of joint, as he wrestled with him.
Complete Jewish Bible
When he saw that he did not defeat Ya'akov, he struck Ya'akov's hip socket, so that his hip was dislocated while wrestling with him.
Berean Standard Bible
When the man saw that he could not overpower Jacob, he struck the socket of Jacob’s hip and dislocated it as they wrestled.
American Standard Version
And when he saw that he prevailed not against him, he touched the hollow of his thigh; and the hollow of Jacob’s thigh was strained, as he wrestled with him.
World English Bible Messianic
When he saw that he didn’t prevail against him, he touched the hollow of his thigh, and the hollow of Jacob’s thigh was strained, as he wrestled.
Geneva Bible (1599)
And he sawe that he could not preuaile against him: therefore he touched the holowe of his thigh, and the holowe of Iaakobs thigh was loosed, as he wrestled with him.
Young's Literal Translation
and he seeth that he is not able for him, and he cometh against the hollow of his thigh, and the hollow of Jacob's thigh is disjointed in his wrestling with him;
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Commentary on Genesis 32 verses 24–32
24 ¶ And Jacob was left alone; and there wrestled a man with him until the breaking of the day.
25 And when he saw that he prevailed not against him, he touched the hollow of his thigh; and the hollow of Jacob's thigh was out of joint, as he wrestled with him.
26 And he said, Let me go, for the day breaketh. And he said, I will not let thee go, except thou bless me.
27 And he said unto him, What is thy name? And he said, Jacob.
28 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.
29 And Jacob asked him, and said, Tell me, I pray thee, thy name. And he said, Wherefore is it that thou dost ask after my name? And he blessed him there.
30 And Jacob called the name of the place Peniel: for I have seen God face to face, and my life is preserved.
31 And as he passed over Penuel the sun rose upon him, and he halted upon his thigh.
32 Therefore the children of Israel eat not of the sinew which shrank, which is upon the hollow of the thigh, unto this day: because he touched the hollow of Jacob's thigh in the sinew that shrank.
We have here the remarkable story of Jacob's wrestling with the angel and prevailing, which is referred to, Hos 12:4. Very early in the morning, a great while before day, Jacob had helped his wives and his children over the river, and he desired to be private, and was left alone, that he might again more fully spread his cares and fears before God in prayer. Note, We ought to continue instant in prayer, always to pray and not to faint: frequency and importunity in prayer prepare us for mercy. While Jacob was earnest in prayer, stirring up himself to take hold on God, an angel takes hold on him. Some think this was a created angel, the angel of his presence (Isa 63:9), one of those that always behold the face of our Father and attend on the shechinah, or the divine Majesty, which probably Jacob had also in view. Others think it was Michael our prince, the eternal Word, the angel of the covenant, who is indeed the Lord of the angels, who often appeared in a human shape before he assumed the human nature for a perpetuity; whichsoever it was, we are sure God's name was in him, Exo 23:21. Observe,
I. How Jacob and this angel engaged, Gen 32:24. It was a single combat, hand to hand; they had neither of them any seconds. Jacob was now full of care and fear about the interview he expected, next day, with his brother, and, to aggravate the trial, God himself seemed to come forth against him as an enemy, to oppose his entrance into the land of promise, and to dispute the pass with him, not suffering him to follow his wives and children whom he had sent before. Note, Strong believers must expect divers temptations, and strong ones. We are told by the prophet (Hos 12:4) how Jacob wrestled: he wept, and made supplication; prayers and tears were his weapons. It was not only a corporal, but a spiritual, wrestling, by the vigorous actings of faith and holy desire; and thus all the spiritual seed of Jacob, that pray in praying, still wrestle with God.
II. What was the success of the engagement. 1. Jacob kept his ground; though the struggle continued long, the angel, prevailed not against him (Gen 32:25), that is, this discouragement did not shake his faith, nor silence his prayer. It was not in his own strength that he wrestled, nor by his own strength that he prevailed, but in and by strength derived from Heaven. That of Job illustrates this (Job 23:6), Will he plead against me with his great power? No (had the angel done so, Jacob had been crushed), but he will put strength in me; and by that strength Jacob had power over the angel, Hos 12:4. Note, We cannot prevail with God but in his own strength. It is his Spirit that intercedes in us, and helps our infirmities, Rom 8:26. 2. The angel put out Jacob's thigh, to show him what he could do, and that it was God he was wrestling with, for no man could disjoint his thigh with a touch. Some think that Jacob felt little or no pain from this hurt; it is probable that he did not, for he did not so much as halt till the struggle was over (Gen 32:31), and, if so, this was an evidence of a divine touch indeed, which wounded and healed at the same time. Jacob prevailed, and yet had his thigh put out. Note, Wrestling believers may obtain glorious victories, and yet come off with broken bones; for when they are weak then are they strong, weak in themselves, but strong in Christ, Co2 12:10. Our honours and comforts in this world have their alloys. 3. The angel, by an admirable condescension, mildly requests Jacob to let him go (Gen 32:26), as God said to Moses (Exo 32:10), Let me alone. Could not a mighty angel get clear of Jacob's grapples? He could; but thus he would put an honour on Jacob's faith and prayer, and further try his constancy. The king is held in the galleries (Sol 7:5); I held him (says the spouse) and would not let him go, Sol 3:4. The reason the angel gives why he would be gone is because the day breaks, and therefore he would not any longer detain Jacob, who had business to do, a journey to go, a family to look after, which, especially in this critical juncture, called for his attendance. Note, Every thing is beautiful in its season; even the business of religion, and the comforts of communion with God, must sometimes give way to the necessary affairs of this life: God will have mercy, and not sacrifice. 4. Jacob persists in his holy importunity: I will not let thee go, except thou bless me; whatever becomes of his family and journey, he resolves to make the best he can of this opportunity, and not to lose the advantage of his victory: he does not mean to wrestle all night for nothing, but humbly resolves he will have a blessing, and rather shall all his bones be put out of joint than he will go away without one. The credit of a conquest will do him no good without the comfort of a blessing. In begging this blessing he owns his inferiority, though he seemed to have the upper hand in the struggle; for the less is blessed of the better. Note, Those that would have the blessing of Christ must be in good earnest, and be importunate for it, as those that resolve to have no denial. It is the fervent prayer that is the effectual prayer. 5. The angel puts a perpetual mark of honour upon him, by changing his name (Gen 32:27, Gen 32:28): "Thou art a brave combatant" (says the angel), "a man of heroic resolution; what is thy name?" "Jacob," says he, a supplanter; so Jacob signifies: "Well," says the angel, "be thou never so called any more; henceforth thou shalt be celebrated, not for craft and artful management, but for true valour; thou shalt be called Israel, a prince with God, a name greater than those of the great men of the earth." He is a prince indeed that is a prince with God, and those are truly honourable that are mighty in prayer, Israels, Israelites indeed. Jacob is here knighted in the field, as it were, and has a title of honour given him by him that is the fountain of honour, which will remain, to his praise, to the end of time. Yet this was not all; having power with God, he shall have power with men too. Having prevailed for a blessing from heaven, he shall, no doubt, prevail for Esau's favour. Note, Whatever enemies we have, if we can but make God our friend, we are well off; those that by faith have power on earth as they have occasion for. 6. He dismisses him with a blessing, Gen 32:29. Jacob desired to know the angel's name, that he might, according to his capacity, do him honour, Jdg 13:17. But that request was denied, that he might not be too proud of his conquest, nor think he had the angel at such an advantage as to oblige him to what he pleased. No, "Wherefore dost thou ask after my name? What good will it do thee to know that?" The discovery of that was reserved for his death-bed, upon which he was taught to call him Shiloh. But, instead of telling him his name, he gave him his blessing, which was the thing he wrestled for: He blessed him there, repeated and ratified the blessing formerly given him. Note, Spiritual blessings, which secure our felicity, are better and much more desirable than fine notions which satisfy our curiosity. An interest in the angel's blessing is better than an acquaintance with his name. The tree of life is better than the tree of knowledge. Thus Jacob carried his point; a blessing he wrestled for, and a blessing he had; nor did ever any of his praying seed seek in vain. See how wonderfully God condescends to countenance and crown importunate prayer: those that resolve, though God slay them, yet to trust in him, will, at length, be more than conquerors. 7. Jacob gives a new name to the place; he calls it Peniel, the face of God (Gen 32:30), because there he had seen the appearance of God, and obtained the favour of God. Observe, The name he gives to the place preserves and perpetuates, not the honour of his valour or victory, but only the honour of God's free grace. He does not say, "In this place I wrestled with God, and prevailed;" but, "In this place I saw God face to face, and my life was preserved;" not, "It was my praise that I came off a conqueror, but it was God's mercy that I escaped with my life." Note, It becomes those whom God honours to take shame to themselves, and to admire the condescensions of his grace to them. Thus David did, after God had sent him a gracious message (Sa2 7:18), Who am I, O Lord God? 8. The memorandum Jacob carried of this in his bones: He halted on his thigh (Gen 32:31); some think he continued to do so to his dying-day; and, if he did, he had no reason to complain, for the honour and comfort he obtained by this struggle were abundantly sufficient to countervail the damage, though he went limping to his grave. He had no reason to look upon it as his reproach thus to bear in his body the marks of the Lord Jesus (Gal 6:17); yet it might serve, like Paul's thorn in the flesh, to keep him from being lifted up with the abundance of the revelations. Notice is taken of the sun's rising upon him when he passed over Penuel; for it is sunrise with that soul that has communion with God. The inspired penman mentions a traditional custom which the seed of Jacob had, in remembrance of this, never to eat of that sinew, or muscle, in any beast, by which the hip-bone is fixed in its cup: thus they preserved the memorial of this story, and gave occasion to their children to enquire concerning it; they also did honour to the memory of Jacob. And this use we may still make of it, to acknowledge the mercy of God, and our obligations to Jesus Christ, that we may now keep up our communion with God, in faith, hope, and love, without peril either of life or limb.
Matthew Henry (1662–1714) — Commentary on the Whole Bible. This section covers verses 24–32. Public domain.
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Augustine of HippoAD 430
SERMON 229f.2
Believing Jews and unbelieving Jews. Where were they first condemned? In the first of them, in the father of all of them, Jacob himself, who was also called Israel. Jacob means “supplanter” or “heel”; Israel means “seeing God.” When Jacob returned from Mesopotamia with his children, an angel wrestled with him, representing Christ; and while he wrestled, though the angel surpassed Jacob in strength, he still seemed to succumb to him, and Jacob to prevail. In the same sort of way the Lord Christ too succumbed to the Jews; they prevailed when they killed him. He was overcome by superior strength; precisely when he was overcome, he overcame for us. What’s that—when he was overcome, he overcame for us? Yes, because when he suffered, he shed the blood with which he redeemed us.So then, that is what is written: Jacob prevailed over him. And yet Jacob himself, who was wrestling, acknowledged the mystery involved. A man, wrestling with an angel, prevailed over him; and when he said, “Let me go,” the one who had prevailed said, “I am not letting you go, unless you bless me.” O grand and splendid mystery! Overcome, he blesses, just as having suffered, he sets free; that is when the blessing was completed. “What are you called?” he said to him. He replied, “Jacob.” “You shall not be called Jacob,” he said, “but you shall be called Israel.” The imposition of such a great name is a great blessing. “Israel,” as I said, means “seeing God”; one man’s name, everyone’s reward. Everyone’s, provided they believe and are blessed, Jews and Greeks. Greeks, you see, are what the apostle calls all nationalities, the reason being that the Greek language has such prestige among the nations. “Glory,” he says, “and honor”—they are the apostle’s words—“glory and honor and peace to everyone doing good, to Jew first and Greek; wrath and indignation, trouble and distress on every soul doing evil, to Jews first and Greeks.” Good for good Jews, bad for bad ones; good for good Gentiles, bad for bad ones.
Augustine of HippoAD 430
SERMON 5.8
Jacob’s withered thigh stands for bad Christians, so that we find in him blessing and limping. He is blessed with respect to those who live good lives; he limps with respect to those who live bad lives. But each kind is still included in one man. They will be separated and set apart later. This is what the church is longing for in that psalm: “Judge me, O God, and distinguish my case from an unholy people.” Yes, of course, because the Gospel says, “If your foot is a scandal to you, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God having one foot, than with two feet to go to the everlasting fire.” So these bad people have to be cut off in the end. For the time being the church is lame. It puts one foot down firmly; the other one, being crippled, it drags. Look at the pagans, brothers. Sometimes they find good Christians serving God, and they admire them and are attracted and believe. Sometimes they notice those who are living bad lives, and they say, “Look at these Christians!” But those who live evil lives belong to the hollow of Jacob’s thigh that was touched, and they have withered. Yet the touch of the Lord is the hand of the Lord, chastising and giving life.
Augustine of HippoAD 430
SERMON 5.6
So what does it mean, Jacob’s wrestling and refusing to let go? The Lord says in the Gospel, “The kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and those who act violently plunder it.” This is what we were saying earlier on: struggle, wrestle, to hold on to Christ, to love your enemy. You hold Christ here and now if you have loved your enemy. And what does the Lord himself say, that is, the angel in the person of the Lord, when he had got the upper hand and was holding him fast? He has touched the hollow of his thigh, and it has withered, and so Jacob was limping. He says to Jacob, “Let me go, it is already morning.” He answered, “I will not let you go unless you bless me.” And he blessed Jacob. How? By changing his name: “You shall not be called Jacob but Israel; since you have got the upper hand with God, you shall also get the upper hand with men.” That is the blessing. Look, it’s a single man; in one respect he is touched and withers and in another he is blessed. This one single person in one respect has withered up and limps; in another he is blessed to give him vigor.
Source: Quotations drawn from early Church Fathers and historical Christian theologians (AD 100–1500). Some quotes address the surrounding passage context rather than this verse alone.
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SUMMARY
Genesis 32:25 marks the pivotal moment in Jacob's mysterious night-long struggle, where his divine adversary, unable to overpower him through sheer force, touches the hollow of his thigh, causing it to be dislocated. This sudden, debilitating injury serves as a profound physical and spiritual turning point, immediately preceding Jacob's renaming to Israel and signifying a crucial shift from self-reliance and cunning to a humble, dependent reliance on God's grace and strength.
CONTEXT
EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
Key Word Analysis
Verse Breakdown
Literary Devices
Genesis 32:25 is rich with literary devices that amplify its theological significance. Symbolism is paramount, with the wrestling match itself serving as a symbol of humanity's spiritual struggles with God, whether in prayer, doubt, or seeking blessing. The "hollow of the thigh" symbolizes Jacob's natural strength, self-reliance, and even his procreative power, all of which are "broken" by the divine touch. Jacob's subsequent limp is a powerful, lifelong symbol of his transformation, a visible mark of his humility and dependence on God rather than his own abilities. There is also a subtle irony in the divine being "not prevailing" through force, which underscores that God's ultimate purpose was not to overpower Jacob but to humble him and bring him to a point of surrender and blessing through a different kind of "victory." The entire encounter also functions as foreshadowing, hinting at the future struggles and triumphs of the nation of Israel, who would often find their greatest strength in moments of weakness and dependence on God.
THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
The profound encounter at the Jabbok, culminating in Jacob's physical brokenness, reveals several core theological truths. It underscores God's active and personal involvement in the lives of His chosen people, demonstrating that He will go to extraordinary lengths, even allowing or orchestrating painful struggles, to refine character and fulfill His purposes. The divine being's effortless dislocation of Jacob's hip, after a prolonged struggle where physical force "prevailed not," powerfully illustrates God's sovereign control and immense, unchallengeable power. This act was not a sign of weakness but of strategic intent, designed to humble Jacob and shift his reliance from self to God. Jacob's tenacious refusal to let go until he received a blessing, even in brokenness, models a spiritual perseverance that seeks God's favor above all else, recognizing that true blessing comes from divine grace, often through the crucible of adversity.
REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
Genesis 32:25 offers profound insights for believers today, reminding us that God often uses moments of profound struggle and perceived weakness to bring about our deepest spiritual transformations. Just as Jacob's physical strength was broken to pave the way for a greater spiritual blessing and a new identity, we too may experience periods where our self-sufficiency, our plans, or our natural abilities are profoundly challenged. These "wrestling matches" with God, often characterized by doubt, adversity, or spiritual dryness, are not meant to destroy us but to compel us to rely entirely on His strength and grace. This verse powerfully reminds us that true spiritual strength frequently emerges not from our own might, but from acknowledging our inherent weakness and surrendering fully to God's sovereign will. Our most significant breakthroughs and blessings often follow moments of profound brokenness, where we learn to cling to God not out of our own diminishing power, but out of a desperate, humble need for His grace and blessing, much as Jacob did when he declared, "I will not let thee go, except thou bless me" in Genesis 32:26.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
Who was Jacob wrestling with in Genesis 32:25?
Answer: While the text initially refers to the figure as "a man" in Genesis 32:24, later verses and Jacob's own declaration clarify it was a divine encounter. Jacob renames the place "Peniel," stating, "For I have seen God face to face, and my life is preserved" in Genesis 32:30. Many theologians interpret this figure as a pre-incarnate appearance of Jesus Christ (a Christophany) or a direct manifestation of God Himself. The encounter underscores God's personal and direct involvement in the lives of His chosen people, revealing His desire for a transformative relationship.
Why did the divine being touch Jacob's thigh instead of simply overpowering him?
Answer: The divine being's touch on Jacob's hip, causing dislocation, was not an act of weakness but a demonstration of effortless, sovereign power designed to achieve a specific spiritual purpose. It instantly ended the physical struggle and shifted the encounter to a deeper, spiritual plane. This act served to break Jacob's self-reliance and natural strength, which he had often used for cunning and manipulation, forcing him into a state of physical weakness and complete dependence on God. It was a necessary catalyst for his transformation from Jacob ("supplanter") to Israel ("struggles with God"), signifying that his true strength would now come from God, not from himself.
What is the lasting significance of Jacob's limp?
Answer: Jacob's limp, a permanent physical reminder of his dislocated hip, served as a constant, tangible memorial of his profound encounter with God at Peniel. It symbolized his transition from a man who relied on his own strength and cunning to one who was broken and utterly dependent on divine grace. The limp was a visible sign of his spiritual transformation, a mark of humility and a testament to the fact that his true strength and blessing came not from his own abilities, but from his wrestling with God and clinging to Him in weakness. It became a permanent reminder that God's power is often made perfect in human weakness, a theme echoed throughout Scripture.
CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
The wrestling match at the Jabbok, particularly Jacob's brokenness preceding his blessing and new identity, finds profound Christ-centered fulfillment. Jacob's struggle for blessing, marked by physical weakness and tenacious dependence, foreshadows humanity's desperate need for divine grace that only Christ can provide. While Jacob wrestled with God and was broken, Christ, the ultimate 'man,' wrestled with the agonizing will of God in Gethsemane Luke 22:42-44 and bore the full weight of sin on the cross, experiencing ultimate brokenness and weakness Isaiah 53:5. His victory over sin and death was achieved not through overpowering strength, but through sacrificial submission and apparent weakness, leading to His resurrection and the ultimate blessing for all who believe. Just as Jacob received a new name and identity through his encounter, believers receive a new identity in Christ, becoming new creations 2 Corinthians 5:17, transformed not by their own strength or struggle, but by His finished work on the cross Colossians 2:13-14. Through Him, we are enabled to "walk" in newness of life Romans 6:4, often bearing the marks of His grace through our own surrendered weakness, knowing that His strength is perfected in us 2 Corinthians 12:9.