Where Does the Name “Israel” Come From?

The name “Israel” was given to Jacob in Genesis 32. After hearing that Esau (Jacob’s vengeful, estranged brother) was coming to meet him in the wilderness with 100 men, Jacob made a tough decision. He chose to send his family away so that he could face his brother alone. When Jacob was left alone in the camp, he wrestled with a man until the sun rose. We don’t know where this man came from or how the two began to wrestle, but we do know that as the sun began to shine, the man touched Jacob’s hip and put it out of joint, causing him to limp. Jacob refused to let go until the man blessed him. The man said, “Your name shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel, for you have striven with God and with men, and have prevailed,” and he blessed Jacob. This man was no mere man. Jacob called the place “Peniel,” meaning “face of God,” because, he said, “I have seen God face to face, and yet my life has been delivered.” The book of Hosea tells us clearly that this mysterious figure was indeed God (Hosea 12:4). Ever since, the generations coming from the line of Jacob would also ‘wrestle’ with God. They would fall into patterns of unbelief, sin, and fall victim to temptation. And yet, just like Jacob, their lives would be spared as they sought the Lord—they would receive deliverance. There are times in our lives when we must persevere, and it feels a lot like wrestling. The life of faith is not easy. It involves daily struggle against sin. With the help of the Lord, we too will be saved and blessed.