Pay attention to him and listen to what he says. The word asah means 'to do'. chapters 1250] functions primarily as a compiler and editor, with few independent narratives of its own. [14] See my, The Sacrifice of Isaac in Context., [15] When Judah appears in Genesis and elsewhere in the Torah, we can be sure that it was a southern scribe, though not necessarily J, who added him.. Salvation History Jacob Story Flashcards | Quizlet A number of passages show the Elohists (E) preference for the name Israel. Who Was Jacob in the Bible? Why Did He Wrestle With God? - Christianity This pattern may illuminate the cryptic words of the mysterious figure and teach us how we can all be more honest and trusting people. But this is true for every name change given by God in scripture. It only takes a minute to sign up. In his weakness, Jacob asked for and received blessing from the Lord (vv. A similar composition, also from the Northern Kingdom of Israel, is the core of the book of Judges, which is essentially a collection of loosely connected stories about northern heroic figures. I challenge you to listen for the Lord to call your name twice. He is running away from Esav, who wants to kill him. Surnames were not in used then, children are known by the first names of their patriarch. Why a kite flying at 1000 feet in "figure-of-eight loops" serves to "multiply the pulling effect of the airflow" on the ship to which it is attached? Put yourself in Jacob's shoes right now: You feel intense fear. rev2023.7.5.43524. They had to cross paths in order for Jacob to return home; it had been just over two decades since Jacob departed. This reaffirms God's plan not only to bless the Israelites, but to bless all nations through the Israelites. It is part of the body that turns, it is not straight. See my How the Israelite Family Was Put Together, for details. There are couple of reasonings we can draw from such an encounter in line with the scriptures. [5] Although many versions of the SH exist in biblical scholarship, this is the model to which I subscribe. Why did God change Jacob's name to Israel? His struggle and victory over an angel is consistent with this depiction of the third patriarch. The name expresses what has already happened, a fundamental change in how Yakov has dealt with God and man. In Gen 32:24 Jacob refuses to let the man go unless he (Jacob) is blessed. A notebook to help youth prepare for and participate in the April 2022 general conference. [17], Since Js Jacob is weak and fearful, it simply did not seem appropriate to use Es name which implies strength and decisiveness. Why does Jacob get renamed to Israel on two separate occasions? 6 And I will make thee exceeding fruitful, and I will make nations of This is further supported by the use of El Shadai in 43:14 (the priestly god-name), which J never uses, and by analogy to ch. Why did God change Joseph's name to Israel? - Answers Oops! You are the God, ha'omer elai shuv le'artzecha ulemoladetecha ve'eytivah imach, return and I will make things good for you. But since P is a supplementary layer to the combined J and E text, it would have made little sense for him to use the name Israel exclusively when the very text he was supplementing seemed to use it haphazardly. In J, however, Jacob is always afraid: he fears his father (Gen 27:11-12), he fears Esau (32:8), and he fears the Canaanites (34:30). The place that he struggles with the angels, he calls it Peniel, 'The face of God'. When Jacob returns from living with Laban, he encounters an angel on the way and wrestles with him. After this strange struggle with an unidentified man in the middle of the night, this man - who might well be an angel tells Yaakov that he is not going to be called Yaakov anymore, he is going to be called Israel because he struggled with God and man and prevailed. old testament - Does the Bible explain why God chose Israel For your sake, O my God, do not delay, because your city and your people bear your Name. (NIV). Thanks for contributing an answer to Biblical Hermeneutics Stack Exchange! I will bless her, and she shall become nations; kings of peoples shall come from her. (Genesis 17:15-16). In chapter 43 (especially verses 6-14)a clearly a pro-Judaic passage with verbal ties to the Judah story in ch. To subscribe to this RSS feed, copy and paste this URL into your RSS reader. Unlike Abram, it was God himself who changed his name, as for Jacob it was an angel whom God has told Moses not to rebel against for His Name is in him. It should be noted that Moses was forewarned by God that he sent an angel ahead of him to guide the Israelites and warned him not to rebel against the angel for His Name is in him. Right? The apostle Paul wrote to the Corinthians that Christ did not send me to baptize (1 Corinthians 1:17). (Big difference.). His agency was tested. You know, we all know that as Yaakov was leaving the house of Laban, he encounters his brother Esav and he is fearful because Esav is coming at him with 400 men. Taking this new name was a sign of receiving the covenant his father and grandfather had received. The first time you talked with God, fear propelled everything. He has written many books focusing on his reconstruction of the redaction history of Genesis through Kings. [17] This is analogous to how Moses is described in E and transformed by J. Exodus 23:20-21, See, I am sending an angel ahead of you to guard you along the way and to bring you to the place I have prepared. @Saunterman Read Exodus 33:20. Thus, Rashi (32:29) writes: And God said to him, I am God Almighty: be fruitful and multiply. If so, what was it? How Do You Hear Him? 24 Afterwards, Jacob went back and spent the rest of the night alone. One could speculate why a father (Terah) would call his own son 'Exalted Father', but an alternative explanation is to see much or all of the story of Abraham as mythical. He is the author of The First Book of God, and the multi-volume Kernel to Canon series, with books like Jacobs Journey and Mosess Mission. Rust smart contracts? Thus it is better to view the speech act at Gen 35:10 not as a christening, but as a reassertion about what a better description of Jacob would be: no mere heel-catcher of mere men, but one dignified by his struggle with God. First, the Lord may have meant that Jacob would no more be widely identified and recognized by the meaning of the name Jacob. You have given me enough that I actually have two camps here. Herein resides the vital lesson that Gods people must learn in every generation: Jacobs victory was not the result of his own strength and effort but came through desperate weakness. Did Jacob continue wrestling all night to receive a blessing to save he and his family from Esau, or something else (Gen. 32:24-29)? Why does Jacob say "because I saw God face to face"? God instructs Jacob to return to the place where God first appeared to him. A change in name is a change in God's description of you. By clicking Post Your Answer, you agree to our terms of service and acknowledge that you have read and understand our privacy policy and code of conduct. E does not see Judah as part of Israel and does not include Judah as one of Jacobs sons. With this we can truly surmise that Gods name is also Israel since the name of His City and His People is Israel. The narration of the the text says Jacob wrestled with a man not with God. Jacob's name is Israel. Why is there a second mention of him being renamed in Genesis 35:9, and why is Genesis 35:9 so significant as to require him being renamed? So the name change from "the supplanter" to "May God Prevail" seems appropriate. The Changes In Jacob, Before He Was Renamed, Esav, later on in life, when he is deceived by Jacob, gets the blessings meant for Esav from his father, in that dream there are angels, going up and down of a ladder. Later, God appears to Jacob/Israel again in Bethel, reaffirms the name change, and gives him the same covenant that Abraham had received ( Genesis 35:9-12 ). The beginning of Chapter 46 is the only revelation in the Joseph story cycle, and as such is important not only to E, but also to J, who decided to emphasize his name for the patriarch at this opportune moment. 78) offers a midrash in the name of R. Levi tying this verse into Gods fulfilling the prediction of his angel that told Jacob about his new name: This explanation is clearly homiletical, but it illustrates the problem of the double naming. Rather, he is one who struggles or wrestles with God, or perhaps he is a prince of God: in either case, he and his seed are oriented not merely against the world but for God. The angel responds: The new name Israel is a combination of the verb .., to strive with, and a designation for God, . In addition, the new name does not come with a promise or some new aspect of character. And God said to him, Your name is Jacob: your name shall not be called any more Jacob, but Israel shall be your name: and he called his name Israel. Bechol asher-telech vahashivoticha el-ha'adamah hazot, and I will bring you back to this land, ki lo e'ezovcha, I shall not leave you, ad asher im-asiti et asher-dibarti lach, until I do that which I have promised you. So, it is a little bit confusing, but sometimes the Bible calls Jacob "Jacob," and sometimes it calls him by his new name "Israel." Subscribe today to join the conversation.Already a subscriber?Log in here! After God touched and dislocated Jacobs hip, Jacob was no longer able to continue wrestling. Here are some suggestions: In the first occasion (Gen 28), Jacob was escaping for his life from his brother Esau. No longer roundabout. script>. Rabbi Tzemah Yoreh has a PhD in Bible from Hebrew University, as well as a PhD in Wisdom Literature of the Hellenistic period from the University of Toronto. This contrast strengthens the impression that something is different about the Torahs treatment of Jacobs name change to Israel. The angel/divine being he fought with was surely sent by God, and thus acts by God's orders in renaming him Israel, no? To some Christians, they considered themselves as the new Children of Israel after most of the Jews rejected Jesus as God. By clicking Accept all cookies, you agree Stack Exchange can store cookies on your device and disclose information in accordance with our Cookie Policy. The second time he is renamed Israel is in Genesis 35:9, and this time the text says that "God appeared to him." God was teaching Jacob to rely on Him instead of relying solely on his smarts and energy. Jacob is renamed Israel in two different stories. Connect. Esav might mean it in the sense of trick but what it really means is like he bent around me you know? 35:2-7, 16-20). If you continue without changing your settings, you agree to our use of cookies. Browse other questions tagged, Start here for a quick overview of the site, Detailed answers to any questions you might have, Discuss the workings and policies of this site. At a crucial moment in his life, Jacob wrestled with a serious challenge. 38 and to Judahs impassioned speech in ch. Also, each new name from God came with promises and described a future characteristic of the person: Abraham: exceedingly fruitful; a father of many nations; kings shall come from him; establish an everlasting covenant; to be God to him and his offspring; to give all the land of Canaan for an everlasting possession. Va'eshlechah lehagid ladoni limtzo-chen be'eineicha, he sends Esav gifts to find favor in his eyes. In the book of Genesis (32:28; 35:10), God changed the name of Jacob (meaning "supplanter" or "deceiver") 1 to Israel (meaning "having power with God" or "God's fighter"). You have split up your camp into two camps so that God forbid, Esav should strike one, at least the other will survive. God blessed him, saying, "Your name is Jacob, but you will not be called Jacob any longer. Jacob wrestled all night with a stranger, until it was time for the sun to come up and it was time for the stranger to leave. Image The Lord Appearing unto Abraham Painting by Keith Larson Jacob was the son of Isaac and the grandson of Abraham. It is an attempt to reconcile, an attempt that seems headed for disaster when in return here, Esav is approaching him, armed and ready with 400 men by his side. What happens to Rachel. A great many of the names found in the Book of Genesis, even those that are birth names, have meanings relevant to the story. Mekhilta de-Rabbi Ishmael on Exodus (Masekhta de-Pascha16), likely playing off the word another (): Genesis Rabbah (78) actually records a debate about the exact the relationship between these two names: This solution is elegant, but unfortunately does not comport with what the text says: The texts in Genesis 32 and 35 never say or imply that Israel is an extra name; they both state clearly that the name Jacob is replaced by Israel. Why did God change Jacob's name to Israel? - The Church of Jesus Why it matters God created the race of people called Israel to receive His laws and ultimately deliver His son. Why is it better to control a vertical/horizontal than diagonal? Why does the name "Jacob" continue after being changed to "Israel"? Comic about an AI that equips its robot soldiers with spears and swords. He is the author of How to Overcome Worry (Moody Publishers) and a contributor to the Moody Bible Commentary and Moody Handbook of Preaching. How to maximize the monthly 1:1 meeting with my boss? Another reason for repetition is that the compilers of the Bible wanted to preserve traditions that circulated, probably originally orally, in different groups. March 2022. For example: Note that the phrase in italics about Jacob going to Sheol in grief appears again in Judahs plea to Joseph: From following this trope, we see that in one J text Jacob (not Israel) says it, and it is repeated by Judah (a J character that does not appear in E) in his attempt to convince Joseph to have mercy on the brothers poor elderly father. Dr. The only thing he could do was cling to God (v. 26). This would have made it much easier for the early tradents who handed down the stories orally to remember the story theme for each person. Also noteworthy is Jacobs first encounter, which did not come with a name change, included a promise. So even here Yaakov is using sort of a roundabout response with men, a roundabout response with God. Verse 30 clearly has Jacob saying that he just saw God face to face, which is why Jacob calls the place Peniel ("face of God"). And thus, in his supplements (described in an earlier fn), Judah speaks to his father Israel, which never happens in a J text. 5 Ed. Where in the Biblical narrative does God first reveal himself as the only living and true god? Israel. Abraham is depicted much more positively by J than Jacob, and is given precedent by being his ancestor. Esav, later on in life, when he is deceived by Jacob, Jacob impersonates him and gets the blessings meant for Esav from his father. The second time he is renamed Israel is in Genesis 35:9, and this time the text says that "God appeared to him.". Should I disclose my academic dishonesty on grad applications? So God renamed him Israel. Why is it common to refer to Jacob as Jacob, rather than calling him Israel? After this strange struggle with an unidentified man in the middle of the night, this man - who . Hatzileni-na miyad achi miyad Esav, please save me from the hands of my brother, from the hand of Esav ki-yare anochi oto, I fear him, pen-yavo vehikani, lest he come and strike me and kill, em al-banim, mother upon children. There is a word that appears over and over again in the text, panim, 'Face'. The standard approach was to suggest that Israel was not meant to replace Jacob, but to supplement it. head of a family. genesis - Why did Jacob name Bethel twice? - Biblical Hermeneutics Torah Narratives with Angels Never Actually Happened: Heretical or Sublime? (Genesis 35:9-10, NLT ), Names were considered to be meaningful in some way. Why did Jacob insist that Joseph's sons were his? It is written that Gods Chosen People are the Israelites. Wrestling with God Destruction of Jerusalem by Ercole de' Roberti (1850). Genesis 35:9 is God's instruction for Jacob to go to Bethel: God said to Jacob, Arise, go up to Bethel and dwell there. If indeed God is with me, and in fact, he watches over me in this path that I am going, and He gives me bread and he gives me clothing to wear, and he brings me back in peace to my father's house Its like all these things are kind of piling up. This is none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven. (Genesis 28:10-17), So early in the morning Jacob took the stone that he had put under his head and set it up for a pillar and poured oil on the top of it. 1Genesis 25:26,32-34; 27:36; cf. . Why did God change Jacob's name to Israel? - Papertrell how To fuse the handle of a magnifying glass to its body? Esav cries out, hachi kara shmo Yaakov, that's why his name is called Jacob. It was God telling you that his name is Israel. You can change your cookie settings through your browser. This is in Genesis 32:25. 2 God even went so far as to say, "Your name shall not be called Jacob anymore, but Israel shall be your name" (35:10, emp. 3Matthew 16:17; 17:25; Mark 14:37; Luke 22:31; John 21:15-17. It is only when we stop wrestling and start clinging to God that we become strong and prevail. Instead of confronting me, he didn't come here and said, 'Dad, I would like this blessing', he pretended he was me. 37-50). How the Israelite Family Was Put Together: The Twelve Sons of Jacob,, The Three Redactional and Theological Layers of the Plagues,, Israels Departure from Egypt: A Liberation or an Escape?, Speculating about the Original Text of the Decalogue,, How the Israelite Family Was Put Together,, Israels History as a Family Narrative,, The Three Redactional and Theological Layers of the Plagues.. God later reminds Jacob of his change of name and of promised blessings. Now what is that word exactly mean, akveni? That's an interesting question because when a person's name is changed in Scripture, it usually indicates that their character has been changed by some act of G Then, Jacob means (from Hebrew Ya'aqobh) 'one that takes by the heel', reflecting the story of his birth, but this is changed to Israel. Rather it reflects something which has already occurred: Jacob has striven with God and men and prevailed. Even if Jacob insisted on knowing the angels name, the angel did not give any except the name Israel. Crosswalk.com Contributing Writer Apr 04, 2022 Where is Jacob in the Bible? (Genesis 35:10-12). Or, it might also be that implied in the statement is the idea of simply or only. That is, the patriarch would no longer only be known as Jacob, but as Israel. Both of these possibilities are perfectly reasonable explanations, especially in light of the fact that similar terminology is used elsewhere in Scripture. But later on in Jacob's life, all of that seems to change. Why did Jacob prefer Joseph and give him a "coat of many colors" (Genesis 37)? Editors note: for a different approach to Es relationship to Judah, see, Marvin A. Sweeney, Israels History as a Family Narrative, TheTorah (2015). They are all in agreement that the name Israel was bestowed to Jacob by an angel of God because he has defeated one of his angels. Are MSO formulae expressible as existential SO formulae over arbitrary structures? Jacob became lame teaching him to trust in God, not in his own cunning: Commentators vary on what Israel means, but they all have the idea of overcoming with God. It can be perceived therefore that the angel sent by God ahead of Moses was the angel who guided Jacob and his descendants. Winfred and his wife Stephne have been married for forty years and have four adult children and nine grandchildren. He is currently the leader of the City Congregation for Humanistic Judaism in New York. [9] For example, in chapter 48, Joseph meets his father again for the first time: The name Elohim (God) as opposed to YHWH marks this text as Elohistic, and here the third patriarch is referred to only as Israel.[11]. Why Did God Allow Polygamy? | Desiring God When in the Bible did God change Jacob's name to Israel? Yisrael, Israel, ki-sarita im-Elokim ve'im anashim vatuchal, because you have struggled with men and with God and you have survived the encounter. I have no idea what you are intending to say and why you are saying it and where the information comes from to support your view Biblically. Your Exodus 33:20 reference is invalid. He forgave his brothers, just as Jesus forgives our sins and Joseph provided for his family's needs , just as Jesus gives us all the graces and blessings that we need. When the E document was brought to southern Israel (i.e., Judah), by scribes fleeing the North after the Assyrian conquest, Judean authors sought to make Es account of Israels origins more relevant to their readers and thus added Judah and Judean themes everywhere they could. [9] Editors note: For a documentary style analysis of the end of the Joseph story which also connects the name Israel to E (though not exclusively), see Zev Farber, Jacobs Multiple Death Scenes, TheTorah (2015). This occurred when Jacob left Canaan to find a wife: Jacob left Beersheba and went toward Haran. And God said moreover unto Moses, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, the LORD God of your fathers, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, hath sent me unto you: this is my name for ever, and this is my memorial unto all generations. If you cast a spell with Still and Silent metamagic, can you do so while wildshaped without natural spell? Now Esav is a pretty straight forward name for a kid like that. Dont miss the latest essays from TheTorah.com. Published Genesis 32: Jacob's Name Changed to Israel: After bad business-led Jacob to flee from his father-in-law, Laban, his next adventure was to prepare to reunite with his brother Esau. [13] One stark difference between these sources is the place of Judah in the narrative. How Did Old Testament Prophets "Earn Their Bread"? Why did some people's name change in the Bible? - CompellingTruth.org Of course, the passage is problem free from my perspective since the indented line employs the name Jacob in addition to Israel in v. 2, but this has the appearance of a Yahwistic (J) redaction. He has foreseen that man will time and time again struggle with him and thus embedded in their minds the meaning of His Name to be synonymous with struggling with God. Is the difference between additive groups and multiplicative groups just a matter of notation? Hi, and welcome to Christianity SE! This contrasts with how the name change functions in the story of Abram and Sarai, both of whom are renamed in chapter 17: God says that the old names will no longer be used,[3] and indeed, after ch. )[5] without cutting earlier material from the revered core text[6]offers a plausible solution: In the Joseph cycle,[7] J uses the name Jacob exclusively[8] while E uses the name Israel. genesis - Why is Jacob renamed Israel twice? - Biblical Hermeneutics And yet, even after these renaming episodes, the patriarch is still referred to as Jacob in E, J, and P texts. In Es version of the plagues and the Exodus, after Moses is appointed by God, he does everything on his own: He smites the Egyptians with the plagues, he leads the Israelites out of Egypt and parts the sea, he delivers them from Amalek and to Mount Sinai and he conquers the land of Canaan. Look at the very first encounter, between Jacob and God. Jacobby James Tissot Date: c. 1896-1902 thejewishmuseum.org. This moment is clearly meant to be profoundly significant. added). Consider that when Jeremiah prophesied that it shall no more be said, The Lord lives Who brought up the children of Israel from the land of Egypt, but The Lord lives Who brought up the children of Israel from the land of the north (16:14-15, emp. Genesis 17:15 And God said unto Abraham, As for Sarai thy wife, thou shalt not call her name Sarai, but Sarah shall her name be. Thus, Abraham ibn Ezra (35:10) writes [bold added]: This solution, which is also preferred by R. Joseph Bekhor Shor (12th cent. I think this is an acceptable exegesis question. [14] J resurrects Isaac and makes him Jacobs father, thus making Abraham the progenitor of Jacob. Moberly, Genesis 12-50 (1992), p. 63. God appeared as a man to Abraham in Gen 18 and as a man to Joshua in Josh 5, so your conclusion that "a man" disqualifies Jacob's scenario from actually being God is unsupportable. Here the fear is right there on the table and leads to a direct request, please help me. I'd think you would need to expand on "Many biblical scholars have noted that the story of Abraham is at variance with what is now known as the historical record of the ancient Near East" ? [2] This is not a consensus position, and many documentary scholars attribute it to the J text, based on Wellhausens argument that earlier sources are more likely to have more explicit revelations as opposed to dream-revelations, and the historical priority of J to E. See, Julius Wellhausen, Die Composition des Hexateuchs und der Historischen Bcher des Alten Testaments (Berlin, 1899), 44. What is the purpose of installing cargo-contract and using it to create Ink! The man with whom Jacob wrestled was speaking prophetically (or preemptively) about what God was going to say once Jacob returned to Bethel. Why is Jacob called Jacob and Israel alternately in the book of Genesis Behold, I am with you and will keep you wherever you go, and will bring you back to this land. How is this usage consistent with the statement that Jacob would not be called anymore by that name? The three holy books speak of only one chosen people, and that is the Children of Israel. Sending a message in bit form, calculate the chance that the message is kept intact. Learn more about Stack Overflow the company, and our products. In E, Moses is a strong forceful leader, in J he is diminished and fearful. Thus, Rashi (32:29) writes: Rashi is building here on a midrashic reading of Isaiah 44:26 in Genesis Rabbah (78). Answer Peniel (also spelled Penuel) means "face of God." In Genesis 32, Jacob is on his way to meet Esau and is dreading the encounter, thinking that Esau is going to kill him. 38, which has already been identified as a late supplement. 32, after he wrestles with the angel, likely derives from the E source. [19] Ps name change is an attempt by the Priestly author to sanitize the very problematic name-change of Chapter 32 in which a man defeats a divine being. Genesis 32:22-31 CEV - Jacob's Name Is Changed to Israel - Bible Gateway God changing a name is done by "calling" by a new name and to giving something new. Paul may have had this in mind when he penned these words: When I am weak, then I am strong (2 Cor. In contrast, J uses the name Jacob in the Joseph cycle (ch. From now on your name will be Israel." [18] For an analysis of the plagues and the exodus from Egypt according to my supplementary approach, see my, The Three Redactional and Theological Layers of the Plagues., [19] For example, at the beginning of Chapter 37. We rely on the support of readers like you. Later, as if he had forgotten what had happened before, God once again changed Jacob's name to Israel: Genesis 35:9-10: And God appeared unto Jacob again, when he came out of Padanaram, and blessed him. And the truth is, it is not really just that Yaakov had dealt with his brother in a circuitous way. [11] In the poem, in which Jacob blesses his sons, both names appear: This poem is a late insertion and not J, thus it is not avoiding the name Israel. Make an altar there to the God who appeared to you when you fled from your brother Esau. (35:10). His brother Esau complained about him: Jacob's name was initially changed when he wrestled with a man who, we later learn, was an angel. "Then we must be ready by tomorrow, must we?". Thus, although E uses the name Israel exclusively in the Joseph cycle (chs, 37-50), before the Joseph cycle, E still uses Jacob, whether at the end of the wrestling story (32:31), when meeting Esau (ch.
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