Jacob Wrestles with God

After twenty years with Laban, Jacob heads back to Canaan with his wives, his children, and his flocks. He is told that Esau is coming to meet him with four hundred men. Gripped with dread, he divides his camp in two and prays: “I am not worthy of the least of all the mercies… Deliver me,” then sends rich gifts ahead of him to appease his brother. That night, he sends his family across the ford of the Jabbok and stays behind alone. Then a man wrestles with him until daybreak. Unable to overpower him, the man puts Jacob’s hip out of joint. But Jacob holds on: “I will not let you go unless you bless me.” His name becomes Israel, “for you have striven with God and with men, and have prevailed.” Jacob names the place Peniel: “I have seen God face to face.” As the sun rises, he limps. Then Esau arrives, runs to him, throws his arms around his neck, and the two brothers weep.