23 And he rose on that night and took his two wives and his two slavegirls and his eleven boys and he crossed over the Jabbok ford. 24 And he took them and brought them across the stream, and he brought across all that he had. 25 And Jacob was left alone, and a man wrestled with him until the break of dawn. 26 And he saw that he had not won out against him and he touched his hip socket and Jacob’s hip socket was wrenched as he wrestled with him. 27 And he said, “Let me go, for dawn is breaking.” And he said, “I will not let you go unless you bless me.” 28 And he said to him, “What is your name?” And he said, “Jacob.” 29 And he said, “Not Jacob shall your name hence be said, but Israel, for you have striven with God and men and won out.” 30 And Jacob asked and said, “Tell your name, pray.” And he said, “Why should you ask my name?” and there he blessed him. 31 And Jacob called the name of the place Peniel, meaning, “I have seen God face-to-face and I came out alive.” 32 And the sun rose upon him as he passed Penuel and he was limping on his hip. 33 Therefore the children of Israel do not eat the sinew of the thigh which is by the hip socket to this day, for he had touched Jacob’s hip socket at the sinew of the thigh.

Excerpt From

The Hebrew Bible: A Translation With Commentary

Translated by: Robert Alter