What happensPermalink
Jacob prays to God for success meeting Esau for the first time in twenty years, then sends messengers ahead of him with gifts to appease Esau. That night, Jacob wrestles God; God renames him Israel, and Jacob—now Israel—awakes with a limp.
Why it mattersPermalink
Jacob still remembers his struggle with Esau, and attempts to make up for it with gifts. Israel means “wrestles with God” and identifies an entire nation for centuries.
Key versePermalink
Then he said, “Your name shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel, for you have striven with God and with men, and have prevailed.”