Genesis 32:28 - Exposition

And he said, Thy name shall be called no more ( i . e . exclusively, since both he and his descendants are in Scripture sometimes after this styled) Jacob, but Israel :— יִשְׂרַאֵל , from שָׂרָה , to be chief, to fight, though, after the example of Ishmael, God hears, it might be rendered "God governs" (Kalisch), yet seems in this place to signify either Prince of El (Calvin, Ainsworth, Dathe, Murphy, Wordsworth, and others), or wrestler with God (Furst, Keil, Kurtz, Lange, et alii , rather than warrior of God (Gesenius), if indeed both ideas may not be combined in the name as the princely wrestler with God ('Speaker's Commentary,' Bush), an interpretation adopted by the A . V .— for as a prince hast thou power with God —literally, for thou hast contended with Elohim [Keil, Alford, &c.;), ὅτι ἐνισχυσας μετὰ θεου ( LXX .), contra deumfortis fuisti (Vulgate), thou hast obtained the mastery with God (Kalisch), rather than, thou hast striven to be a prince with God (Murphy)— and with men, and but prevailed . So are the words rendered by the best authorities (Keil, Kalisch, Murphy, Wordsworth), though the translation καὶ μετὰ ἀνθρώπων δυνατὸς ἔσῃ ( LXX .), quanto magis contra heroines prevalebis (Vulgate) is By some preferred (Calvin, Rosenmüller, &c.;).