2. When Jacob had made these appointments all the day, and night came
on, he moved on with his company; and, as they were gone over a certain
river called Jabboc, Jacob was left behind; and meeting with an angel,
he wrestled with him, the angel beginning the struggle: but he prevailed
over the angel, who used a voice, and spake to him in words, exhorting
him to be pleased with what had happened to him, and not to suppose that
his victory was a small one, but that he had overcome a divine angel,
and to esteem the victory as a sign of great blessings that should come
to him, and that his offspring should never fall, and that no man should
be too hard for his power. He also commanded him to be called Israel,
which in the Hebrew tongue signifies one that struggled with the divine
angel. 37 These promises were made at the prayer of Jacob; for when he
perceived him to be the angel of God, he desired he would signify to him
what should befall him hereafter. And when the angel had said what is
before related, he disappeared; but Jacob was pleased with these things,
and named the place Phanuel, which signifies, the face of God. Now when
he felt pain, by this struggling, upon his broad sinew, he abstained
from eating that sinew himself afterward; and for his sake it is still
not eaten by us.
3. When Jacob understood that his brother was near, he ordered his wives
to go before, each by herself, with the handmaids, that they might see
the actions of the men as they were fighting, if Esau were so disposed.
He then went up to his brother Esau, and bowed down to him, who had no
evil design upon him, but saluted him; and asked him about the company
of the children and of the women; and desired, when he had understood
all he wanted to know about them, that he would go along with him to
their father; but Jacob pretending that the cattle were weary, Esau
returned to Seir, for there was his place of habitation, he having named
the place Roughness, from his own hairy roughness.
CHAPTER 21. Concerning The Violation Of Dina's Chastity.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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