Jacob and the Angel of the LORD

Jacob Meets YHWH

PART EIGHT

We find the first encounter of Jacob with the Angel of the LORD in one of the Bible’s best known stories, affectionately called “Jacob’s ladder.”

Genesis 28:10-13 KJV

10 Jacob left Beersheba and went toward Haran. 11 And he came to a certain place and stayed there that night, because the sun had set. Taking one of the stones of the place, he put it under his head and lay down in that place to sleep. 12 And he dreamed, and behold, there was a ladder set up on the earth, and the top of it reached to heaven. And behold, the angels of God were ascending and descending on it! 13 And behold, the LORD (YHWH)  stood above it and said, “I am the LORD (YHWH), the God (Elohim) of Abraham your father and the God (Elohim) of Isaac. 

Notice in verse 13, this is the LORD, who is standing. Jacob is seeing many divine beings but it is YHWH the LORD who stands and speaks to Jacob. Some translations have the LORD standing above it; this can also be translated beside it or even beside him (referring to Jacob).

This is the way the Holman Christian Standard Bible translates Genesis 28:13-16:

13 Yahweh was standing there beside him, saying, “I am Yahweh, the God (Elohim) of your father Abraham and the God of Isaac. I will give you and your offspring the land that you are now sleeping on. 14 Your offspring will be like the dust of the earth, and you will spread out toward the west, the east, the north, and the south. All the peoples on earth will be blessed through you and your offspring. 15 Look, I am with you and will watch over you wherever you go. I will bring you back to this land, for I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you.”

18 Then Jacob rose early in the morning, and took the stone that he had put at his head, set it up as a pillar, and poured oil on top of it. 19 And he called the name of that place Bethel; but the name of that city had been Luz previously. 

As we fast-forward to Chapter 31, we find Jacob talking to Rachel and Leah. He tells them how in a dream the Angel of Yahweh spoke to him and instructed him. If you read the chapter from the beginning, you find that the writer identifies the One Who spoke to Jacob as YHWH—the LORD.

Genesis 31:2-3, 10-13 NKJ

2 And Jacob saw from Laban’s face that his attitude toward him was not the same.

3 Then the LORD said to him, “Go back to the land of your fathers and to your family, and I will be with you.”

10 “When the flocks were breeding, I saw in a dream that the streaked, spotted, and speckled males were mating with the females. 11 In that dream the Angel of God (Elohim) said to me, ‘Jacob!’ and I said, ‘Here I am.’ 12 And He said, ‘Look up and see: all the males that are mating with the flocks are streaked, spotted, and speckled, for I have seen all that Laban has been doing to you. 13 I am the God (Elohim) of Bethel, where you poured oil on the stone marker and made a solemn vow to Me. Get up, leave this land, and return to your native land.’”

In the narrative Jacob collaborates the fact that The Angel of Yahweh explicitly tells Jacob in (verse 13) that He is the God of Bethel. In the original dream/vision Jacob had seen many angels at Bethel and One who identified Himself as Yahweh, the God of Abraham and Isaac.

As we move forward to Chapter 32, we read of Jacob’s departure from Laban. On the way the angels of God met him. It is interesting to note that this is not a dream. When Jacob sees them he calls the name of the place Machanayim; which means two camps, in reference to the two camps of angels.

When some of Jacob’s men tell Jacob that his brother Esau is coming to meet him with 400 men. Jacob prays to be delivered from the hand of Esau, and puts God in remembrance of His covenant promise.

Genesis 32:9,11-12

9 Then Jacob said, “God (Elohim) of my father Abraham and God (Elohim) of my father Isaac, the LORD (YHWH) who said to me, ‘Go back to your land and to your family, and I will cause you to prosper,’ … 11 Please rescue me from the hand of my brother Esau, for I am afraid of him; otherwise, he may come and attack me, the mothers, and their children. 12 You have said, ‘I will cause you to prosper, and I will make your offspring like the sand of the sea, which cannot be counted.’”

The story continues and as we approach verses 24-30, many Bibles break this section with the subtitle:

Jacob Wrestles with God

24 Jacob was left alone, and a man wrestled with him until daybreak. 25 When the man saw that He could not defeat him, He struck Jacob’s hip socket as they wrestled and dislocated his hip. 26 Then He said to Jacob, “Let Me go, for it is daybreak.”

But Jacob said, “I will not let You go unless You bless me.”

27 “What is your name?” the man asked.

“Jacob,” he replied.

28 “Your name will no longer be Jacob,” He said. “It will be Israel because you have struggled with God and with men and have prevailed.”

29 Then Jacob asked Him, “Please tell me Your name.”

But He answered, “Why do you ask My name?” And He blessed him there.

30 Jacob then named the place Peniel, “For I have seen God face to face,” he said, “and I have been delivered.” 

These verses reveal that the “man” Jacob wrestled with was a divine being. This divine being appeared in the tangible and corporeal form of a man. He changes Jacob’s name to Israel and says “you have struggled with God (Elohim).”

Nowhere does it say this was a dream or vision. Let’s turn to another scripture that confirms this.

Please turn to the Book of the Prophet Hosea, Chapter 12. The prophet confirms the divine identity of the “man” Jacob wrestled. He also adds two surprising details:

2 The LORD (YHWH) has an indictment against Judah and will punish Jacob according to his ways; he will repay him according to his deeds.
3 In the womb he (Jacob) took his brother by the heel and in his manhood he strove with God (Elohim).
4 He strove with the angel and prevailed; he wept and sought his favor. He met (Elohim) God at Bethel, and there God (Elohim) spoke.

[with us—or with him is added, not included in the original language]
5 the LORD (YHWH), the God (Elohim) of hosts (angel armies)

The LORD (YHWH) is his memorial name.

Hosea identifies Jacob’s opponent as an angel and then identifies the angel with Elohim and Bethel. The blurring between God and the Angel is deliberate. The point is NOT that Yahweh, the God of Israel is a mere angel.  The reverse is the case—This particular Angel is Yahweh, the God of Israel.