Genesis 32:30

Gen 32:30 And Jacob called the name of the place Peniel: for I have seen God face to face, and my life is preserved.

Ver. 30. I have seen God face to face.] Christ would not tell Jacob his name, to lift up his mind above what he saw of him, and to insinuate that his name was "Wonderful," his essence incomprehensible. {Jdg 13:17-18} And whereas Jacob said here, he had "seen God face to face": he means only, praesens praesentem, as Moses spake with God "mouth to mouth". {Num 12:8} He saw not God’s majesty and essence; for he is a God "that hides himself," {Isa 8:17} and "dwells in the light unapproachable". {1Ti 6:16} But he saw him more apparently and manifestly than ever he had done before. We can see but his "back parts" {Exo 33:23} and live; we need see no more, that we may live. God that fills all, saith Nazianzen, though he lighten the mind, yet flies before the beams thereof; still leaving it, as it is able, in sight to follow him; draws it by degrees to higher things; but ever interposeth between it and his incomparable essence, as many vails as were over the tabernacle. Some created shape, some glimpse of glory, Jacob saw; whereby God was pleased, for the present, to testify his more immediate presence; but not himself.

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

32:30 Peniel (which means “face of God”): The name shows that Jacob recognized the man as a manifestation of God (a theophany). • yet my life has been spared (or and I have been rescued): The saying probably meant that Jacob realized that his prayer to be rescued from Esau (32:11) had been answered, for if he could meet God like this and walk away, he had nothing to fear from Esau. The saying may also reflect an ancient understanding that no one could see God and live (see Exod 33:20).

Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Or, my soul is delivered.

Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain. Text via Bolls.life.

30. And Jacob called the name of the place The gratitude of our father Jacob is again commended, because he took diligent care that the memory of God’s grace should never perish. He therefore leaves a monument to posterity, from which they might know that God had appeared there; for this was not a private vision, but had reference to the whole Church. Moreover, Jacob not only declares that he has seen the face of God, but also gives thanks that he has been snatched from death. This language frequently occurs in the Scriptures, and was common among the ancient people; and not without reason; for, if the earth trembles at the presence of God, if the mountains melt, if darkness overspreads the heavens, what must happen to miserable men! Nay, since the immense majesty of God cannot be comprehended even by angels, but rather absorbs them; were his glory to shine on us it would destroy us, and reduce us to nothing, unless he sustained and protected us. So long as we do not perceive God to be present, we proudly please ourselves; and this is the imaginary life which the flesh foolishly arrogates to itself when it inclines towards the earth. But the faithful, when God reveals himself to them, feel themselves to be more evanescent than any smoke. Finally; would we bring down the pride of the flesh, we must draw near to God. So Jacob confesses that, by the special indulgence of God, he had been rescued from destruction when he saw God. It may however be asked, “Why, when he had obtained so slight a taste only of God’s glory, he should boast that he had seen him, face to face?” I answer, it is in no way absurd that Jacob highly celebrates this vision above all others, in which the Lord had not so plainly appeared unto him; and yet, if it be compared with the splendor of the gospel, or even of the law, it will appear like sparks, or obscure rays. The simple meaning then is, that he saw God in an unwonted and extraordinary manner. Now, if Jacob so greatly exults and congratulates himself in that slender measure of knowledge; what ought we to do at this day, to whom Christ, the living image of God, is evidently set before our eyes in the mirror of the gospel! Let us therefore learn to open our eyes, lest we be blind at noonday, as Paul exhorts us in 2 Corinthians 3:1-4:1.

John Calvin's Commentaries (1540-1563) — public domain. Text from the Calvin Translation Society English edition (1840s-50s) via the Christian Classics Ethereal Library (ccel.org). Calvin's coverage is partial (roughly two-thirds of the Bible); uncommented books and verses are honest gaps, never fabricated. The 19th-century editor's footnotes and remarks are omitted so the notes are faithfully Calvin's own voice.

(30) Peniel.—Elsewhere Penuel, and so probably it should be read here. It means, “the face of God.” For the rest of the verse see Note on Gen_16:13.

A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

30. Peniel] R.V. marg. The face of God. In the Sam. version, Syr., and Lat., it is called “Penuel,” as in Gen_32:32. Popular tradition explained the etymology of the name of the place by the story of Jacob.

The face of God was to be seen in the Angel: he that looked on the Angel saw the Presence of Jehovah.

I have seen God … preserved] The belief that to see God was to die prevailed amongst the Israelites; see Gen_16:13; Exo_19:21; Exo_24:10-11; Exo_33:20; Deu_5:24; Jdg_6:22; Jdg_13:22. Jacob has seen the Divine Being, Elohim, and lives.

Jacob, on his deathbed, refers to this event (Gen_48:16): “The Angel which redeemed me from all evil, bless the lads.”

face to face] See Exo_33:11; Deu_34:10

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

And Jacob called the name of the place Peniel,.... In Gen 32:31; Penuel, which signifies the face of God, or God hath looked upon me, or hath had respect to me: there was afterwards a city built here, called by the same name; see Jdg 8:8; it is said (k) to be four miles from Mahanaim; the reason of it follows:

for I have seen God face to face: it may be observed, that in wrestling men are face to face, and in this position were Jacob and the man that wrestled with him; which he seems to have respect unto, as well as to the familiarity and intimate communion he was admitted to:

and my life is preserved: though he had wrestled with one so vastly superior to himself, who could have easily crushed this worm Jacob to pieces, as he is sometimes called; and though he had had such a sight of God as face to faces referring, as is thought, to a notion that obtained early, even among good men, that upon sight of God a man instantly died; though we have no example of that kind: but perhaps he observed this for his encouragement; that whereas he had met with God himself, and wrestled with him in the form of a man, and yet was preserved, he doubted not that, when he should meet with his brother and debate matters with him, he should be safe and unhurt.

(k) Bunting's Travels, p. 72. 74.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Phanuel. This word signifies the face of God, or the sight, or seeing of God. (Challoner) --- Hebrew reads here Peni-el, though it has Phanuel in the next verse. Jacob thus returns thanks to God for the preservation of his life, after having seen God or his angel in a corporeal form, and not in a dream only. (Calmet)

George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).

I have seen God face to face; not in his essence, for so no man ever saw God, Joh 1:18, nor yet in a dream or vision, but in a most evident, sensible, familiar, and friendly manifestation of himself.

My life is preserved; I am now well assured of my safety from Esau, whose approach threatened my life. Or he speaks of it with wonder, as others did, that he should see God, and not be struck dead by the glory of his presence. Compare Gen 16:13; Exo 20:19; Jdg 6:22,23; 13:22.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

30, 31.

Peniel… Penuel — The two words mean the same thing, and differ only by the changing of the vowel-letter יinto ו. Elsewhere it is always written Penuel, and possibly the form Peniel is a corruption that has here crept into the text. The name means face or presence of God, and the deep and lasting impression made on Jacob, as having struggled face to face with God, made this a fitting name of the place. He had there a vision of God such as he had not before, and though now he halted upon his thigh, he was thankful for the preservation of his life.

Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

And Jacob called the name of the place Peniel (i.e. "the face of God." Its situation must have been close to the Jabbok. The reason given for its designation follows): for I have seen God (Elohim) face to face, and my life is preserved (cf. Gen_16:13; Exo_14:11; Jud_1:6:22 13:22; Isa_6:5)

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Peniel - That is, the face of God, because there he had seen the appearance of God, and obtained the favour of God.

John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.

למה זה תשאל WHEREFORE IS IT THAT THOU DOST ASK [AFTER MY NAME]? — We have no fixed names; our names change, all depending upon the service we are commanded to carry out as the errand with which we are charged (Genesis Rabbah 78:4).

Rashi on the Tanakh — English translations: “The Judaica Press complete Tanach with Rashi, translated by A. J. Rosenberg” (CC BY 4.0); “Pentateuch with Rashi's commentary by M. Rosenbaum and A.M. Silbermann, 1929-1934” (public domain); “The Metsudah Tanach series, Lakewood, N.J” (CC BY 4.0); and “The Book of Joshua, Metsudah Publications, 1997” (CC BY 4.0). Text via Sefaria.

WHY IS IT THAT THOU DOST ASK AFTER MY NAME? The angel said: “There is no advantage to you in knowing my name for no one possesses the power and the capability other than G-d alone. If you will call upon me I will not answer you, nor will I save you from your trouble. However, I will now bless you, for so I am commanded.” But Scripture does not explain the contents of the blessing. That which our Rabbis have said is most probable, namely that the angel, despite himself, conceded to him at that place the legitimacy of his father’s blessings, as Jacob did not wish to wait for him until he arrived at Beth-el.

Ramban (Nachmanides) on the Tanakh — English translation: “Commentary on the Torah by Ramban (Nachmanides). Translated and annotated by Charles B. Chavel. New York, Shilo Pub. House, 1971-1976” (CC BY 4.0). Text via Sefaria.

וישאל...הגידה נא שמך, for each angel has a name appropriate to his mission. This is what Isaiah meant when he said (Isaiah 40,26) לכולם בשם יקרא, “Who calls them each by name. ”We find names of angels spelled out in Daniel 9,21 והאיש גבריאל, as well as chapter 10,12 in Daniel כי אם מיכאל שרכם. Seeing that the angel had changed his name, Yaakov wanted to know the angel’s name in order to find out what this angel’s primary task was.

?למה זה תשאל לשמי; a polite way of saying: “you do not need to know my name.” The same happened to Manoach in Judges 13,18 when he wanted to know the name of the angel who had announced that his wife would give birth to Shimshon. However, the difference there was that at the time Manoach asked he was still unaware that he was addressing an angel, thinking that he was dealing with a prophet, a human being. We do not really know why the angels keep their names secret. According to Bereshit Rabbah 78,4 the angel’s question meant that seeing each angel has a name assigned to him for each specific assignment he carries out on earth, there was no point in knowing his name as it would change before he would be given a new assignment. Rabbi Ami, quoting Abba Yossi, draws attention to two verses, one in Psalms 147,4 saying לכולם שמות יקרא, “He will call all of them by names,” and Isaiah 2,26 לכולם בשם קרא, “He calls all of them by name.” This appears to state that whereas the stars do not undergo name changes, angels names do. He uses the angel’s question to Manoach as proof that this is so. The angel answered Manoach that he did not know what his name would be on his next mission.

ויברך אותו שם, apart from the fact that he had told him about his impending name change to Yisrael, explaining the reason for this, he gave him an additional blessing. The reason the verse ends with the word שם is that it is a reference to Bet El where G’d would confirm the name change.

Radak on the Tanakh — English translations: “Sefaria Community Translation” (CC0 1.0 (public-domain dedication)); “Eliyahu Munk, HaChut Hameshulash” (CC BY 4.0); “Rabbi Mike Feuer, Jerusalem Anthology” (CC BY 4.0); and “R. David Kimhi on the first book of Psalms, Translated by R.G. Finch, London, 1919” (public domain). Text via Sefaria.