Genesis 35:10-11
And God said to him, “Your name is Jacob; no longer shall your name be called Jacob, but Israel shall be your name.” So he called his name Israel. And God said to him, “I am God Almighty: be fruitful and multiply. A nation and a company of nations shall come from you, and kings shall come from your own body.
English Standard Version (ESV)
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While Jacob's name is changed to Israel, the verse emphasizes that his old name, Jacob, is not forgotten. God explicitly states, "Your name is Jacob; no longer shall your name be called Jacob, but Israel shall be your name," acknowledging his past while inaugurating his future. This dual acknowledgment highlights that our identity in God doesn't erase our history but transforms it.
God speaks to Jacob after a period of distress and purification, reaffirming His covenant with him. This divine encounter and the official renaming to "Israel" underscore a new phase of assurance and identity for Jacob as he journeys toward his father Isaac's home, shortly before Isaac's death.
Throughout Scripture, a name change often marks a pivotal moment, a divine stamp of approval. What does God's confirmation of Jacob's new name, Israel, reveal about God's faithfulness?
God's declaration, 'Your name is Jacob; no longer shall your name be called Jacob, but Israel shall be your name,' is more than just an announcement; it's a profound affirmation.
A New Identity
Jacob had already wrestled with God and received the name Israel, meaning 'struggles with God' or 'God strives' (Genesis 32:28). This was a significant, though perhaps still uncertain, moment for him. Now, in the context of returning to Bethel and preparing to build an altar, God Himself reiterates and confirms this name.
Divine Ratification
This confirmation serves to solidify Jacob's identity not just as one who struggled with God, but as one who prevails with God. It's God's direct endorsement, assuring Jacob that his past struggles, his fears, and his journey have all led him to a place of divine favor and established identity. As commentators note, this ratification is meant to encourage Jacob, particularly against the fears he might have of the Canaanites. His new name signifies his standing with God, which is more powerful than any earthly opposition.
Echoes of Promise
This renaming echoes other significant name changes in the Bible, like those of Abram to Abraham and Sarai to Sarah. These shifts are always tied to new promises and a deeper covenant relationship. God isn't just changing a label; He's cementing a covenant and assuring Jacob of his future as the father of a great nation, a lineage that would carry God's purposes forward.
Jacob's new name, Israel, speaks of wrestling and prevailing. How does this divine encounter equip him to face his earthly fears?
The name 'Israel' is deeply connected to Jacob's intense encounter at Peniel where he wrestled with God (or an angelic representative of God) and refused to let go until blessed (Genesis 32:24-30).
Understand the original words
Ya'aqob · Hebrew Proper Noun
A name meaning "he grasps the heel" or "supplanter," originally given to the son of Isaac and Rebekah, signifying his characteristic struggle and reliance on his own ingenuity early in life.
Yisra'el · Hebrew Proper Noun
A name meaning "God strives" or "he struggles with God," given by God to Jacob to signify his new identity as one who has wrestled with God and prevailed through faith and dependence, becoming a patriarch of the covenant people.
El Shaddai · Hebrew Noun/Adjective Phrase
A title for God emphasizing His omnipotence, sufficiency, and ability to fulfill covenant promises, often used in contexts of blessing and fruitfulness.
parah, rabah · Hebrew Verb
This divine renaming at Bethel solidifies Jacob's identity as Israel not just for himself, but as the patriarch of a covenant people, assuring him of God's promises amidst ongoing familial and national tensions.
~1700 BC
Jacob flees Esau
Jacob flees his enraged brother Esau after tricking him out of his birthright and blessing, seeking refuge in Haran.
~1690 BC
Jacob wrestles with God
On his return journey, Jacob wrestles with a divine being at Peniel, is injured but prevails, and is given the new name Israel.
~1690 BC
Jacob meets Esau
Jacob cautiously reunites with Esau, who surprisingly shows no animosity, and they part amicably.
~1680 BC
Jacob's family purifies themselves
Returning to Bethel, Jacob commands his household to put away foreign gods and purify themselves before recommitting to God.
~1680 BC— this verse
This passage describes the original renaming of Jacob to Israel by a divine being, setting the stage for God's confirmation in Genesis 35.
Genesis 17:5Similar to Abraham's and Sarah's name changes in Genesis 17, Jacob's renaming signifies a new covenant identity and a profound promise from God.
Isaiah 43:1This prophetic passage speaks of God calling individuals by name, creating them, and shaping them for His purposes, much like the renaming of Jacob emphasizes his divinely ordained identity.
John 1:42Jesus renames Simon to Peter, showing a parallel where a significant name change is given by God (or Christ) to signify a new spiritual reality and purpose.
Romans 9:6-8This passage explains that not all who are physically descended from Israel are true Israelites, highlighting how a name change like Israel's signifies a spiritual lineage and God's sovereign choice.
gillGenesis 35:10: "And God said unto him, Thy name is Jacob: thy name shall not be called any more Jacob, but Israel shall be thy name: and he called his name Israel."
And God said unto him, thy name is Jacob,.... Which his parents gave him at his birth, and by, which he had been always called: thy name shall not be called any more Jacob, but Israel shall be thy name; not Jacob only, as Aben Ezra and Ben Melech interpret it, but Israel also, and that more commonly and frequently, and not only he h…
calvinGenesis 35:1-29: "And God said unto Jacob, Arise, go up to Bethel, and dwell there: and make there an altar unto God, that appeared unto thee when thou fleddest from the face of Esau thy brother."
Et filii Zilpah ancillae Leah, Gad et Aser. Isti sunt filii Iahacob, qui nati sunt in Padan Aram.
And Jacob came unto Isaac his father unto Mamre, unto the city of Arbah, which is Hebron, where Abraham and Isaac sojourned.
Et venit Iahacob ad Ishac patrem suum in Mamre civitatem Arbah: h…
While Jacob's name is changed to Israel, the verse emphasizes that his old name, Jacob, is not forgotten. God explicitly states, "Your name is Jacob; no longer shall your name be called Jacob, but Israel shall be your name," acknowledging his past while inaugurating his future. This dual acknowledgment highlights that our identity in God doesn't erase our history but transforms it.
God speaks to Jacob after a period of distress and purification, reaffirming His covenant with him. This divine encounter and the official renaming to "Israel" underscore a new phase of assurance and identity for Jacob as he journeys toward his father Isaac's home, shortly before Isaac's death.
God speaks to Jacob after a period of distress and purification, reaffirming His covenant with him. This divine encounter and the official renaming to "Israel" underscore a new phase of assurance and identity for Jacob as he journeys toward his father Isaac's home, shortly before Isaac's death.
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The Struggle and the Blessing
This wrestling match wasn't just a physical contest; it was a spiritual one. Jacob's tenacity in clinging to God, even after being injured, reveals a desperate faith. God's response, changing his name to Israel ('God strives' or 'he strives with God'), acknowledges Jacob's perseverance. It highlights that prevailing with God often involves struggle, persistence, and a yielding to His power.
From Fear to Faith
When God reconfirms the name Israel at Bethel in Genesis 35:10, it's in a moment where Jacob is returning to his homeland, likely filled with apprehension about facing the consequences of his past actions, especially concerning Esau and the peoples of the land.
The divine pronouncement serves as a powerful antidote to fear. If Jacob has prevailed with God, the divine commentator suggests, then he can indeed prevail over human opposition. His new identity as 'Israel' is a constant reminder that his strength and security come not from his own cunning or might, but from his relationship with the All-Sufficient God. This is the assurance that allows him to move forward, trusting in God's protection and guidance.
A name change often signifies a new chapter, especially within a covenant. What does God's reaffirmation of Jacob's name reveal about the ongoing covenant promises?
God's interaction with Jacob at Bethel in Genesis 35 is a moment of profound covenant renewal, underscored by the confirmation of Jacob's name as Israel.
God's Unchanging Faithfulness
God reminds Jacob, 'I am God Almighty' (El-Shaddai) in verse 11. This title, used frequently in the patriarchal narratives, signifies God's all-sufficiency and His power to bless and protect. It's a declaration of His unchanging nature and His commitment to His promises, even amidst Jacob's often tumultuous life.
Entailment of Promises
The confirmation of the name Israel is directly linked to the reiteration of key covenant promises:
A Foreshadowing of Greater Things
While these promises were immediate and tangible for Jacob, they also held a deeper, spiritual significance that Jacob, and certainly we, can appreciate. The 'company of nations' and the 'promised land' point forward to the ultimate fulfillment in Christ – the true Seed through whom all nations are blessed, and the eternal inheritance of God's people in the heavenly kingdom. God's covenant with Jacob, therefore, is not just about earthly blessings but foreshadows the eternal hope found in Him.
The imperative or enabling command from God to increase, flourish, and propagate, first given at creation and reiterated to patriarchs to signify covenant expansion.
God confirms Jacob's name change
God appears to Jacob at Bethel, reaffirms His covenant, and officially confirms the name change from Jacob to Israel.
~1670 BC
Isaac dies
Jacob and Esau reunite to bury their father Isaac, marking the end of an era for the patriarchs.
"And God said to him, “Your name is Jacob; no longer shall your name be called Jacob, but Israel shall be your name.” So he called his name Israel. And God said to him, “I am God Almighty: be fruitful and multiply. A nation and a company of…" — While Jacob's name is changed to Israel, the verse emphasizes that his old name, Jacob, is not forgotten. God explicitly states, "Your name is Jacob; no longer shall your name be called Jacob, but…
