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Genesis 32:3-31
(Genesis 32:22-31)
With thanks to page sponsor, 2014:
Carolyn Keilig
First Congregational Church, UCC
Manchester, NH

• Reading the Text:
  • NRSV (with link to Anglicized NRSV) at Oremus Bible Browser.
  • Hebrew Interlinear Bible, WLCv, WLC5, CHES, AV.
  • The Bible Gateway: NRSV, RSV, NIV, NASB, CEV, The Message, KJV, etc.
  • The Blue Letter Bible. KJV, alternate versions, Hebrew text with concordance, commentaries.
  • The World Wide Study Bible includes commentary, exposition and sermons.
  • Bereshit 32: Massoretic, Hebrew, Aramaic, JPS.
• Historical References, Commentary and Comparative Texts:
  • Navigating the Bible: Text/Rabbinic commentary and Divrei Torah.
  • Chapter LVIII, Chapter CXXVI, Dialogue With Trypho, Justin Martyr. (c 160)
  • I.7, Paedagogus, Clement of Alexandria (c 200)
  • II.5, Stromata, Clement of Alexandria (c 200)
  • Chapter III, On the Flesh of Christ, Tertullian (c. 211)
  • Chapter XIV, Against Praxeas,  Tertullian (c. 213)
  • IV.24, First Principles (De Principiis), Origen / Rufinus (c.230)
  • Rashi's Commentary, c. 1075. chabad.org.
  • I.2, Ecclesiastical History, Eusebius of Caesarea, (c. 320).
  • From the Geneva Notes.
  • From Matthew Henry's Commentary.
  • From Wesley's Notes.
  • From the Commentary on the Whole Bible (Jamieson, Fausset and Brown, 1871).
• Contemporary References, Commentary and Comparative Texts:
  • Commentary, Genesis 32:22-31, Amy Merrill Willlis, Preaching This Week, WorkingPreacher.org, 2014.
    • "God does not punish Jacob's conflictive character, but challenges it and reshapes it so that Jacob is able to live into his promised destiny as Israel, which according to verse 29 means 'one who strives with God and humans.'"
  • "The Surprise of Grace: Reflections on Genesis 32:22-31," John C. Holbert, Opening the Old Testament, 2014.
    • "'Jacob wrestles with a man' is in fact what the text itself says, but that designation may stand in the way of a fuller understanding."
  • Pulpit Fiction, plus podcast. Reflections of lectionary text, pop culture, current events, etc. Robb Mc Coy and Eric Fistler, 2014.
  • "Wrestling," Lynn Miller, Art & Faith Matters, celebrating our creative and living God by generating art and architecture resources for congregations and individuals. Art and Faith Matters facebook page contains additional resources.
  • Commentary, Genesis 32:22-31, Corrine Carvalho, Preaching This Week, WorkingPreacher.org, 2013.
    • "Believers, take heart!"
  • "The Power of Names," David Lose, Dear Working Preacher, 2013.
    • "What if we imagine, Working Preacher, that church is a place we can come to each week and bring all our other names with us, confessing them honestly and then leaving them behind, departing the assembly simply as Christians, those who bear the name of Christ and armed with the love, commitment, and courage of the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the God of Israel, the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ."
  • "Jacob's Wrestle," sermon discussion from Frederick Buechner, Frederick Buechner Blog.
    • "Sometimes I cannot believe that I saw it and lived but that I only dreamed I saw it. Sometimes I believe I saw it and that I only dream I live."
  • "Jacob Fights Back," Lia Scholl, The Hardest Question, 2013.
    • "Wouldn't it be easier just to walk away?"
  • "Limp," Michael Coffey, 2013.
  • "Not Until You Bless Me," Linda Fabian Pepe, Theological Stew, 2013.
  • Commentary, Genesis 32:22-31, (Pentecost 7), Wil Gafney, Preaching This Week, WorkingPreacher.org, 2011.
    • "[Jacob] will never be the same again. Each step he takes is marked by the divine touch."
  • "The Power of a Good Name," David Lose, Dear Working Preacher, 2011.
    • "So that's what I'd like to hear this week, Working Preacher – a sermon that invites me to tell the truth about who and what I am and then announces that there is a second truth, bigger and more expansive and far more gracious than I'd imagined, a second truth that creates an open future and girds me with the hope and courage to embrace it."
  • "A God Who Will Wrestle with You until Daybreak," Carl Gregg, Patheos, 2011.
    • "Just as Jacob first understood his wrestling partner to be human and not divine, today we find that God is often elusive."
  • Commentary, Genesis 32:22-31, Sara Koenig, Preaching This Week, WorkingPreacher.org, 2010.
    • "The story of Jacob's wrestling with the angel provides an embarrassment of riches for homiletical possibilities."
  • Commentary, Genesis 32:22-31, Kathryn Schifferdecker, Preaching This Week, WorkingPreacher.org, 2008.
    • "The story in Genesis 32 about the wrestling match between Jacob and God is one of the key texts for understanding the character of Jacob."
  • Genesis 32:22-31, Pentecost 12, Commentary, Background, Insights from Literary Structure, Theological Message, Ways to Present the Text. Anna Grant-Henderson, Uniting Church in Australia.
    • "Gen 32 needs to be taken as a whole with its theophany (vv.1-2), prayer for deliverance (vv.9-12) and encounter with God (vv.24-31)."
  • The Old Testament Readings: Genesis 32:22-31. Weekly Comments on the Revised Common Lectionary, Theological Hall of the Uniting Church, Melbourne, Australia.
    • "This is a strange story. Who wins this nocturnal wrestle, Jacob or the opponent?"
  • "Dark Struggles, Divine Blessings: Jacob at the River Jabbok," The Journey with Jesus: Notes to Myself, Daniel B. Clendenin, Journey with Jesus Foundation, 2008.
    • "Jacob's struggle at Jabbok reminds us of this truth, that God is so very good, but He is not safe. We may well struggle with Him through the night, but by daybreak He only intends to bless us."
  • Comments (commentary) and Clippings (technical notes for in-depth study), Chris Haslam, Anglican Diocese of Montreal.
  • "Wrestling at the Jabbok," Rev. Kirsten Abbott, text, context, genre, structure, commentary, interpretations and reflections.
  • Genesis 32:22-31, Studies on Old Testament texts from Series C, Ralph W. Klein, Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago.
  • Desert Scribblings, Genesis 32:22-31, Geoff McElroy.
    • "Two figures, Jacob and the man, enter into conflict but neither walks away a true victor.  There is ambiguity, almost ambivalence, in the outcome."
  • An Exegetical Commentary of the Common Lectionary: Genesis 32:22-31. Rough Translation, Disposition, Immediate Context, Broader Context, Hermeneutical Bridge and Contemporary Address from the Biblical Department of Austin Theological Seminary.
    • "God blesses us - i.e. gives us peace with which to face/wrestle with all challenges, all pressures, all stresses, all tensions. They are there and so is God."
  • Parshah Vayishlach, text, commentary, stories, sermons & articles from Chassidic Masters and others, from Chabad Lubavitch.
  • Parshas Vayishlach, Divrei Torah from The Project Genesis Torah Study. Index to numerous Orthodox articles and studies on Genesis 32:4 - 36:43.
  • Parshat Vayishlach, articles and commentary by the Jewish Community of Atlanta, at The Torah From Dixie.
  • "How To Win With God and Men," from the Biblical Studies Foundation.
    • "Vital faith need not be idle faith."
  • "God Wrestling," program highlights, discussion & reflection questions and more from the Bill Moyers PBS series Genesis: A Living Conversation.
    • "'Faith is what you do between the last time you experienced God and the next time you experience God.' -- Renita J. Weems."
  • "How We Imagine God Matters," Marcus Borg. beliefnet.
    • "It's normal to personify God in worship and devotion. But we shouldn't take these personifications literally."
• Recommended articles from ATLAS, an online collection of religion and theology journals, are linked below. ATLAS Access options are available for academic institutions, alumni of selected theological schools, and clergy/church offices.Annotated list of "starting place" articles at ATLAS for this week's texts (includes direct links).
  • Akinade, Akintunde E., "On Sacred Trust: Covenant from an African Perspective," The Living Pulpit, 2005.
      EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
      EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials
  • Bruggemann, Walter, "A Case Study in Daring Prayer: Genesis 32:9-12," The Living Pulpit, 1993.
      EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
      EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials
  • Crüsemann, Frank, "Dominion, Guilt, and Reconciliation: The Contribution of the Jacob Narrative in Genesis to Political Ethics," Semeia, 1994.
      EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
      EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials
  • Eslinger, Lyle M., "Hosea 12:5a and Genesis 32:29: A Study in Inner Biblical Exegesis," Journal for the Study of the Old Testament, 1980.
      EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
      EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials
  • Frolov, Serge, "The Other Side of the Jabbok: Genesis 32 as a Fiasco of Patriarchy," Journal for the Study of the Old Testament, 2000.
      EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
      EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials
  • Hatzopoulos, Athanasios, "The Struggle for a Blessing, Reflections on Genesis 32:24-31," Ecumenical Review, 1996.
      EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
      EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials
  • Holladay, William A., "A New Identity," The Christian Century, 1996.
      EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
      EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials
  • Holmgren, Fredrick C., "Holding Your Own Against God! Genesis 32:22-32 (In the Cotext of Genesis 31-33)," Interpretation, 1990.
      EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
      EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials
  • "Homiletical Helps," Concordia Journal, 2010. (Section on this text begins on page 293)
      EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
      EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials
  • Klein, Ralph W., "Celebrating and Sharing the Gift: Reflections on Jacob, Israel's Ancestor," Currents in Theology and Mission, 1991.
      EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
      EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials
  • Knight, Henry F., "Meeting Jacob at the Jabbok: Wrestling with a Text -- A Midrash on Genesis 32:22-32," Journal of Ecumenical Studies, 1992.
      EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
      EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials
  • Kolb, Robert, "Homiletical Helps on the LW Series C - Old Testament," Concordia Journal, 2007. (Section on this text begins on p. 320)
      EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
      EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials
  • Luti, J. Mary, "You Are Israel," The Christian Century, 1998.
      EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
      EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials
  • Matthews, Victor H. and Frances Mims, "Jacob the Trickster and Heir of the Covenant: A Literary Interpretation," Perspectives in Religious Studies, 1985.
      EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
      EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials
  • McKay, Heather A., "Jacob Makes It Across the Jabbok: An Attempt to Solve the Success/Failure Ambivalence in Israel's Self-consciousness," Journal for the Study of the Old Testament, 1987.
      EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
      EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials
  • McKenzie, John L., S.J., "Jacob at Peniel: Genesis 32:24-32," The Catholic Biblical Quarterly, 1963.
      EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
      EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials
  • Morse, Christopher L., "Karl Barth on 'Covenant Partners,'" The Living Pulpit, 2005.
      EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
      EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials
  • Ross, Allen P., "Jacob at the Jabbok, Israel at Peniel," Bibliotheca Sacra, 1985.
      EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
      EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials
  • Smith, S.H., "'Heel' and 'Thigh': The Concept of Sexuality in the Jacob-Esau Narratives," Vetus Testamentum, 1990.
      EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
      EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials
  • Snell, Robert G., "Between Text and Sermon: Genesis 32:22-32," Interpretation, 1996.
      EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
      EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials
  • Stansell, Gary, "The Gift in Ancient Israel," Semeia, 1999.
      EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
      EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials
  • Thompson, Thomas L., "Conflict Themes in the Jacob Narratives," Semeia, 1979.
      EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
      EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials
  • Vollmer, Ulrike, "I Will Not Let You Go Unless You Teach Me the Tango: Sally Potter's The Tango Lesson," Biblical Interpretation, 2003.
      EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
      EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials
  • Vonck, Pol, "The Crippling Victor: The Story of Jacob's Struggle at the River Jabbok," AFER, 1984.
      EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
      EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials
  • Wessner, Mark D., "Toward a Literary Understanding of 'Face to Face' in Genesis 32:23-32," Restoration Quarterly, 2000.
      EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
      EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials
  • Williams, James G., "The Comedy of Jacob: A Literary Study," Journal of the American Academy of Religion, 1978.
      EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
      EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials
• Sermons:
  • "Limping and Praising," Richard Hays, Faith and Leadership, 2009.
  • "Life's Turning Points," the Rev. Dr. Jimmy Allen, Day 1, 2008.
  • "Wrestling with God," Pastor Edward F. Marquart, Grace Lutheran Church, Seattle, Washington.
• With Children:
  • Worshiping with Children, Including children in the congregation's worship, using the Revised Common Lectionary, Carolyn C. Brown, 2014. 2011.
  • "Storypath Lectionary Links: Connecting Children's Literature with our Faith Story," August 3, 2014, Union Presbyterian Seminary. Genesis 32:22-31 and Eric the Boy Who Lost His Gravity by Jenni Desmond, Romans 9:1-5 and Separate Is Never Equal by Duncan Tonatluh, Matthew 14:13-21 and Picnic by John Birningham. 2011.
  • "Jacob, Father of Israel," Illustrating the Story (lessons, children's sermons), coloring pages, activity sheets, crafts, children's songs. MSSS Crafts.
  • "Jacob Fathers the Twelve Tribes of Israel," Sunday School Lessons: Family Bible Study, art projects, music, stories, etc.
  • "Your Name Shall Be Israel," children's study, puzzles, coloring sheet, etc. Higher Praise Christian Center.
• Drama:
• Graphics & Bulletin Materials:
  • Clip Art: Jacob Wrestles with Angel, Julius Schnoor von Carolsfeld woodcuts, World Mission Collection, Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod.
• Hymns and Music:
  • Hymnary.org, hymns, scores, media, information.
  • At Oremus Hymnal:
    • Author of life divine
      Be thou my guardian and my guide
      Bring many names, beautiful and good
      Come, O thou Traveler unknown
      Eternal Lord of love, behold your Church
      Here, O my Lord, I see thee face to face
      How sweet the Name of Jesus sounds
      It is a thing most wonderful
      O God of Bethel, by whose hand
      O Love that wilt not let me go
      Shepherd divine, our wants relieve
      We walk by faith, and not by sight
  • Hymns, midi files, scores at Blue Letter Bible/Cyber Hymnal:
    • Come, O Thou Traveler Unknown (Genesis 32:24)
    • Lord, I Cannot Let Thee Go (Genesis 32:26)
    • My God, I Know, I Feel Thee Mine (Genesis 32:26)
• Fine Arts Images Linked at The Text This Week's Art Index:
  • Jacob Wrestling with an Angel
• Movies scenes with the following themes, listed at The Text This Week's Movie Concordance:
• Literature and Literary References:
  • "For Jacob Four Months in the Womb," poetry by Susan Hahn, Tikkun, 2003.
• Study links and resources for the Book of Genesis

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