is breake of day. He answered: I wil not let thee goe, vnlesse thou blesse me. 27He therfore said: What is thy name? He answered: Iacob. 28But he, no, thy name, quoth he, [1] shal not be called Iacob, but Israel: for if thou hast been strong against God, how much more shalt thou preuaile against men? 29Iacob asked him: Tel me by what name art thou called? He answered: Why doest thou aske my name? and blessed him in the same place. 30And Iacob called the name of the place Phanuel, saying: I haue seen God face to face, and my soule was made safe. 31And immediately the sunne rose to him, after that he was past Phanuel; but he halted on his foote. 32For which cause the children of Israel eate not the sinow, that shrunke in Iacobes thigh, vnto his present day: because he touched the sinow of his thigh, and it shrunke.
ANNOTATIONS.
Chap. XXXII.
Iacobs feare was iust, and without fault.7. Feared exceedingly.) Iustly may we meruel, why Iacob, so often assured by Gods promises, I Ioan. 4.confirmed by his manie blessings, protected in al former dangers, accompanyed the night before with armies of Angels, indued also with al vertues, and namely with perfect charitie (which expelleth feare) was for al this so vehemently affraid. q. 102. in Gen.S. Augustin answereth, that he neither distrusted in God, nor did anie vnlawful thing: but did his owne endeauour wisely and confidently, lest by presuming or despayring he should rather haue tempted God then trusted in him. The causes of his feare.The causes of his feare were in respect of himselfe and his brother. For considering Gods former promises, benefits, & protections were not to be presumed as absolute signes of his perpetual loue, but conditional, The humble conceit of himselfe.if himselfe perseuered sincerely in Gods seruice; And seeing Eccl. 9.The iust man knoweth not whether he be worthie of loue or of hatred, he might doubt, lest by his twentie yeares conuersation among Infidels in Mesopotamia, he had contracted some sinnes, for which God might suffer him to fal into calamitie and affliction. And though he was in deed stil more and more vertuous, and consequently in Gods more fauour and protection; yea so much the more, by how much lesse he presumed of his owne good state and merites: Esaus inclination & meanes to reuenge.yet by the vehement apprehending of his brothers inclination to reuenge, the greatnes of the occasion by procuring the first-birth-right, and his fathers blessing from him, the newes of his speedie coming towards him with foure hundred men, the natural situation of the place, where Esau might easily enuiron him, and (as he humbly thought) his owne vnworthines, he was possessed with natural feare (such as happeneth to constant men) and was sore afflicted for the tender care of his familie. Iacobs prayer qualified with Humilitie, Gratitude, Confidence, Meeknes.But reflecting vpon Gods goodnes, he prudently disposed of his people and flockes, and besought God to protect him and his, by prayer qualified with requisite conditions, to wit, with humilitie, not asking for his owne but for Abraham and Isaacs sake, and for Gods owne promise, acknowledging himselfe to be lesse then Gods mercies towards him, with gratitude recounting great benefites receiued, saying, With my staffe I passed ouer this Iordan, and now with two troupes I do returne, with confidence in that God had said,
- ↑ The changing of his name here promised, is preformed chap. 35. S. Hierom Tradit. Heb.
