And Jacob called the name of the place Peniel: for I have seen God face to face, and my life is preserved.
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
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
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.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
And Jacob called the name of the place Peniel,…. In
Ge 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 Jud 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.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
30. And Jacob called the name of the place (110) 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 2Co 3:1 :1.
(110) פניאל, ( Peniel,) the face of God.
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
(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.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
3 0, 31 .
Peniel Penuel The two words mean the same thing, and differ only by the changing of the vowel-letter into . 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.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
‘And Jacob called the name of the place Peni-el (‘the face of God’), for he said, “I have seen God face to face and my life is preserved.”
This was a play on words. The site was called Penuel (Gen 32:31) and was probably an important pass for fortresses were built there (Jdg 8:8 on) and eventually a city. Jacob takes the name and changes it to fit his experience. The two forms differ only in the archaic nominal ending in Gen 32:30. Seeing the face of God did not just mean seeing God. It meant that God’s heart was right towards him. Thus did he know that he was not about to die at Esau’s hand.
“My life is preserved.” Esau will now not be able to harm the favoured of God. Indeed he will later be able to say to Esau, “I have seen your face as the face of God and you were pleased with me” (Gen 33:10). He believes that his acceptance by Esau is because of his acceptance by God.
Alternately the words may reflect amazement that he has seen God and lived (compare Exo 33:20; Jdg 6:22 on; 13:22). But the way God reveals Himself in Genesis never seems to cause this problem.
Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett
Peniel means the face of God
Fuente: Hawker’s Poor Man’s Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
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.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Peniel = Hebrew God’s face.
seen. Compare Gen 16:13.
life = soul. Hebrew. nephesh. See App-13.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
Jacob: Gen 32:31
Peniel: Gen 28:19, Jdg 8:8, Jdg 8:17, 1Ki 12:25
Peniel: i.e. the face of God, Peniel, or Penuel, was evidently situated near the ford of Jabbok, on the north of that stream, about forty miles from Jerusalem.
I have: Gen 16:13, Exo 24:10, Exo 24:11, Exo 33:14, Exo 33:19-23, Num 12:8, Deu 5:24, Deu 34:10, Jdg 6:22, Jdg 6:23, Jdg 13:21, Jdg 13:22, Isa 6:5, Joh 1:18, 2Co 3:18, 2Co 4:6, Gal 1:6, Eph 1:17, Col 1:15, 2Ti 1:10, Heb 11:27
Reciprocal: Gen 12:7 – appeared Gen 22:14 – called Gen 32:24 – man Gen 33:10 – I have seen Exo 20:19 – let not Exo 33:11 – spake Exo 33:20 – Thou canst not Num 14:14 – art seen Eze 10:1 – as the Hos 12:5 – Even Mat 5:8 – for Joh 21:12 – durst Heb 12:14 – no man 1Jo 4:12 – seen