Holly Bible - KJV with Concise Commentaries by Z Selam - HTML preview
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but a spiritual, wrestling, by the vigorous actings of faith and holy desire; and thus all the spiritual seed of Jacob, that pray in praying, still wrestle with God.
25 And when he saw that he prevailed not against him, he touched the
hollow of his thigh; and the hollow of Jacob’s thigh was out of joint, as he wrestled with him.
What was the success of the engagement. Jacob kept his ground; though the struggle continued long, the angel, prevailed not against him (Ge 32:25), that is, this discouragement did not shake his faith, nor silence his prayer. It was not in his own strength that he wrestled, nor by his own strength that he prevailed, but in and by strength derived from Heaven. That of Job illustrates this (Job 23:6), Will he plead against me with his great power? No (had the angel done so, Jacob had been crushed), but he will put strength in me; and by that strength Jacob had power over the angel, Ho 12:4. Note, We cannot prevail with God but in his own strength. It is his Spirit that intercedes in us, and helps our infirmities, Ro 8:26.
The angel put out Jacob's thigh, to show him what he could do, and that it was God he was wrestling with, for no man could disjoint his thigh with a touch. Some think that Jacob felt little or no pain from this hurt; it is probable that he did not, for he did not so much as halt till the struggle was over (Ge 32:31), and, if so, this was an evidence of a divine touch indeed, which wounded and healed at the same time. Jacob prevailed, and yet had his thigh put out. Note, Wrestling believers may obtain glorious victories, and yet come off with broken bones; for when they are weak then are they strong, weak in themselves, but strong in Christ, 2Co 12:10. Our honours and comforts in this world have their alloys.
26 And he said, let me go, for the day breaketh. And he said, I will not let
thee go, except thou bless me.
The angel, by an admirable condescension, mildly requests Jacob to let him go (Ge 32:26), as God said to Moses (Ex 32:10), Let me alone. Could not a mighty angel get clear of Jacob's grapples? He could; but thus he would put an honour on Jacob's faith and prayer, and further try his constancy. The king is held in the galleries (So 7:5); I held him (says the spouse) and would not let him go, So 3:4. The reason the angel gives why he would be gone