Many times in the scriptures we see the usage of the name Jacob or the name Israel when speaking about the man himself or his descendants. This article will explore the reasons and the significance of the names ‘Jacob’ and ‘Israel’ when one or the other name is used in scripture for the man and/or his descendants.
Most believers understand the basic meanings behind the names of Jacob and Israel. What most believers may not know is that both names highlight an immense purpose that is being granted to a group of people specifically chosen for this purpose. That purpose is to set the glory of Elohim throughout the world. Those chosen by Elohim are Jacob and his descendants.
If we step back and look at the world from Elohim’s perspective, we see that it has two levels of people. There are those who focus on the physical aspects of life, while there are others who focus on the spiritual aspects of life. The names of ‘Jacob’ and ‘Israel’ address these two levels of humanity. When we read either name in the scriptures it guides us to understand which attribute is being highlighted in that particular context. Jacob is used whenever the context involves the more physical attribute while the name Israel is used to highlight the spiritual attribute.
With this in mind, let’s investigate how the name “Jacob” and the name “Israel” are connected to power and setting the glory of Elohim throughout the world within these two levels.
JACOB:
Elohim no doubt inspired the naming of Isaac and Rebecca’s son. The name Jacob means “heel holder” or “hand on the heel”, plus it also means “supplant”. The definition of ‘supplant’ has developed an evil connotation about it, so why would that be the name given to this man of Elohim? In reality, the true meaning of ‘supplant’ was altered by Esau when he stood before his father Isaac and accused Jacob of deception and stealing that which should have been his. Ever since Esau spoke thusly in Genesis 27:36, the world considers ‘deception’ and ‘stealing’ to be the definition, when it is actually an ugly ploy by Esau to tear down the attributes of his brother in order to win his father’s approval.
What is the true meaning of ‘supplant’ when Jacob was named? The following definition that has been copy and pasted from the Strong’s Concordance at Blue Letter Bible, sheds light on the real meaning of ‘supplant’ (H6117). Take note of the reference “also to restrain (as if holding by the heel)”.
The tone of this set of definitions indicates that the purpose of holding onto the heel was to restrain that heel from causing harm. The other definitions of “to circumvent (as if tripping up the heels)” also indicates that the one doing the tripping, was doing so to prevent harm (to circumvent the harm) – such as someone tripping up a law breaker as he is about to commit a crime. The intent of this action was not to trip someone for the sake of being nasty or to cause someone to fall in order to get ahead. This is also supported by the further definition of “stay” as in to curb or check an action so that it goes no further.
When Esau was born, followed by Jacob, it was noted that Jacob’s hand was on Esau’s heel as documented in Genesis 25:26 “And after that came his brother out, and his hand took hold on Esau’s heel; and his name was called Jacob: and Isaac was threescore years old when she bare them.“ It is also noted in scripture that their mother, Rebecca suffered during her pregnancy with the twins because of the constant movement or struggle within her womb (Genesis 25:22). This means the boys were already at odds with each other even before they were born. Thus it was necessary for Jacob to have his hand on the heel of his older brother in order to ‘stay’ or ‘refrain’ Esau’s heel from causing harm.
So, the true meaning of supplant in reference to Jacob actually means “he who restrains or stays the heel from causing harm”. When the account of the early life of Jacob and Esau is read in its entirety, it becomes clear that Jacob did not steal or replace (supplant) Esau for the birthright and the blessings. Instead these first born blessings were GIVEN to Jacob, firstly by Esau himself when he willingly sold his birthright for something to eat and secondly, when his mother remembered Adonai’s words to her about her unborn sons that the elder would serve the younger (Genesis 25:23). She made sure the words of Adonai were carried out when it came time for the blessing from Isaac to the rightful son. These two acts were much like having a hand on the heel orchestrating the events; otherwise if Esau did receive the birthright and the blessings, he would have caused much harm to the family and the descendants through his indifference to the ways and plan of Elohim. As noted in Malachi 1:1-3 and Romans 9:13, Elohim hated Esau, which indicates just how harmful Esau would have been if he had the birthright and the blessing.
In adulthood, it was clear Jacob had grown in wisdom, knowledge and understanding as well as physical prowess through his training at the feet of his ancestor Shem. On his own, he rolled a heavy stone from the well that normally required the hands of multiple people to move it. Then later on as he became a husband to four wives and a family man, the knowledge, understanding and wisdom he had been taught many years earlier by Shem began to manifest in his methods of dealing with his uncle Laban and the world around him. It is obvious that at this point in his life, Jacob was very skilled in the physical aspect of worldly ways because of the wealth he had amassed over a short period of time.
But Adonai had other plans for him. Events and the toxic environment while living in Laban’s camp finally brought Jacob to realize it was time to leave and return to The Land. Jacob understood just how much YHVH had blessed him as he remembered what YHVH said twenty years earlier (Genesis 28:10-17) and how even his request all those years ago was answered (Genesis 28:20-22). He was a man of power and authority now, having more wealth than his uncle. Thus, his uncle was powerless to restrain him. Yet Laban tried with the ploy of accusing him of stealing his idols, which would have meant a delay in Jacob’s departure. Laban’s true intent was merely a means of hanging on to his golden goose of a son-in-law, but it was to no avail.
The account in Genesis 31 of the final meeting between Jacob and Laban reveals the level of power and authority Jacob had in the world. Laban, in his own right had been a man of lofty worldly power for a long time and thus was well established in this aspect. For him to make a truce with someone required the other individual to be of the same or higher level of power and authority. Thus when he made a truce with Jacob, this tells us that Jacob was also a man of lofty worldly power. Another way of looking at this would be the example of a king. He would not make a truce with a servant or with a family member under his care, for they are not equals. For a man of Laban’s stature to make a truce with his son-in-law was truly a sign of just how powerful Jacob had become.
Shortly after that, as Jacob and his family were about to cross the brook by the Jabbok ford, Jacob was visited by an angel, who represented the face of YHVH. They wrestled all night and just as dawn was breaking, the angel acknowledged Jacob’s prowess and resolve by touching his hip to put it out of joint and then saying “Let me go…” (Genesis 32:25-26). But Jacob persisted and would not let the angel go unless he first received a blessing. The angel blessed him with a new name – Israel.
For the past 96 or 97 years Jacob lived by the attributes of his birth name – the understanding of the physical, worldly way of life that was tempered by what he had learned at the feet of his ancestor, Shem. Jacob’s wisdom was such that he knew how to maneuver through the world’s system in a righteous manner. But now, Jacob is about to transition into a new level of power.
The transition with the new name was given AFTER the angel touched Jacob’s hip and disabled him, which indicates that the worldly ways he had been living were now disabled and he would be utilizing something else to bring glory to Elohim instead of his worldly wisdom. For the remainder of his life (50 years), Jacob would be living by the attributes of his new name, Israel.
ISRAEL:
The name Israel has its own unique meanings. The Strong’s Concordance notes the meaning as “God [Elohim] prevails”, but also “he will rule as God [Elohim]”, “soldier of God [Elohim] and “contender”. It is clear to see these define a position of power and rulership in a spiritual capacity.
When these definitions are seen together, there is a pattern that emerges, showing us not only that Elohim prevails, but also HOW Elohim prevails.
We are given a clue to this in Ezekiel 39 after Gog, Magog and their cohorts are destroyed. In verse 21, YHVH states the outcome, “And I will set my glory among the heathen”. The verses before and after verse 21 speak about how YHVH will set His glory among the heathen. He will remind the heathen that it was He Who orchestrated the exile of His people because of their unholy deeds but then will restore them. In verse 23, “And the heathen shall know that the house of Israel went into captivity for their iniquity: because they trespassed against me, therefore hid I my face from them, and gave them into the hand of their enemies: so fell they all by the sword.” This is followed by verse 27 that speaks about the end of that exile and what happens when He does restore His people, “When I have brought them again from the people, and gathered them out of their enemies’ lands, and am sanctified in them in the sight of many nations;”
YHVH prevails (Israel) by being sanctified through the restoration of His people, Israel.
The word ‘prevail’ is an interesting word. Within the scriptures there are multiple Hebrew words that are translated as ‘prevail’, with each Hebrew word lending a different perspective. This attests to the importance of the context in which this word is applied.
In one context it could apply to the actual pursuit of good or on the flip-side, the pursuit of evil.
In another context it applies to one’s steadfastness to uphold good or another’s steadfast grip on evil.
Yet another context, the focus is on the strength, the power and the fortitude involved in either pursuing and/or upholding good or evil.
When Jacob received his new name, the context revolved around how he wrestled with the angel all night. Jacob would not let go of the angel until he received a blessing. We already know that Jacob was a powerful and strong man, physically and intellectually, which becomes very obvious in this wrestling match. It was this wrestling match that revealed how steadfast Jacob was to upholding that which is good, in this case, his belief in Elohim.
Jacob was no stranger to Elohim and knew about him all his life. But it was the experiences, situations, events and circumstances that Jacob went through (which had been orchestrated by Elohim) that enabled Jacob to come to this point of steadfast belief of Elohim. This angel seemingly appeared out of nowhere but Jacob knew Elohim enough to recognize this was an angel sent by his Elohim. Jacob knew he was wrestling with the only One Who could provide blessings (unlike the dead idols/gods of the world) and he was resolved in receiving one. This is when Jacob knew unconditionally that Elohim was his Elohim and thus his name became attached to those of his father Isaac and his grandfather, Abraham. From that moment onward, we call our Elohim, the Elohim of our father’s, Abraham, Isaac AND Jacob.
But note that it is the name Jacob and not Israel that is attached. There is a reason for that. Right now, we are all in the physical world and dealing with navigating through the world’s way while we choose to live Elohim’s way. Jacob had done the very same thing for 96 or 97 years of his life. We are living by this attribute of him as Jacob. Right now, the name Israel is applied to us as a promise and will be granted to us with full honours when we are restored as Elohim’s people at Yeshua’s return.
For Jacob, this new name of Israel expresses the next phase of his life. Now his focus shifts from physical power and strength to the spiritual. The blessing Jacob received by this new name wasn’t just the name itself but what the name means. From that point forward, ‘Elohim prevails’ through the actions of Jacob and his descendants. At that moment, Jacob received the confirmation that Elohim had chosen his family to continue the expression of His glory to the heathen as had been done by Abraham and Isaac. This now required spiritual power and strength in order to act as Elohim’s representatives on the earth. This was the blessing, to have this new level of strength and power so Jacob and his descendants could fulfill the role of earthly representatives to the world.
And thus we have the moniker for the twelve tribes of Israel who are known as “the chosen people”.
The chosen people are not meant to be an elite group that lives untouched by the world or holds a level of superiority to all others, nor can there be any exclusivity. Instead, the chosen people are meant to proclaim to the world there is a glorious way of life which Elohim has established for mankind to live. The chosen people are to model that way of life to show the world how it’s done and to act as guides to enable others to join and follow suit.
Additional Information:
This pattern of physical and intellectual strength and power (Jacob) coupled with spiritual and wise strength and power (Israel) is seen in many other accounts in the scriptures. For instance, it is well understood that Ephraim and Manasseh were given great blessings because of their attributes. Manasseh received blessing associated with his skills in worldly matters as they pertained to the ways of Elohim. Ephraim received the blessings associated with his skills of relating spiritual matters into the world. This is why Jacob crossed his hands, so that Manasseh would remain on his right side and be honoured with that position, while Ephraim was honoured with the right hand. Both boys received honour. See article: “Jacob’s Blessings – Why Didn’t Joseph’s Sons Switch Places?”
Another example of this pattern is found within the tribes themselves. The tribe of Judah in the role as king and the tribe of Levi in the role as priest act in the positions of physical and spiritual power respectively. The rulership of the nation of Israel functioned successfully only with these two elements in righteous operation.
Even the Sun and the Moon express this pattern. The Sun with its bright light is symbolic of Yeshua and His glory, while the Moon with its demure and faint glow is symbolic of the nation of Israel pointing to Yeshua’s glory. Both provide constant reminders of our Elohim and the power over both physical and spiritual matters.
There is one more example of the physical power and the spiritual power: the unity of a man and a woman. How a man and woman become one is through the power and strength within each partner. For the most part is has been the tradition of the man to do the physical activities for his wife and family, which makes the man more physically inclined. Activities such as providing food, shelter and equipment needed to live day-to-day. In ancient times, this meant building one’s own house and raising crops or herds. A betrothed man would go off and build a house for his forthcoming bride. In more modern times, the man traditionally has been the one who goes outside of the home to bring in an income for his family.
Meanwhile, the woman applies the more spiritually inclined side of the union. No doubt many men can attest to their wives being the catalyst for them to learn about Elohim. Cases in point would be Deborah, who lifted the hearts of the men of Zebulun and Naphtali to trust that YHVH was going before them into victorious battle (Judges 4 & 5). Another is of Lydia, who lead her family to be baptized in Yeshua’s name (Acts 16:14-15).
This definition of the roles of man and woman into the physical and the spiritual is another expression of this pattern that has been brought to our attention through the dual names of Jacob and Israel.
There are many more patterns within the scriptures of physical and spiritual unity whether it is within one man (Jacob), or a married couple or a nation (Israel). Clearly, this unity is important for us to understand so we know how to function in our daily lives for the purpose of Elohim’s glory.
This article also answers one more very interesting question; why did Jacob continue to use his birth name even though the angel said he shall no longer be called Jacob? As it says in Genesis 32:27-28, “And he said unto him, What is thy name? And he said, Jacob. And he said, Thy name shall be called no more Jacob, but Israel: for as a prince hast thou power with God and with men, and hast prevailed.”
Unlike his grandfather, whose name was forever changed from Abram to Abraham, Jacob continues to use his birth name for the reasons uncovered with this article. Jacob was a man of this world, but Elohim also instructed him to be a man of Elohim, thus the name of Israel was given to him.
Jacob was not defying the angel by the usage of both his names. Clearly, it was necessary and ordained by Elohim for Jacob to use either name for the sole purpose of identifying the perspective he was representing at that moment. To help clarify this, we can use the example of a man who is the head of a corporation. In the business world he is known as the CEO or president of the company. But once he is home, he is known as husband and father.
Summary:
We now know that the names of either Jacob or Israel are utilized to represent how the man and/or his descendants interact within the two distinct levels in this world.
As reiterated, the name Jacob represents the physical strength and power expressed by knowing how to be wise with worldly matters while remaining within the laws of Elohim. The name Israel represents the spiritual strength and power expressed by how to live according to Elohim’s word while navigating through the worldly environment surrounding us.
It is only the people whom Elohim has chosen as the confirmed representatives upon the Earth who have these abilities to work within both levels of humanity. Both elements can work together or either one of these elements can become the dominant when required.
The purpose of being chosen for this job is solely to glorifying Elohim by our interactions with this world and our steadfastness in presenting to this world an example of how to live life righteously. This is how Elohim prevails (which is the meaning of the name Israel).
Let this mind be in you that is in Messiah, Yeshua. (Philippians 2:5)
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