(4) Jacob sent messengers ahead to his brother Esau in the land of Seir, the country of Edom, (5) and instructed them as follows, “Thus shall you say, ‘To my lord Esau, thus says your servant Jacob: I stayed with Laban and remained until now; (6) I have acquired cattle, asses, sheep, and male and female slaves; and I send this message to my lord in the hope of gaining your favor.’” (7) The messengers returned to Jacob, saying, “We came to your brother Esau; he himself is coming to meet you, and there are four hundred men with him.” (8) Jacob was greatly frightened; in his anxiety, he divided the people with him, and the flocks and herds and camels, into two camps, (9) thinking, “If Esau comes to the one camp and attacks it, the other camp may yet escape.” (10) Then Jacob said, “O God of my father Abraham and God of my father Isaac, O LORD, who said to me, ‘Return to your native land and I will deal bountifully with you’! (11) I am unworthy of all the kindness that You have so steadfastly shown Your servant: with my staff alone I crossed this Jordan, and now I have become two camps. (12) Deliver me, I pray, from the hand of my brother, from the hand of Esau; else, I fear, he may come and strike me down, mothers and children alike. (13) Yet You have said, ‘I will deal bountifully with you and make your offspring as the sands of the sea, which are too numerous to count.’” (14) After spending the night there, he selected from what was at hand these presents for his brother Esau: (15) 200 she-goats and 20 he-goats; 200 ewes and 20 rams; (16) 30 milch camels with their colts; 40 cows and 10 bulls; 20 she-asses and 10 he-asses. (17) These he put in the charge of his servants, drove by drove, and he told his servants, “Go on ahead, and keep a distance between droves.” (18) He instructed the one in front as follows, “When my brother Esau meets you and asks you, ‘Whose man are you? Where are you going? And whose [animals] are these ahead of you?’ (19) you shall answer, ‘Your servant Jacob’s; they are a gift sent to my lord Esau; and [Jacob] himself is right behind us.’” (20) He gave similar instructions to the second one, and the third, and all the others who followed the droves, namely, “Thus and so shall you say to Esau when you reach him. (21) And you shall add, ‘And your servant Jacob himself is right behind us.’” For he reasoned, “If I propitiate him with presents in advance, and then face him, perhaps he will show me favor.” (22) And so the gift went on ahead, while he remained in camp that night. (23) That same night he arose, and taking his two wives, his two maidservants, and his eleven children, he crossed the ford of the Jabbok. (24) After taking them across the stream, he sent across all his possessions. (25) Jacob was left alone. And a man wrestled with him until the break of dawn. (26) When he saw that he had not prevailed against him, he wrenched Jacob’s hip at its socket, so that the socket of his hip was strained as he wrestled with him. (27) Then he said, “Let me go, for dawn is breaking.” But he answered, “I will not let you go, unless you bless me.” (28) Said the other, “What is your name?” He replied, “Jacob.” (29) Said he, “Your name shall no longer be Jacob, but Israel, for you have striven with beings divine and human, and have prevailed.” (30) Jacob asked, “Pray tell me your name.” But he said, “You must not ask my name!” And he took leave of him there. (31) So Jacob named the place Peniel, meaning, “I have seen a divine being face to face, yet my life has been preserved.” (32) The sun rose upon him as he passed Penuel, limping on his hip.
Commentators debate what kind of man Jacob encounters at night. Some suggest that it is an angel of God because angels do not have names and angels' names change depending on their earthly missions. Others say Jacob wrestles with his conscience.
Discussion questions:
1. What stands out to you in this passage?
2. Who do you think Jacob encounters at night?
3. In what way is Jacob changed after his night time encounter?
4. How do you think his night time encounter affect his meeting with Esau where Esau runs towards him and kisses him and they both cry?
This is not the first time that Jacob is renamed Israel. It happens again later in our Torah portion.

Jacob by James Tissot Date: c. 1896-1902 thejewishmuseum.org
This renaming happens after a traumatic event where Jacob's daughter Dinah is raped by Shechem and then some of Jacob's sons take revenge by killing all of the men in Shechem's town.
1. What stands out to you? What do you notice?
One commentator (Rashi) explains that the first time Jacob's name was changed it was actually just forecasting that his name would later be changed to Israel.
Unlike when Abram and Sarai are renamed Abraham and Sarah which are permanent name changes, after Jacob is renamed Israel, he is referred to in the Torah by both Jacob and Israel. One commentator (Ibn Ezra) explains that the Torah actually means, "Henceforth, you shall not be called Jacob exclusively, but also Israel."
https://www.thetorah.com/article/jacob-is-renamed-israel-twice-why-does-the-name-jacob-remain
2. Why do you think Jacob is renamed twice?
3. The Israelites are called the People Israel after Jacob, the third and final patriarch. They could have been called the People Abraham or the People Moses. What does it mean to you that in the Torah Jews are known as Jacob's people?
4. Jacob is sometimes known as the most human of the patriarchs because we see so many sides of him in the Torah (his gentle-nature, his closeness with his mother Rebecca, his trickery of his father and brother, he also tricks his father-in-law Laban, he falls in love, he expresses fear). Do you think that the People Israel are named after any of Jacob's qualities or characteristics?
5. Has your name or title ever changed (maybe a legal or unofficial name change)? How did that change affect you?
In this passage immediately following Jacob's renaming, Rachel, Jacob's favorite wife dies in childbirth after giving birth to Benjamin. She names Benjamin Ben-Oni (son of my sorrow) but Jacob calls him Benjamin. Benjamin could mean son of the South, or son of old days since Benjamin was the youngest he would be responsible for caring for Jacob as Jacob ages. The name could also mean, son of my right hand.
Discussion questions:
1. What do you notice in this passage?
2. Do you see a relationship between the renaming here and Jacob's renaming to Israel?
