What is the meaning of Genesis 35:10? And God said to him - The moment opens with God taking the initiative—He speaks first, as in Genesis 12:1 and Exodus 3:4, underscoring His sovereign grace. - Scripture repeatedly shows that genuine change begins when the Lord addresses a person (cf. Acts 9:4). - Jacob is again reminded that his life is lived under divine call, just as in earlier encounters at Bethel (Genesis 28:13-15) and Peniel (Genesis 32:28-30). Though your name is Jacob - “Jacob” means “heel-catcher” or “supplanter,” recalling his grasping birth (Genesis 25:26) and past deception (Genesis 27:36). - God names the truth about Jacob’s old identity—He never ignores our history (cf. Psalm 51:6). - By repeating the name, the Lord highlights the contrast between the old nature and what He is about to pronounce (2 Corinthians 5:17). You will no longer be called Jacob - A decisive break is declared; the old label no longer defines him (Isaiah 43:18-19). - The phrasing mirrors future covenant language where God removes shame and reproach from His people (Zephaniah 3:19-20). - What God forbids (“no longer”) He also empowers; His word accomplishes what it declares (Isaiah 55:11). Instead, your name will be Israel - “Israel” speaks of “God strives” or “prince with God,” first announced in Genesis 32:28. - The new name captures the transformation from self-reliance to God-reliance, echoed later in Hosea 12:3-5. - Receiving a new name is covenantal; Abram to Abraham (Genesis 17:5) and Sarai to Sarah (Genesis 17:15) prepare us for this pattern. - The promise hints at the nation that will bear Jacob’s new name (Exodus 19:6), connecting personal change with redemptive history. So God named him Israel - The narrative closes the loop: what God promises, He performs (Numbers 23:19). - The act is final and authoritative, unlike human self-renaming; God alone bestows identity (Revelation 2:17). - From this point on, Scripture alternates between “Jacob” and “Israel” to teach that while the old nature is remembered, the new identity prevails (Genesis 46:2-4; Isaiah 44:1-2). summary Genesis 35:10 records God’s gracious declaration over Jacob, replacing a past marked by grasping with a future marked by partnership with God. The verse shows that: • God initiates transformation. • He confronts and retires the old identity. • He bestows a new, covenantal name that shapes destiny. The passage assures believers that the Lord who renamed Jacob is still renaming lives today, faithfully fulfilling every word He speaks. |
    |