OLD TESTAMENT TEXTS

Genesis 32:22-31 is the account of Jacob's fight with God at the Jabbok River, while Psalm 17:1-9, 15 is a psalm of lament that ends with words of confidence.

Genesis 32:22-31 - "A Story of Transformation"
Setting.  An interpretation of Jacob's struggle with God at the Jabbok River requires that we look briefly at the larger context of the Jacob cycle and return to a topic that was introduced in the opening lesson on the Jacob cycle—namely, the power of names in the shaping of the stories.

First, the context. The Jacob cycle can be viewed as a large repetition of stories. We noted last week how the struggle between Jacob and Laban presented a repetition and reversal of many of the motifs that were present in the opening story. Repetition can be viewed on an even larg…