What is the exact meaning of the new name God gave to Jacob, “Israel”?

After God himself, in the person of the Angel of the LORD, at the border river Jabbok, initially stopped Jacob from entering the Promised Land, he gives him a new name: Israel. The name is composed of the Hebrew verb yiśrā and the Hebrew word ’êl. “El” means God, and most interpreters agree that the verb yiśrā means to fight (to strive), perhaps also to rule. But these two meanings are close to each other because to rule indicates that you are the upper party in the battle.

The question is: what exactly does this name mean when you put both Hebrew words together? And why did God choose this name?

Interpretation 1: It means he struggled with God

Summary: Many interpreters choose the translation: he struggles with God.

Arguments in favour of this view:

Thus the Angel of God himself declares Jacob’s new name: For you have striven with God and with men, and have prevailed. The prophet Hosea recalls this in Hosea 12:3–4.

Arguments against this view:

1.  The Angel of God does give Jacob an explanation of his new name, but this is not a translation (as many would say). After all, for the readers of the Hebrew Bible, a translation of the Hebrew name Yiśrā’êl was not necessary.

2.  In the elucidation it is said that Jacob fought with God and with men. Why is the latter part not reflected in his new name?

3.  In the Hebrew name Yiśrā’êl God is the acting person: God fights. This is the same as in other biblical names ending in el: Yišmā’êl (Ishmael—God hears), Šəmū’êl (Samuel—God has answered), Nathanael (God has given), Yəḥezqêl (Ezekiel—may God make this child strong), Dānîyêl (Daniel—God has spoken justice), etc.

4.  It is not only that this new name says more about Jacob than about God that is implausible, but also what this new name says about Jacob according to this statement. It is a positive, appreciative name. Jacob’s struggle against God and men (which lasted much longer than this nightly fight!), and the victory he gained in the process, should be valued positively. But why then does God for so long, and ultimately with his own efforts as an adversary, keep Jacob from returning to Canaan?

Interpretation 2: It means Prince of God

Summary: There are also interpreters who choose the translation Prince of God. This is based on the meaning of the verb yiśrā as: to rule.

Arguments in favour of this view:

This translation also assumes that God’s declaration of his new name is meant in a positive and appreciative way. Jacob fought and endured like a prince.

Arguments against this view:

The arguments against Interpretation 1 also apply to this interpretation.

Interpretation 3: It means God rules

Summary: Yiśrā’êl should be translated as: God rules.

Arguments in favour of this view:

This translation does justice to the Hebrew and allows God, not Jacob, to be the acting person. John Calvin, following the church father Jerome, writes that this new name was intended to give Jacob the confidence that, now that he had acted so heroically against God in the battle of the last few hours, he would gain many more victories over men. For God himself (he rules!) wants to achieve many more victories in the person of Jacob.

Arguments against this view:

Except for the fact that this translation allows God to remain the acting person, the other arguments against Interpretation 1 also apply to this interpretation.

Interpretation 4: It means God is fighting

Summary: Yiśrā’êl should be translated as: God is fighting.

Arguments in favour of this view:

1. This is how the readers of the Hebrew Bible would have read it and still read it.

2. God’s explanation of this new name (Genesis 32:28) is not meant to be laudatory. On the contrary: it is a reminder of Jacob’s constant efforts to fight his own battles—against God and against people. He thought he could buy the birthright with the inherent blessing from his brother (Genesis 25:29–34). Then, in order to get the blessing for the firstborn, he deceived his father and his brother (Genesis 27:1–46). During his stay in Haran, he obtained possession of much of the flock of his father-in-law, Laban, through devious means (Genesis 30:25–36). The entirety of Jacob’s conduct in Genesis 32:1–32 also shows how Jacob does not consider himself entirely dependent on God’s merciful care, but instead thinks that he needs to (and is able to) arrange the imminent encounter with Esau without too many problems.

3. The Angel of the LORD first of all sent a warning army to this Jacob (see the exegeses of Genesis 32:1–2). And then God himself joined in the battle in his very special way, to bring Jacob to his knees.

4. Yet God allowed Jacob to win. But not without first making him feel that if he had wanted to, he could have eliminated Jacob with one blow. Because with one blow he dislocated Jacob’s hip so badly that he would limp for the rest of his life. Thus, it was a victory that Jacob received, not one that he had fought for in his own strength.

5. Through his new name Jacob has to carry the memory of this fight for the rest of his life. And so must his descendants, yes, God’s people of all subsequent centuries. For God also records the memory of this in Jacob’s new name: God fights. So, leave it to him and do not try to take over his reins. For you can also have God against you!

6. God entered the battle with Jacob as the angel of the LORD (Hosea 12:3–4). In the OT, this special angel is the captain of God’s angelic army (Joshua 5:13–14; Judges 6:12; Judges 13:1–25). Thus he had already appeared to Jacob the previous day (Genesis 32:1). Now he has taken on the form of a man. This special angel always appears to be an appearance of God himself (see also Hosea 12:3–4). But at the same time, he can also enter into conversation with God (see Zechariah 1:12). Therefore we can also think here of an appearance of God the Son, before his incarnation as a human being in Bethlehem.

7. Jacob’s new name, God fights, was a foreshadowing of the work of this special Angel later to appear as Man. It was not Jacob who would fight with his devious methods to open the way to the future and the salvation of the world; it was not Jacob who would work out God’s blessing, already promised to Abraham for all nations. God alone could and would do that—by being born as a Man from the offspring of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. He could have thrown twelve divisions of angels into the battle but he engaged in the battle all by himself. Bearing our guilt, he would humble himself as Man before God, in order to guarantee the entrance into the heavenly Canaan for God’s people from all nations.

8. With this interpretation it no longer makes much of a difference whether we choose the translation God fights or God rules. Because in God’s fight the victory is guaranteed in advance.