Genesis 32:24–31 recounts a cryptic and theologically significant episode in which Ya’aqov (Jacob) wrestles with an unidentified “man” through the night, leading to the bestowal of the name Yisra’el and Ya’aqov’s subsequent declaration that he had “seen God face-to-face.” This passage has elicited centuries of debate regarding the identity of the “man,” the nature of the encounter, and its broader implications. Central to this discussion is the interpretive methods provided by the ancient Greek translations of the Hebrew Bible, which reveal diverse theological understandings.
