Jacob is given a new name that represents his redeemed place in Christ rather than his former wretched estate in this world. Jacob means “supplanter.” Israel means “contends with, not against, God.” From the renaming of Īssah to Eve in Genesis 3, the new name is a faint typology we see in the Old Testament. It is fulfilled in Christ, who puts our sinful natures to death and gives us new names that are only known to us (cf. Revelation 2:17). In Christ, God is making all things new.

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