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Hos_12:3 He took his brother by the heel in the womb, and by his strength he had power with God:
Ver. 3. He took his brother by the heel in the womb] To have hindered him if he could of the first birthright; so desirous he showed himself so soon of that desirable privilege and the promises annexed. Whence we may learn (saith one) that God taketh care even of unborn babes, that belong to him, and worketh strangely in them sometimes, as he did in the Baptist, Luk_1:44, the child leaped in the womb, by a supernatural motion; he leaped more like a suckling at the breast, as the word signifieth, than an unborn embryo. Mention had been made in the former verse of the name of Jacob; here we have the etymology, or reason of that name; He took his brother by the heel, or foot sole, as if he would have turned up his heels and got to the goal before him. Hence his name was called Jacob, Gen_25:26, that is, calcanearins, or heel catcher, as if he would have pulled his brother back; or presage of what he should afterwards do, viz. supplant Esau, and get the pre-eminence both of birthright and blessing, Gen_27:36, and with it a fruit, an instance of God’s free grace, in preferring Jacob (when he could not yet do anything that was good) before Esau, though he were the elder, stronger, stouter, a manly child, a man already, as his name importeth, one that had everything more like a man than a babe. See Mal_1:2. {See Trapp on "Mal_1:2"} And observe, that God here upbraideth Jacob’s degenerate brood with his benefits toward him, their forefather, whereof they now walked so utterly unworthily.
And by his strength] By his hard labour, say the Seventy, åí êïðù áõôïõ : but better, by, or in, his strength, that is, by the supply of the spirit of Jesus Christ, Php_1:19, and by the power of the Almighty, casting him down with the one hand, and bearing him up with the other.
He had power with God] Heb. he played the prince with God, fortiter et fideliter se gessit, he bore himself bravely, and had strength with God. He doth not lie down sullen and discouraged, but wrestleth with excellent wrestlings; he held with his hands, when his joints were out of joint. He wrestled in the night and alone, and when God was leaving him, and upon one leg, and prevailed, as it is in the next verse. This he did partly by his bodily strength elevated, for he was a very strong man, as appeareth, Gen_29:10, by his rolling the great stone from the well’s mouth; but principally by the force of his faith put forth in prayer, which can work wonders. Oh, it is a sweet thing indeed to be strengthened with might by the Spirit in the inner man, Eph_3:16. O quam hic homo, non est omnium! This is the generation of them that seek him: that seek thy face, this is Jacob, Psa_24:6; yea, this is Israel, for so God knighted him, as it were, in the field for his good service, and new named him, Gen_32:28. Neither were the faithful ever since called Abrahamites, or Isaacites, but Israelites, for honour’s sake.