Genesis 32:28 - Coke's Commentary on the Holy Bible

For as a prince, &c.— Our translation renders these words of the Angel to Jacob, as if Jacob had prevailed over men as well as over him; whereas he had been so far from prevailing over the only two enemies he had, viz. Esau and Laban, that he had been forced to flee from them both. This makes it therefore necessary to have recourse to a better version of these words, if the original can bear us out in it; which it will do, without the least violence, or rather by following the most strict and literal sense of it, which runs thus: thou hast acted or behaved prince-like (in thy wrestling) with GOD, and thou shalt also prevail over men. And indeed, what could be more comfortable to Jacob in the strait he was in, about meeting his brother Esau, than such a promise? or what can more naturally account for the vision of angels, as well as this appearance of Jehovah, than to suppose that he was favoured with them, in order to dispel his fear, as well as, no doubt, to afford him spiritual strength. This version is likewise more agreeable to the Chaldee paraphrase, the Septuagint, and the Vulgate, which render it thus: if thou hast been thus far able to prevail with GOD, how much more wilt thou be able to prevail over men! As to the Person who wrestled with Jacob, some have believed him to be a mere angel, only because Hosea calls him by that name (ch. Genesis 12:4.); whereas, when it is God or Christ that appears like one, he is distinguished by the Angel of the Covenant, or some other word. But what follows in the very next verse of the prophet just quoted, plainly confutes that notion; he found him in Beth-el, even the LORD GOD of hosts. That it was GOD who met him in Bethel is plain, by his saying, I am the God of Beth-el. The general opinion therefore of ancient and modern authors is, that it was CHRIST who wrestled with Jacob here.