He took his brother by the heel in the womb, and by his strength he had power with God:
He - Jacob, contrasted with his degenerate descendants, called by his name Jacob, (Hosea 12:2: cf. Micah 2:7, "O thou that art named the house of Jacob ... are these His (the Lord's) doings?")
He took his brother by the heel in the womb - he took Esau by the heel in the womb, in order to obtain, if possible, the privileges of the first-born (Genesis 25:22-26), whence he took his name Jacob, meaning supplanter; and, again, by his strength prevailed in wrestling with God for a blessing (Genesis 32:24-29): whereas ye disregard my promises, putting your confidence in idols and foreign alliances. He conquered God, ye are the slaves of idols. Only have Yahweh on your side, and ye are stronger than Edom, or even Assyria. So the spiritual Israel lays hold of the heel of Jesus, "the First-born of many brethren," being born again of the Holy Spirit. Having no right in themselves to the inheritance, they lay hold of the bruised heel, the humanity of Christ crucified, and let not go their hold of Him who is not, as Esau, a curse (Hebrews 12:16-17), but, by becoming a curse for us, is a blessing to us.
And by his strength he had power with God. Referring to his name "Israel," prince of God, acquired on that occasion (cf. Matthew 11:12). As the promised Canaan had to be gained forcibly by Israel, so heaven by the faithful (Revelation 3:21: cf. Luke 13:24, "Strive (literally, as in the agony of a contest) to enter in at the strait gate"). So the Canaanitess (Matthew 15:22).
His strength - which lay in his conscious weakness, whence, when his thigh was put out of joint by God, he hung upon Him. To seek strength was his object, to grant it God's. Yet God's mode of procedure was strange. In human form He tries as it were to throw Jacob down. When simple wrestling was not enough, He does what seems to ensure Jacob's fall, dislocating his thigh-joint, so that he could no longer stand. Yet it was then that Jacob prevailed. Thus God teaches us the irresistible might of conscious weakness. For when weak in ourselves, we are strong by His strength put in as (Job 23:6, "Will He plead against me with his great power? No; but He would put strength in me;" Isaiah 27:5; 2 Corinthians 12:9-10).