Genesis 32:24-28

32:24 So Jacob was left alone. Then a man ¹  wrestled ²  with him until daybreak. ³  32:25 When the man ⁴  saw that he could not defeat Jacob, ⁵  he struck ⁶  the socket of his hip so the socket of Jacob’s hip was dislocated while he wrestled with him.

32:26 Then the man ⁷  said, “Let me go, for the dawn is breaking.” ⁸  “I will not let you go,” Jacob replied, ⁹  “unless you bless me.” ¹⁰  32:27 The man asked him, ¹¹  “What is your name?” ¹²  He answered, “Jacob.” 32:28 “No longer will your name be Jacob,” the man told him, ¹³  “but Israel, ¹⁴  because you have fought ¹⁵  with God and with men and have prevailed.”

Matthew 15:25-28

15:25 But she came and bowed down ¹⁶  before him and said, ¹⁷  “Lord, help me!” 15:26 “It is not right ¹⁸  to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs,” ¹⁹  he said. ²⁰  15:27 “Yes, Lord,” she replied, ²¹  “but even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters’ table.” 15:28 Then ²²  Jesus answered her, “Woman, ²³  your faith is great! Let what you want be done for you.” And her daughter was healed from that hour.

Luke 11:5-8

11:5 Then ²⁴  he said to them, “Suppose one of you ²⁵  has a friend, and you go to him ²⁶  at midnight and say to him, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves of bread, ²⁷  11:6 because a friend of mine has stopped here while on a journey, ²⁸  and I have nothing to set before ²⁹  him.’ 11:7 Then ³⁰  he will reply ³¹  from inside, ‘Do not bother me. The door is already shut, and my children and I are in bed. ³²  I cannot get up and give you anything.’ ³³  11:8 I tell you, even though the man inside ³⁴  will not get up and give him anything because he is his friend, yet because of the first man’s ³⁵  sheer persistence ³⁶  he will get up and give him whatever he needs.

Luke 18:1-8

Prayer and the Parable of the Persistent Widow

18:1 Then ³⁷  Jesus ³⁸  told them a parable to show them they should always ³⁹  pray and not lose heart. ⁴⁰  18:2 He said, ⁴¹  “In a certain city ⁴²  there was a judge ⁴³  who neither feared God nor respected people. ⁴⁴  18:3 There was also a widow ⁴⁵  in that city ⁴⁶  who kept coming ⁴⁷  to him and saying, ‘Give me justice against my adversary.’ 18:4 For ⁴⁸  a while he refused, but later on ⁴⁹  he said to himself, ‘Though I neither fear God nor have regard for people, ⁵⁰  18:5 yet because this widow keeps on bothering me, I will give her justice, or in the end she will wear me out ⁵¹  by her unending pleas.’” ⁵²  18:6 And the Lord said, “Listen to what the unrighteous judge says! ⁵³  18:7 Won’t ⁵⁴  God give justice to his chosen ones, who cry out ⁵⁵  to him day and night? ⁵⁶  Will he delay ⁵⁷  long to help them? 18:8 I tell you, he will give them justice speedily. ⁵⁸  Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith ⁵⁹  on earth?”

[32:24]  ¹ sn Reflecting Jacob’s perspective at the beginning of the encounter, the narrator calls the opponent simply “a man.” Not until later in the struggle does Jacob realize his true identity.

[32:24]  ² sn The verb translated “wrestled” (וַיֵּאָבֵק, vayye’aveq) sounds in Hebrew like the names “Jacob” (יַעֲקֹב, ya’aqov) and “Jabbok” (יַבֹּק, yabboq). In this way the narrator links the setting, the main action, and the main participant together in the mind of the reader or hearer.

[32:24]  ³ tn Heb “until the rising of the dawn.”

[32:25]  ⁴ tn Heb “he”; the referent (the man) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[32:25]  ⁵ tn Heb “him”; the referent (Jacob) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[32:25]  ⁶ tn Or “injured”; traditionally “touched.” The Hebrew verb translated “struck” has the primary meanings “to touch; to reach; to strike.” It can, however, carry the connotation “to harm; to molest; to injure.” God’s “touch” cripples Jacob – it would be comparable to a devastating blow.

[32:26]  ⁷ tn Heb “he”; the referent (the man) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[32:26]  ⁸ tn Heb “dawn has arisen.”

[32:26]  ⁹ tn Heb “and he said, ‘I will not let you go.’” The referent of the pronoun “he” (Jacob) has been specified for clarity, and the order of the introductory clause and the direct discourse has been rearranged in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[32:26]  ¹⁰ sn Jacob wrestled with a man thinking him to be a mere man, and on that basis was equal to the task. But when it had gone on long enough, the night visitor touched Jacob and crippled him. Jacob’s request for a blessing can only mean that he now knew that his opponent was supernatural. Contrary to many allegorical interpretations of the passage that make fighting equivalent to prayer, this passage shows that Jacob stopped fighting, and then asked for a blessing.

[32:27]  ¹¹ tn Heb “and he said to him.” The referent of the pronoun “he” (the man who wrestled with Jacob) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[32:27]  ¹² sn What is your name? The question is rhetorical, since the Lord obviously knew Jacob’s identity. But since the Lord is going to change Jacob’s name, this question is designed to bring focus Jacob’s attention on all that his name had come to signify.

[32:28]  ¹³ tn Heb “and he said.” The referent of the pronoun “he” (the man who wrestled with Jacob) has been specified for clarity, and the order of the introductory clause and the direct discourse has been rearranged in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[32:28]  ¹⁴ sn The name Israel is a common construction, using a verb with a theophoric element (אֵל, ’el) that usually indicates the subject of the verb. Here it means “God fights.” This name will replace the name Jacob; it will be both a promise and a call for faith. In essence, the Lord was saying that Jacob would have victory and receive the promises because God would fight for him.

[32:28]  ¹⁵ sn You have fought. The explanation of the name Israel includes a sound play. In Hebrew the verb translated “you have fought” (שָׂרִיתָ, sarita) sounds like the name “Israel” (יִשְׂרָאֵל, yisra’el ), meaning “God fights” (although some interpret the meaning as “he fights [with] God”). The name would evoke the memory of the fight and what it meant. A. Dillmann says that ever after this the name would tell the Israelites that, when Jacob contended successfully with God, he won the battle with man (Genesis, 2:279). To be successful with God meant that he had to be crippled in his own self-sufficiency (A. P. Ross, “Jacob at the Jabboq, Israel at Peniel,” BSac 142 [1985]: 51-62).

[15:25]  ¹⁶ tn In this context the verb προσκυνέω (proskunew), which often describes worship, probably means simply bowing down to the ground in an act of reverence or supplication (see L&N 17.21).

[15:25]  ¹⁷ tn Grk “she bowed down to him, saying.”

[15:26]  ¹⁸ tn Grk “And answering, he said, ‘It is not right.’” The introductory phrase “answering, he said” has been simplified and placed at the end of the English sentence for stylistic reasons. Here δέ (de) has not been translated.

[15:26]  ¹⁹ tn Or “lap dogs, house dogs,” as opposed to dogs on the street. The diminutive form originally referred to puppies or little dogs, then to house pets. In some Hellenistic uses κυνάριον (kunarion) simply means “dog.”

[15:26]  ²⁰ tn Grk “And answering, he said.” The participle ἀποκριθείς (apokriqeis) is redundant and has not been translated.

[15:27]  ²¹ tn Grk “she said.”

[15:28]  ²² tn Grk “Then answering, Jesus said to her.” This expression has been simplified in the translation.

[15:28]  ²³ sn Woman was a polite form of address (see BDAG 208-9 s.v. γυνή 1), similar to “Madam” or “Ma’am” used in English in different regions.

[11:5]  ²⁴ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.

[11:5]  ²⁵ tn Grk “Who among you will have a friend and go to him.”

[11:5]  ²⁶ tn Grk “he will go to him.”

[11:5]  ²⁷ tn The words “of bread” are not in the Greek text, but are implied by ἄρτους (artou", “loaves”).

[11:6]  ²⁸ tn Grk “has come to me from the road.”

[11:6]  ²⁹ sn The background to the statement I have nothing to set before him is that in ancient Middle Eastern culture it was a matter of cultural honor to be a good host to visitors.

[11:7]  ³⁰ tn Κἀκεῖνος (kakeino") has been translated “Then he.”

[11:7]  ³¹ tn Grk “answering, he will say.” This is redundant in contemporary English and has been simplified to “he will reply.”

[11:7]  ³² tn Grk “my children are with me in the bed.” In Jewish homes in the time of Jesus, the beds were often all together in one room; thus the householder may be speaking of individual beds (using a collective singular) rather than a common bed.

[11:7]  ³³ tn The syntax of vv. 6-7 is complex. In the Greek text Jesus’ words in v. 6 begin as a question. Some see Jesus’ question ending at v. 6, but the reply starting in v. 8 favors extending the question through the entire illustration. The translation breaks up the long sentence at the beginning of v. 7 and translates Jesus’ words as a statement for reasons of English style.

[11:8]  ³⁴ tn Grk “he”; the referent (the man in bed in the house) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[11:8]  ³⁵ tn Grk “his”; the referent (the first man mentioned) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[11:8]  ³⁶ tn The term ἀναίδεια (anaideia) is hard to translate. It refers to a combination of ideas, a boldness that persists over time, or “audacity,” which comes close. It most likely describes the one making the request, since the unit’s teaching is an exhortation about persistence in prayer. Some translate the term “shamelessness” which is the term’s normal meaning, and apply it to the neighbor as an illustration of God responding for the sake of his honor. But the original question was posed in terms of the first man who makes the request, not of the neighbor, so the teaching underscores the action of the one making the request.

[18:1]  ³⁷ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.

[18:1]  ³⁸ tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[18:1]  ³⁹ tn Or “should pray at all times” (L&N 67.88).

[18:1]  ⁴⁰ sn This is one of the few parables that comes with an explanation at the start: …they should always pray and not lose heart. It is part of Luke’s goal in encouraging Theophilus (1:4).

[18:2]  ⁴¹ tn Grk “lose heart, saying.” This is a continuation of the previous sentence in the Greek text, but a new sentence was started here in the translation by supplying the pronominal subject “He.”

[18:2]  ⁴² tn Or “town.”

[18:2]  ⁴³ sn The judge here is apparently portrayed as a civil judge who often handled financial cases.

[18:2]  ⁴⁴ tn Grk “man,” but the singular ἄνθρωπος (anqrwpo") is used as a generic in comparison to God.

[18:3]  ⁴⁵ sn This widow was not necessarily old, since many people lived only into their thirties in the 1st century.

[18:3]  ⁴⁶ tn Or “town.”

[18:3]  ⁴⁷ tn This is an iterative imperfect; the widow did this on numerous occasions.

[18:4]  ⁴⁸ tn Grk “And for.” Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.

[18:4]  ⁴⁹ tn Grk “after these things.”

[18:4]  ⁵⁰ tn Grk “man,” but the singular ἄνθρωπος (anqrwpo") is used as a generic in comparison to God.

[18:5]  ⁵¹ tn The term ὑπωπιάζω (Jupwpiazw) in this context means “to wear someone out by continual annoying” (L&N 25.245).

[18:5]  ⁵² tn Grk “by her continual coming,” but the point of annoyance to the judge is her constant pleas for justice (v. 3).

[18:6]  ⁵³ sn Listen to what the unrighteous judge says! The point of the parable is that the judge’s lack of compassion was overcome by the widow’s persistence.

[18:7]  ⁵⁴ tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.

[18:7]  ⁵⁵ sn The prayers have to do with the righteous who cry out to him to receive justice. The context assumes the righteous are persecuted.

[18:7]  ⁵⁶ tn The emphatic particles in this sentence indicate that God will indeed give justice to the righteous.

[18:7]  ⁵⁷ sn The issue of delay has produced a whole host of views for this verse. (1) Does this assume provision to endure in the meantime? Or (2) does it mean God restricts the level of persecution until he comes? Either view is possible.

[18:8]  ⁵⁸ tn Some argue this should be translated “suddenly.” When vindication comes it will be quick. But the more natural meaning is “soon.” God will not forget his elect and will respond to them. It may be that this verse has a prophetic perspective. In light of the eternity that comes, vindication is soon.

[18:8]  ⁵⁹ sn Will he find faith on earth? The Son of Man is looking for those who continue to believe in him, despite the wait.