Peniel, also called Penuel, was the place where Jacob wrestled with God and had his name changed to Israel.
Also known as Penuel
Peniel, also known as Penuel, was a significant location in the life of the patriarch Israel (or 'Jacob'). It is first mentioned in Genesis 32:30-31, where Jacob wrestled with a mysterious man (believed to be God or an angel) throughout the night. After the encounter, Jacob named the place Peniel, meaning "face of God," saying, "I have seen God face to face, and yet my life has been delivered." The wrestling match marked a turning point in Jacob's life, as he received a new name, Israel, signifying his struggle with God and men (Gen. 32:28).
Later in the Bible, Penuel is mentioned as a city in the territory of Gad, east of the Jordan River. During the time of the judges, Gideon and his men pursued the Midianite kings Zebah and Zalmunna to Penuel (Judg. 8:8-9). The men of Penuel refused to provide bread to Gideon's army, so Gideon vowed to tear down the tower of Penuel upon his return (Judg. 8:17). In the reign of King Jeroboam I of Israel, Penuel was one of the cities he fortified (1Kgs. 12:25), possibly to secure his kingdom against the threat of Judah in the south.
Approximate location: 32.184, 35.703 · view on a map · on the Bible atlas
(face of God) the name which Jacob gave to the place in which he had wrestled with God: “He called the name of the place ’face of El,’ for I have seen Elohim face to face.” (Genesis 32:30) In (Genesis 32:31) and the other passages in which the name occurs, its form is changed to Penuel. From the narrative it is evident that Peniel lay somewhere on the north bank of the Jabbok, and between that torrent and the fords of the Jordan at Succoth, a few miles north of the glen where the Jabbok falls into the Jordan.
face or vision of God; that sees God
PENI'EL, or PENU'EL (face of God), a place between the Jabbok and Succoth where Jacob had his mysterious wrestling with the Angel. Gen 32:24-32. The usual, and probably the original, form was "Penuel," and this is the form in the Samaritan Pentateuch. Five hundred years later, when pursuing the Midianites. Gideon found a city and tower at Penuel, and slew the men of the city. Jud 8:17-18. Jeroboam went from Shechem and built Penuel. 1 Kgs 12:25. Its site has long been counted as unknown, for the region in which it was situated has been only slightly explored. Dr. Merrill, however, identifies Penuel with a point on the Zerka (Jabbok), about 4 miles east of Canaan's ford and at Tabill edh Dhahuh. See Jabbok.
PENI'EL, or PENU'EL (face of God), a place between the Jabbok and Succoth where Jacob had his mysterious wrestling with the Angel. Gen 32:24-32. The usual, and probably the original, form was "Penuel," and this is the form in the Samaritan Pentateuch. Five hundred years later, when pursuing the Midianites. Gideon found a city and tower at Penuel, and slew the men of the city. Jud 8:17-18. Jeroboam went from Shechem and built Penuel. 1 Kgs 12:25. Its site has long been counted as unknown, for the region in which it was situated has been only slightly explored. Dr. Merrill, however, identifies Penuel with a point on the Zerka (Jabbok), about 4 miles east of Canaan's ford and at Tabill edh Dhahuh. See Jabbok.
Easton (1897), Smith (1863), Hitchcock (1869), Hastings (1898) and Schaff are in the public domain. Parsed text: neuu-org/bible-dictionary-dataset (CC BY 4.0). Headwords and whitespace normalised for this site.
6 verses in 3 books · English text: BSB (change it from the menu at the top) · Strong’s H6439
So Jacob named the place Peniel, saying, “Indeed, I have seen God face to face, and yet my life was spared.”
The sun rose above him as he passed by Penuel, and he was limping because of his hip.
From there he went up to Penuel and asked the same from them, but the men of Penuel gave the same response as the men of Succoth.
So Gideon told the men of Penuel, “When I return in triumph, I will tear down this tower!”
He also pulled down the tower of Penuel and killed the men of the city.
Then Jeroboam built Shechem in the hill country of Ephraim and lived there. And from there he went out and built Penuel.
Names, family links and references: STEPBible TIPNR (Tyndale House Cambridge, CC BY 4.0). Short descriptions were drafted with AI assistance by STEPBible. Family links follow STEPBible’s scholarly decisions where genealogies are ambiguous.