angel beginning the struggle: but he prevailed
over the angel, who used a voice, and spake to him in words, exhorting
him to be pleased with what had happened to him, and not to suppose that
his victory was a small one, but that he had overcome a divine angel,
and to esteem the victory as a sign of great blessings that should come
to him, and that his offspring should never fall, and that no man should
be too hard for his power. He also commanded him to be called Israel,
which in the Hebrew tongue signifies one that struggled with the divine
angel. [37] These promises were made at the prayer of Jacob; for when he
perceived him to be the angel of God, he desired he would signify to him
what should befall him hereafter. And when the angel had said what is
before related, he disappeared; but Jacob was pleased with these things,
and named the place Phanuel, which signifies, the face of God. Now when
he felt pain, by this struggling, upon his broad sinew, he abstained
from eating that sinew himself afterward; and for his sake it is still
not eaten by us.

3. When Jacob understood that his brother was near, he ordered his wives
to go before, each by herself, with the handmaids, that they might see
the actions of the men as they were fighting, if Esau were so disposed.
He then went up to his brother Esau, and bowed down to him, who had no
evil design upon him, but saluted him; and asked him about the company
of the children and of the women; and desired, when he had understood
all he wanted to know about them, that he would go along with him to
their father; but Jacob pretending that the cattle were weary, Esau
returned to Seir, for there was his place of habitation, he having named
the place Roughness, from his own hairy roughness.

CHAPTER 21. Concerning The Violation Of Dina's Chastity.

1. Hereupon Jacob came to the place, till this day called Tents
[Succoth]; from whence he went to Shechem, which is a city of the
Canaanites. Now as the Shechemites were keeping a festival Dina, who was
the only daughter of Jacob, went into the city to see the finery of the
women of that country. But when Shechem, the son of Hamor the king, saw
her, he defiled her by violence; and being greatly in love with her,
desired of his father that he would procure the damsel to him for a
wife. To which desire he condescended, and came to Jacob, desiring him
to give leave that his son Shechem might, according to law, marry Dina.
But Jacob,