Genesis 2:19 - Now the LORD God had formed out of the ground all the beasts ...

Now the LORD God had formed out of the ground all the beasts of the field and all the birds of the air. He brought them to the man to see what he would name them; and whatever the man called each living creature, that was its name. (Genesis 2:19-20)

Was Adam really naming all the species?

This verse has been questionably translated into English by those who did not understand the topic being discussed. Is Genesis really describing a time when Adam named all the species? Was Adam a biologist then? Did he really name the hundreds of thousands of species? And what does this have to do with the previous verse?

The word “beasts” here is a dubious translation. This is taken from the Hebrew word חַי (chay), which means, according to the lexicon, ‘living, alive’ when used as an adjective and when used as a noun in the masculine, ‘relatives’ or ‘life.’ When used as a feminine noun, it can mean ‘living thing’ and ‘life,’ or ‘community.’

Furthermore, by the translation, one would assume that the creatures being discussed are those upon the planet earth. However, the description of their creation came in the first chapter of Genesis:

And God said, “Let the land produce living creatures according to their kinds: livestock, creatures that move along the ground, and wild animals, each according to its kind.” And it was so. (Gen. 1:24)

In the above Genesis 1:24 verse, the word “creatures” comes from the Hebrew word נפש (nephesh). In Genesis 2:19, the word “creatures” comes from the word חי (chay), which actually means, ‘soul, self, life, person, living being’ according to the lexicon. In 1.24, the word “living” before the word “creatures” is being translated from this word חי (chay).

This distinction is made because 1.24 is clearly discussing the creation of the physical organisms – which contain the self or soul (חי (chay)), whereas 2.19 is discussing those living beings (חי (chay)) themselves. The living being – each of us – is a spiritual entity. We are not these physical bodies. Rather, we are the spirit-person dwelling within these physical bodies. We are operating them or driving them.

What do the other words in this verse mean?

Genesis also clearly makes this distinction between the physical organisms, translated to the phrase “Let the land produce...” This comes from the Hebrew word ארץ (‘erets) – pertaining to the ‘earth,’ ‘soil’ or ‘ground’ according to the lexicon. This is allegorically describing that the physical organism is a product of the physical universe.

But the word used in Genesis 2:19 for “ground” is אֲדָמָה (‘adamah) which may refer to ‘ground’ or ‘land’, but with something that is ‘yielding sustenance.’ It is a substance that yields or constructs, according to the lexicon. This contrasts with אֶרֶץ (‘erets) of 1:24, which refers to ‘earth’ - the physical world.

Furthermore, “field” in Genesis 2:19 is being translated from the Hebrew word שָׂדֶה (sadeh) which can indicate ‘field’ or ‘land’ but not just any field or land: Rather, this word comes from the root ‘to spread out’ which indicates a cultivated or prepared field or land – an especially fertile, productive or creative land. This indicates 2.19 is discussing the spiritual world – from whence everything is produced.

Remember also that 2:19-20 follows the verse discussing the community (family) of the spiritual world (see discussion with Genesis 2:18). We’ve already shown that this section beginning with Genesis 2:4 is not a rehashing of the creation of the physical world – as described in the first chapter of Genesis. Rather, it is the allegorical description of the appearance of the spiritual living beings and how some fell down to the physical world.

Again, this is confirmed by נֶפֶשׁ (nephesh), which is being incorrectly translated to “creature.” נֶפֶשׁ (nephesh), remember, means ‘soul, self, life, person, living being.’

Why do we misunderstand our identity?

The reason why translators have misconstrued this verse is due to a lack of understanding of our true identity. Our physical body is temporary and transitory. This is a scientific fact. The body’s cells, molecules, and atoms are constantly being recycled. Scientists have estimated that within five years, every atom and molecule of the body has been replaced. This means that within five years, we are wearing a new body.

Furthermore, every body dies and once the living soul leaves, the body decomposes. The fact that the living being – call it the soul or the self – leaves the body at death has been confirmed scientifically in hundreds of thousands of clinical death cases – where a person floats up above their body after the body has been pronounced dead in the hospital, and later gets revived, and the person recalls the event.

Many cases have confirmed the person indeed floated above their body because the person accurately recalls seeing things happening around them – or elsewhere in the hospital – while their body was lying dead on the operating table or hospital bed.

What leaves the body is the self – the spiritual living being. Each of us is spiritual living beings. We are not these temporary physical bodies.

However, when we are within a physical body, we have the illusion that this physical body is our identity. This is God’s design, to give us the illusion that we are away from God, and able to act out our desires (mixed with a heavy dose of education).

This misidentification with the body is the disease of the spiritual living beings trapped within the physical world. But one must have a clear understanding of our true identity as spiritual living beings in order to properly translate Genesis from its Hebrew into English or any other language.

In other words, this verse is not describing Adam naming all the species as supposed by the translators. Rather, this verse is describing something entirely different.

What is the importance of the name?

The Hebrew word that is being translated to “name them” and later “called” is קָרָא (qara’). This means ‘to call, call out, recite, read, cry out, proclaim.’ More specifically, according to the lexicon, ‘to call with the name of God.’

Furthermore, the word שֵׁם (shem) which is being translated to “that was its name” has a more specific meaning in this context, as it relates to ‘reputation, fame, glory’. According to the lexicon, שֵׁם (shem) can specifically mean ‘the Name as the designation of God.’

Is Genesis not talking about God? Why would Genesis be discussing Adam naming the hundreds of thousands of species? Is this a biology textbook or a book written to glorify God?

The answer is the latter. The Book of Genesis is not a biology textbook. There is no need for Adam to name hundreds of thousands of species that roam the earth. Plus this has nothing to do with the subject matter anyway.

Rather, what is being described is God’s creation of the spiritual community of living beings (namely, us), and the fact that the spiritual living beings of the spiritual family glorify God’s Holy Names. This is a common activity of the spiritual realm because the central component of Eden – the spiritual world – is the common love of its inhabitants upon the Supreme Person.

Why was praising God's Names so important?

Glorifying God’s Holy Names is a spiritual activity that has been promoted throughout the books of the Bible, by so many of God’s representatives. Just consider these verses:

At that time men [of the earth] began to call on the Name of the LORD. (Genesis 4:26)

From there he [Abraham] went on toward the hills east of Bethel and pitched his tent, with Bethel on the west and Ai on the east. There he built an altar to the LORD and called on the Name of the LORD. (Genesis 12:8)

...and where he had first built an altar. There Abram called on the Name of the LORD. (Genesis 13:4)

Abraham planted a tamarisk tree in Beersheba, and there he called upon the Name of the LORD, the Eternal God. (Genesis 21:33)

Isaac built an altar there and called on the Name of the LORD. There he pitched his tent, and there his servants dug a well. (Genesis 26:25)

“You shall not misuse the Name of the LORD your God, for the LORD will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses His Name.” (Exodus 20:7)

“You shall not misuse the Name of the LORD your God, for the LORD will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses His Name.” (Deuteronomy 5:11)

“...he may minister in the Name of the LORD his God like all his fellow Levites who serve there in the presence of the LORD.” (Deuteronomy 18:7)

“If what a prophet proclaims in the name of the LORD does not take place or come true, that is a message the LORD has not spoken. That prophet has spoken presumptuously. Do not be afraid of Him.” (Deuteronomy 18:22)

“The priests, the sons of Levi, shall step forward, for the LORD your God has chosen them to minister and to pronounce blessings in the Name of the LORD and to decide all cases of dispute and assault.” (Deuteronomy 21:5)

“Then all the peoples on earth will see that You are called by the Name of the LORD, and they will revere You.” (Deuteronomy 28:10)

“I will proclaim the Name of the LORD. Oh, praise the greatness of our God!” (Deuteronomy 32:3)

David said to the Philistine, “You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the Name of the LORD Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied.” (1 Samuel 17:45)

Jonathan said to David, “Go in peace, for we have sworn friendship with each other in the Name of the LORD, saying, ‘The LORD is witness between you and me, and between your descendants and my descendants forever.’” Then David left, and Jonathan went back to the town. (1 Samuel 20:42)

He and all his men set out from Baalah of Judah to bring up from there the ark of God, which is called by the Name, the Name of the LORD Almighty, who is enthroned between the cherubim that are on the ark. (2 Samuel 6:2)

After he had finished sacrificing the burnt offerings and fellowship offerings, he blessed the people in the Name of the LORD Almighty. (2 Samuel 6:18)

The people, however, were still sacrificing at the high places, because a temple had not yet been built for the Name of the LORD. (1 Kings 3:2)

“You know that because of the wars waged against my father David from all sides, he could not build a temple for the Name of the LORD his God until the LORD put his enemies under His feet.” (1 Kings 5:3)

“I intend, therefore, to build a temple for the Name of the LORD my God, as the LORD told my father David, when He said, ‘Your son whom I will put on the throne in your place will build the temple for My Name.’” (1 Kings 5:5)

“My father David had it in his heart to build a temple for the Name of the LORD, the God of Israel.” (1 Kings 8:17)

“The LORD has kept the promise he made: I have succeeded David my father and now I sit on the throne of Israel, just as the LORD promised, and I have built the temple for the Name of the LORD, the God of Israel.” (1 Kings 8:20)

When the queen of Sheba heard about the fame of Solomon and his relation to the Name of the LORD, she came to test him with hard questions. (1 Kings 10:1)

Then you call on the name of your god, and I will call on the Name of the LORD. The god who answers by fire – He is God.” Then all the people said, “What you say is good.” (1 Kings 18:24)

With the stones he built an altar in the Name of the LORD, and he dug a trench around it large enough to hold two seahs of seed. (1 Kings 18:32)

The king said to him, “How many times must I make you swear to tell me nothing but the truth in the Name of the LORD?” (1 Kings 22:16)

He turned around, looked at them and called down a curse on them in the Name of the LORD. Then two bears came out of the woods and mauled forty-two of the youths. (2 Kings 2:24)

But Naaman went away angry and said, “I thought that he would surely come out to me and stand and call on the Name of the LORD his God, wave his hand over the spot and cure me of my leprosy.” (2 Kings 5:11)

“Sing to the LORD! Give praise to the LORD! He rescues the life of the needy from the hands of the wicked.” (Jeremiah 20:13)

After David had finished sacrificing the burnt offerings and fellowship offerings, he blessed the people in the Name of the LORD. (1 Chronicles 16:2)

So David went up in obedience to the word that Gad had spoken in the Name of the LORD. (1 Chronicles 21:19)

David said to Solomon: “My son, I had it in my heart to build a house for the Name of the LORD my God.” (1 Chronicles 22:7)

“Now devote your heart and soul to seeking the LORD your God. Begin to build the sanctuary of the LORD God, so that you may bring the ark of the covenant of the LORD and the sacred articles belonging to God into the temple that will be built for the Name of the LORD.” (1 Chronicles 22:19)

Solomon gave orders to build a temple for the Name of the LORD and a royal palace for himself. (2 Chronicles 2:1)
“Now I am about to build a temple for the Name of the LORD my God and to dedicate it to Him for burning fragrant incense before Him, for setting out the consecrated bread regularly, and for making burnt offerings every morning and evening and on Sabbaths and New Moons and at the appointed feasts of the LORD our God. This is a lasting ordinance for Israel.” (2 Chronicles 2:4)

“My father David had it in his heart to build a temple for the Name of the LORD, the God of Israel.” (2 Chronicles 6:7)

“The LORD has kept the promise he made. I have succeeded David my father and now I sit on the throne of Israel, just as the LORD promised, and I have built the temple for the Name of the LORD, the God of Israel.” (2 Chronicles 6:10)

The king said to him, “How many times must I make you swear to tell me nothing but the truth in the Name of the LORD?” (2 Chronicles 18:15)

The other events of Manasseh’s reign, including his prayer to his God and the words the seers spoke to him in the Name of the LORD, the God of Israel, are written in the annals of the kings of Israel. (2 Chronicles 33:18)

“Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked I will depart. The LORD gave and the LORD has taken away; may the Name of the LORD be praised.” (Job 1:21)

“I will give thanks to the LORD because of his righteousness and will sing praise to the Name of the LORD Most High.” (Psalm 7:17)

“Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the Name of the LORD our God.” (Psalm 20:7)

“The nations will revere the Name of the LORD, all the kings of the earth will revere Your glory.” (Psalm 102:15)

“So the Name of the LORD will be declared in Zion and His praise in Jerusalem.” (Psalm 102:21)

“Praise the LORD. Praise, O servants of the LORD, praise the Name of the LORD.” (Psalm 113:1)

“Let the Name of the LORD be praised, both now and forevermore.” (Psalm 113:2)

“From the rising of the sun to the place where it sets, the Name of the LORD is to be praised.” (Psalm 113:3)

“Then I called on the Name of the LORD: “O LORD, save me!” (Psalm 116:4)

“I will lift up the cup of salvation and call on the Name of the LORD.” (Psalm 116:13)

“I will sacrifice a thank offering to You and call on the Name of the LORD.” (Psalm 116:17)

“That is where the tribes go up, the tribes of the LORD, to praise the Name of the LORD according to the statute given to Israel.” (Psalm 122:4)

“Our help is in the Name of the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth.” (Psalm 124:8)

“May those who pass by not say, “The blessing of the LORD be upon you; we bless you in the Name of the LORD.”“ (Psalm 129:8)

“Praise the LORD. Praise the Name of the LORD; praise Him, you servants of the LORD” (Psalm 135:1)

“Let them praise the Name of the LORD, for He commanded and they were created.” (Psalm 148:5)

“Let them praise the Name of the LORD, for His Name alone is exalted; His splendor is above the earth and the heavens.” (Psalm 148:13)

“The Name of the LORD is a strong tower; the righteous run to it and are safe.” (Proverbs 18:10)

“At that time gifts will be brought to the LORD Almighty from a people tall and smooth-skinned, from a people feared far and wide, an aggressive nation of strange speech, whose land is divided by rivers – the gifts will be brought to Mount Zion, the place of the Name of the LORD Almighty.” (Isaiah 18:7)

“Therefore in the east give glory to the LORD; exalt the Name of the LORD, the God of Israel, in the islands of the sea.” (Isaiah 24:15)

“Let him who walks in the dark, who has no light, trust in the Name of the LORD and rely on his God.” (Isaiah 50:10)

“And foreigners who bind themselves to the LORD to serve Him, to love the Name of the LORD, and to worship Him...” (Isaiah 56:6)

“From the west, men will revere the Name of the LORD, and from the rising of the sun, they will revere His glory.” (Isaiah 59:19)

“At that time they will call Jerusalem The Throne of the LORD, and all nations will gather in Jerusalem to honor the Name of the LORD. No longer will they follow the stubbornness of their evil hearts.” (Jeremiah 3:17)

Then the officials and all the people said to the priests and the prophets, “This man should not be sentenced to death! He has spoken to us in the Name of the LORD our God.” (Jeremiah 26:16)

Now Uriah son of Shemaiah from Kiriath Jearim was another man who prophesied in the Name of the LORD (Jeremiah 26:20)

“You will have plenty to eat, until you are full, and you will praise the Name of the LORD your God, who has worked wonders for you; never again will my people be shamed.” (Joel 2:26)

“And everyone who calls on the Name of the LORD will be saved” (Joel 2:32)

“...we will walk in the Name of the LORD our God for ever and ever.” (Micah 4:5)

“He will stand and shepherd his flock in the strength of the LORD, in the majesty of the Name of the LORD his God.” (Micah 5:4)

“Then will I purify the lips of the peoples, that all of them may call on the Name of the LORD and serve him shoulder to shoulder.” (Zephaniah 3:9)
“But I will leave within you the meek and humble, who trust in the Name of the LORD.” (Zephaniah 3:12)

“Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!” (Matthew 21:9)

“‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.’” (Matthew 23:39)

“Blessed is he who comes in the Name of the Lord!” (Mark 11:9)

“‘Blessed is he who comes in the Name of the Lord.’” (Luke 13:35)

“Blessed is the king who comes in the Name of the Lord!” (Luke 19:38)

“Blessed is he who comes in the Name of the Lord!” (John 12:13)

“And everyone who calls on the Name of the Lord will be saved.” (Acts 2:21)

So Saul stayed with them and moved about freely in Jerusalem, speaking boldly in the Name of the Lord. (Acts 9:28)

“Nevertheless, God’s solid foundation stands firm, sealed with this inscription: “The Lord knows those who are His,” and, “Everyone who confesses the Name of the Lord must turn away from wickedness.”” (2 Timothy 2:19)

“Brothers, as an example of patience in the face of suffering, take the prophets who spoke in the Name of the Lord.” (James 5:10)

“Everyone who calls on the Name of the Lord will be saved.” (Romans 10:13)

These verses confirm that the praising and glorifying of God’s Holy Names is the highest devotional activity – an activity that can, if performed with humility and respect, elevate us back to the spiritual dimension and our spiritual family, where love for God runs rampant.

Why do the devoted praise God?

So instead of this verse discussing Adam becoming a biologist who names all the species, this verse actually describes a central activity of the spiritual community: Praising and glorifying God.

One might ask: How did the translators of Genesis 2:19 from Hebrew to Latin, English and other languages miss this reference to God’s Holy Names? The answer is that professional translators from the various sectarian institutions have not been interested in praising God’s Holy Names. This is evidenced by the fact that so many professional sectarian teachers virtually ignore all the other Biblical references to praising God’s Holy Names as evidenced above. They not only have ignored this important aspect of devotional activity among their teachings, but they have virtually ignored God’s Holy Names in their congregational rituals.

Consider another translation of this verse in Chapter Two of the New Book of Genesis.

Genesis 3:20 - Adam named his wife Eve, because she would become the mother ...

Adam named his wife Eve, because she would become the mother of all the living. (Genesis 3:20)

Did Adam literally name his wife?

This reverent verse has been misinterpreted by sectarian institutions and their scribes over the centuries.

The misinterpretation stems from dubious translations combined with the absence of the application of common sense. Are we to accept that even though Adam and Eve were married, that Eve had no name, and Adam had to name her? Are we to accept that this supposed first human woman, who had disobeyed and upset God, is now the "mother of all the living"? As mentioned before, why would Adam need to go around naming things?

Certainly, all of these assertions are false, the worst of which is the idea of a literal Eve, who disobeyed God, is now "the mother of all the living."

The reality is that this story in Genesis is an allegorical parable. It is not a description of the first humans on earth. There are a number of obvious signs of this. For example, have we ever seen a "tree of knowledge of good and evil" or a "tree of life" on earth? Have we ever seen a talking serpent?

No, because this story is an allegorical discussion. It is an ancient parable handed down through the ages by ancient spiritual teachers who were describing, heavy with symbolism, our fall from the spiritual dimension to the physical world. We have described much of the meaning of this symbolism in this commentary.

What does the symbolism mean?

Utilizing the original Hebrew:

The first part of the verse, אדם ('adam), is translated to "Adam," but as described previously, Adam represents each of us individually. אדם ('adam) is also used to address mankind.

The Hebrew word, קרא (qara') is being translated to "called," but it's original meaning relates to the calling out or reciting of God's name. This is confirmed in the lexicon:

to call, call out, recite, read, cry out, proclaim
a) (Qal)
1) to call, cry, utter a loud sound
2) to call unto, cry (for help), call (with name of God)

Calling out or reciting God's Holy Name is an ancient practice, as we'll discuss more below.

The Hebrew, אשה ('ishshah) is being translated to "his wife's", but the actual meaning of the word relates to the feminine. It is indicating a feminine aspect, rather than specifically one person of Adam's wife.

The Hebrew word שם (shem) is being translated to "name" here, but its actual meaning, is much deeper, confirmed by the lexicon. While "name" is one possible translation, the word more relates to "reputation, fame, glory", and more importantly, "the Name (as designation of God)" according to the lexicon. Thus we find that translating this word to "name" is a very shallow interpretation of the word. Rather, the word, together with the rest of the phrase, is an invocation to glorify God's Holy Name.

Furthermore, this invocation is being made, as mentioned above, with regard to God's feminine aspect - His feminine expansion, which is, indeed, "the mother of all the living." This is being communicated with the Name, חוה (Chavvah), which means, literally, "life" or "living."

The next word, אם ('em) is a reference to the word "mother" because God's expansive powers are the mother of all living beings. God maintains both masculine and feminine characteristics. His masculine aspect is His Original Self. His feminine aspects include His creative and expansive powers, which in turn produce His separated parts and parcels, the living beings - each of us, in other words.

The Hebrew word חי (chay) has been correctly translated to "the living" here.

The Hebrew word כל (kol) indicates "all" as in "every" living being. We certainly cannot accept that someone who was supposedly created from Adam's rib is now the "the mother of all the living." This is a contradiction, because if Eve is "the mother of all the living" then why did God have to create her and how come Adam (who was also living) was created before her?

As we can see, this verse has been entirely misconstrued by those who did not understand what was being communicated, and as a result, have portrayed a narrow perspective of God.

Rather, this ancient and reverent verse is glorifying God and His Holy Name. It is glorifying the female aspect of God - namely, God's expansive and creative element - the source of the creation of all living beings - each of us, in other words.

Why is praising God so important?

The glorification of God's Holy Names has been a tenet of the ancient Hebrews for thousands of years. We can see a glimpse of this in the following Biblical verses:

At that time men [of the earth] began to call on the Name of the LORD. (Genesis 4:26)

From there he [Abraham] went on toward the hills east of Bethel and pitched his tent, with Bethel on the west and Ai on the east. There he built an altar to the LORD and called on the Name of the LORD. (Genesis 12:8)

...and where he had first built an altar. There Abram called on the Name of the LORD. (Genesis 13:4)

Abraham planted a tamarisk tree in Beersheba, and there he called upon the Name of the LORD, the Eternal God. (Genesis 21:33)

Isaac built an altar there and called on the Name of the LORD. There he pitched his tent, and there his servants dug a well. (Genesis 26:25)

"You shall not misuse the Name of the LORD your God, for the LORD will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses his Name." (Exodus 20:7)

"You shall not misuse the Name of the LORD your God, for the LORD will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses his Name." (Deuteronomy 5:11)

"...he may minister in the Name of the LORD his God like all his fellow Levites who serve there in the presence of the LORD." (Deuteronomy 18:7)

"If what a prophet proclaims in the name of the LORD does not take place or come true, that is a message the LORD has not spoken. That prophet has spoken presumptuously. Do not be afraid of him." (Deuteronomy 18:22)

"The priests, the sons of Levi, shall step forward, for the LORD your God has chosen them to minister and to pronounce blessings in the Name of the LORD and to decide all cases of dispute and assault." (Deuteronomy 21:5)

"Then all the peoples on earth will see that You are called by the Name of the LORD, and they will revere You." (Deuteronomy 28:10)

"I will proclaim the Name of the LORD. Oh, praise the greatness of our God!" (Deuteronomy 32:3)

David said to the Philistine, "You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the Name of the LORD Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied." (1 Samuel 17:45)

Jonathan said to David, "Go in peace, for we have sworn friendship with each other in the Name of the LORD, saying, 'The LORD is witness between you and me, and between your descendants and my descendants forever.'" Then David left, and Jonathan went back to the town. (1 Samuel 20:42)

He and all his men set out from Baalah of Judah to bring up from there the ark of God, which is called by the Name, the Name of the LORD Almighty, who is enthroned between the cherubim that are on the ark. (2 Samuel 6:2)

After he had finished sacrificing the burnt offerings and fellowship offerings, he blessed the people in the Name of the LORD Almighty. (2 Samuel 6:18)

The people, however, were still sacrificing at the high places, because a temple had not yet been built for the Name of the LORD. (1 Kings 3:2)

"You know that because of the wars waged against my father David from all sides, he could not build a temple for the Name of the LORD his God until the LORD put his enemies under his feet." (1 Kings 5:3)

"I intend, therefore, to build a temple for the Name of the LORD my God, as the LORD told my father David, when He said, 'Your son whom I will put on the throne in your place will build the temple for my Name.'" (1 Kings 5:5)

"My father David had it in his heart to build a temple for the Name of the LORD, the God of Israel." (1 Kings 8:17)

"The LORD has kept the promise he made: I have succeeded David my father and now I sit on the throne of Israel, just as the LORD promised, and I have built the temple for the Name of the LORD, the God of Israel." (1 Kings 8:20)

When the queen of Sheba heard about the fame of Solomon and his relation to the Name of the LORD, she came to test him with hard questions. (1 Kings 10:1)

Then you call on the name of your god, and I will call on the Name of the LORD. The god who answers by fire — He is God." Then all the people said, "What you say is good." (1 Kings 18:24)

With the stones he built an altar in the Name of the LORD, and he dug a trench around it large enough to hold two seahs of seed. (1 Kings 18:32)

The king said to him, "How many times must I make you swear to tell me nothing but the truth in the Name of the LORD ?" (1 Kings 22:16)

He turned around, looked at them and called down a curse on them in the Name of the LORD. Then two bears came out of the woods and mauled forty-two of the youths. (2 Kings 2:24)

But Naaman went away angry and said, "I thought that he would surely come out to me and stand and call on the Name of the LORD his God, wave his hand over the spot and cure me of my leprosy." (2 Kings 5:11)

"Sing to the LORD! Give praise to the LORD! He rescues the life of the needy from the hands of the wicked." (Jeremiah 20:13)

After David had finished sacrificing the burnt offerings and fellowship offerings, he blessed the people in the Name of the LORD. (1 Chronicles 16:2)

So David went up in obedience to the word that Gad had spoken in the Name of the LORD. (1 Chronicles 21:19)

David said to Solomon: "My son, I had it in my heart to build a house for the Name of the LORD my God." (1 Chronicles 22:7)

"Now devote your heart and soul to seeking the LORD your God. Begin to build the sanctuary of the LORD God, so that you may bring the ark of the covenant of the LORD and the sacred articles belonging to God into the temple that will be built for the Name of the LORD." (1 Chronicles 22:19)

Solomon gave orders to build a temple for the Name of the LORD and a royal palace for himself. (2 Chronicles 2:1)

"Now I am about to build a temple for the Name of the LORD my God and to dedicate it to Him for burning fragrant incense before Him, for setting out the consecrated bread regularly, and for making burnt offerings every morning and evening and on Sabbaths and New Moons and at the appointed feasts of the LORD our God. This is a lasting ordinance for Israel." (2 Chronicles 2:4)

"My father David had it in his heart to build a temple for the Name of the LORD, the God of Israel." (2 Chronicles 6:7)

"The LORD has kept the promise he made. I have succeeded David my father and now I sit on the throne of Israel, just as the LORD promised, and I have built the temple for the Name of the LORD, the God of Israel." (2 Chronicles 6:10)

The king said to him, "How many times must I make you swear to tell me nothing but the truth in the Name of the LORD ?" (2 Chronicles 18:15)

The other events of Manasseh's reign, including his prayer to his God and the words the seers spoke to him in the Name of the LORD, the God of Israel, are written in the annals of the kings of Israel. (2 Chronicles 33:18)

"Naked I came from my mother's womb, and naked I will depart. The LORD gave and the LORD has taken away; may the Name of the LORD be praised." (Job 1:21)

"I will give thanks to the LORD because of his righteousness and will sing praise to the Name of the LORD Most High." (Psalm 7:17)

"Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the Name of the LORD our God." (Psalm 20:7)

"The nations will revere the Name of the LORD, all the kings of the earth will revere your glory." (Psalm 102:15)

"So the Name of the LORD will be declared in Zion and His praise in Jerusalem." (Psalm 102:21)

"Praise the LORD. Praise, O servants of the LORD, praise the Name of the LORD." (Psalm 113:1)

"Let the Name of the LORD be praised, both now and forevermore." (Psalm 113:2)

"From the rising of the sun to the place where it sets, the Name of the LORD is to be praised." (Psalm 113:3)

"Then I called on the Name of the LORD: "O LORD, save me!" (Psalm 116:4)

"I will lift up the cup of salvation and call on the Name of the LORD." (Psalm 116:13)

"I will sacrifice a thank offering to You and call on the Name of the LORD." (Psalm 116:17)

"That is where the tribes go up, the tribes of the LORD, to praise the Name of the LORD according to the statute given to Israel." (Psalm 122:4)

"Our help is in the Name of the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth." (Psalm 124:8)

"May those who pass by not say, "The blessing of the LORD be upon you; we bless you in the Name of the LORD." (Psalm 129:8)

"Praise the LORD. Praise the Name of the LORD; praise Him, you servants of the LORD" (Psalm 135:1)

"Let them praise the Name of the LORD, for He commanded and they were created." (Psalm 148:5)

"Let them praise the Name of the LORD, for His Name alone is exalted; His splendor is above the earth and the heavens." (Psalm 148:13)

"The Name of the LORD is a strong tower; the righteous run to it and are safe." (Proverbs 18:10)

"At that time gifts will be brought to the LORD Almighty from a people tall and smooth-skinned, from a people feared far and wide, an aggressive nation of strange speech, whose land is divided by rivers — the gifts will be brought to Mount Zion, the place of the Name of the LORD Almighty." (Isaiah 18:7)

"Therefore in the east give glory to the LORD; exalt the Name of the LORD, the God of Israel, in the islands of the sea." (Isaiah 24:15)

"Let him who walks in the dark, who has no light, trust in the Name of the LORD and rely on his God." (Isaiah 50:10)

"And foreigners who bind themselves to the LORD to serve Him, to love the Name of the LORD, and to worship Him..." (Isaiah 56:6)

"From the west, men will revere the Name of the LORD, and from the rising of the sun, they will revere his glory." (Isaiah 59:19)

"At that time they will call Jerusalem The Throne of the LORD, and all nations will gather in Jerusalem to honor the Name of the LORD. No longer will they follow the stubbornness of their evil hearts." (Jeremiah 3:17)

Then the officials and all the people said to the priests and the prophets, "This man should not be sentenced to death! He has spoken to us in the Name of the LORD our God." (Jeremiah 26:16)

Now Uriah son of Shemaiah from Kiriath Jearim was another man who prophesied in the Name of the LORD (Jeremiah 26:20)

"You will have plenty to eat, until you are full, and you will praise the Name of the LORD your God, who has worked wonders for you; never again will my people be shamed." (Joel 2:26)

"And everyone who calls on the Name of the LORD will be saved" (Joel 2:32)

"...we will walk in the Name of the LORD our God for ever and ever." (Micah 4:5)

"He will stand and shepherd his flock in the strength of the LORD, in the majesty of the Name of the LORD his God." (Micah 5:4)

"Then will I purify the lips of the peoples, that all of them may call on the Name of the LORD and serve him shoulder to shoulder." (Zephaniah 3:9)

"But I will leave within you the meek and humble, who trust in the Name of the LORD." (Zephaniah 3:12)

"Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!" (Matthew 21:9)

"'Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.' " (Matthew 23:39)

"Blessed is he who comes in the Name of the Lord!" (Mark 11:9)

"'Blessed is he who comes in the Name of the Lord.' " (Luke 13:35)

"Blessed is the king who comes in the Name of the Lord!" (Luke 19:38)

"Blessed is he who comes in the Name of the Lord!" (John 12:13)

"And everyone who calls on the Name of the Lord will be saved." (Acts 2:21)

So Saul stayed with them and moved about freely in Jerusalem, speaking boldly in the Name of the Lord. (Acts 9:28)

"Nevertheless, God's solid foundation stands firm, sealed with this inscription: "The Lord knows those who are His," and, "Everyone who confesses the Name of the Lord must turn away from wickedness." " (2 Timothy 2:19)

"Brothers, as an example of patience in the face of suffering, take the prophets who spoke in the Name of the Lord." (James 5:10)

"Everyone who calls on the Name of the Lord will be saved." (Romans 10:13)

Why don't the sects praise God's Names?

We can see from the above verses and others that glorifying the Holy Names of God is a universal tenet of the Prophets and Jesus. Yet the subsequent teachings of the sectarian Christian organizations which began with the Roman Catholic Church have virtually ignored the reciting and praising of God's Holy Names.

Why? The only logical answer is that these organizations do not seek to glorify God. They were not established for the purpose of glorifying God. They seek to gain followers, and therewith, power and authority. That is the purpose of their existence. And those who have controlled these organizations have sought to exercise such power and authority over others.

And what is the result of this perceived authority? Materialism. Lucrative salaries to the various professional preachers and church leaders. Posh offices and headquarters, extravagant living quarters, limousines, popemobiles, and lots of respect. In some cases, we can add the abuse of innocent children.

The desire of these organizational leaders has been power. They do not desire to glorify God, as the teachers of the Bible, including Abraham, David, Samuel, Moses, Joshua, Job, Noah, Solomon, John the Baptist, Jesus, and his disciples sought to do. They simply want us to join their churches, pay our alms, believe that we are saved, and go home so they can enjoy the prosperity of our joining their "religion."

This strategy was cemented by the Roman government, as they developed the hierarchy of the Roman Catholic church, and together with that, the translations of the Biblical texts that fit their teachings. The other sects followed with little change in structure and overall hierarchy, with teachers who are elected as though representing God was a democratic process.

But they could not completely erase God and the teachings of His messengers from the Biblical texts. God would not permit that. Thus some of the Hebrew is simply too obvious to translate otherwise (such as the verses quoted above).

Consider another translation of this verse in Chapter Three of the New Book of Genesis.

Genesis 4:16-26 - Cain lay with his wife, and she became pregnant ...

So Cain went out from the LORD's presence and lived in the land of Nod, east of Eden. Cain lay with his wife, and she became pregnant and gave birth to Enoch. Cain was then building a city, and he named it after his son Enoch. To Enoch was born Irad, and Irad was the father of Mehujael, and Mehujael was the father of Methushael, and Methushael was the father of Lamech. Lamech married two women, one named Adah and the other Zillah. Adah gave birth to Jabal; he was the father of those who live in tents and raise livestock. His brother's name was Jubal; he was the father of all who play the harp and flute. Zillah also had a son, Tubal-Cain, who forged all kinds of tools out of bronze and iron. Tubal-Cain's sister was Naamah. Lamech said to his wives, "Adah and Zillah, listen to me; wives of Lamech, hear my words. I have killed a man for wounding me, a young man for injuring me. If Cain is avenged seven times, then Lamech seventy-seven times." Adam lay with his wife again, and she gave birth to a son and named him Seth, saying, "God has granted me another child in place of Abel, since Cain killed him." Seth also had a son, and he named him Enosh. At that time men began to call on the Name of the LORD. (Genesis 4:16-26)

Here we see some seriously improbable events if we are assuming that Cain is the third human and they populated the earth some 5,000 years ago, as sectarian institutions and their scribes have translated and interpreted from these texts.

Who was Cain's wife?

Cain's wife presents a huge hole in the theory that Adam and Eve were the first humans on the earth, and Cain was the third. If Cain was only the third human then how could there be a woman in the "land of Nod" whom Cain met and "lay" with?

If we believe that Adam and Eve were the first humans and Cain was the third human, then there would not be another woman available for Cain in the "land of Nod" to lay with and have a baby with. This presents a problem for those who attempted to manipulate the texts of Genesis to somehow become a history of the human race.

What is the "land of Nod?"

What is this land that was away from Eden, where Cain could grow crops, versus the "land of Nod" that he suddenly could not grow crops in? Noting this is thousands of years ago* then there were plenty of regions around the world that had arable land that could easily be cultivated.

(*Biblical scholars estimate the timetable of the family histories to be about 5,000 years ago - making it around the time of the Egyptians.)

Oh, but we are to imagine this single third human is walking alone on the planet, just wandering around?

The reality is that it is scientifically impossible that Adam and Eve were the first humans on earth only 5,000 years ago, and Cain was the third human. All the archeological findings of human bones over 100,000 years ago, and cave paintings, tools and other artifacts discovered and dated by scientists illustrate that Adam and Eve being the first humans 5,000 years ago is not true. It is a misinterpretation of these texts, which were never intended to form a history of humanity on the earth.

Did Cain really build a city as the third human?

In addition to this central problem, there are other issues with this conclusion, from the text itself:

- Why would Cain build a city if he were the third human? Who was to live in the city, since there were only three, then four humans, with Enoch? A city assumes a large population.

- How was Adah "the father of those who live in tents and raise livestock"? Everyone who has lived in a tent or raised livestock has Adah for an ancestor?

- Same with Jubal. How was he "the father of all who play the harp and flute"? Are all our orchestra members who play these two instruments offspring of Jubal?

- The problem with Zilah is that if sectarian scribes are presuming that this event occurred 5,000 years ago, then making tools made of bronze and iron would traverse two eras. The iron age began between 1300 and 600 BC, while the bronze age occurred as early as 3200 BC. These dates correspond to the earliest findings of tools made of these particular metals. If we take this text at face value, then Zilah would have to have lived for nearly 2,000 years in order to make tools from both metals.

- The contradiction with archeological evidence makes this entire genealogy and its interpretation that this is a historical genealogy of humanity, suspect. Archeological evidence finds humanoids living on the early more than a million years ago, and their ancestors over 2 million years ago. 

While carbon dating does not offer pinpoint accuracy due to periodic changes in the earth's atmosphere, it can certainly determine that humans lived many hundreds of thousands of years before sectarian scribes assume these texts indicate.

Is Genesis is a history of humanity?

Rather than being a compilation as assumed by its present state, Genesis is a conglomeration of separate scrolls that have been patched together to promote an assumption that the Judean people were the primary and "chosen" race, and all other races around the world were "heathens." 

This attempt to use scripture as a tool for control was advanced by sectarian institutions - the same ones railed on by Jesus - and later by the Romans, who selected and patched together certain Scripture scrolls in an attempt to control Europe and the Middle East by virtue of controlling religion.

Once the Roman-employed scribes patched together what we know today as the Bible from hundreds of sometimes disconnected scrolls - of the thousands of scrolls that were used by different teachers during those times and earlier - they outlawed the possession or reading of any other scroll outside of these in their Latin Bibles (which only the priests or Roman Catholic authorities could possess). 

As the Romans systematically burnt libraries of scrolls and murdered those harboring ancient texts, they successfully erased the bulk of the scriptural texts that provide the context and the background for the remaining texts that were patched together to form the old and new testaments of the Bible.

In reality, Genesis and much of the other scriptures of the Old Testament simply follow a lineage of teachers. These were the Prophets and their relative families and heritage, which connects the teachings of Noah and Abraham to Moses, David, Solomon and eventually Jesus. This is with the exception of the first three chapters, which detail two distinct parables regarding the fall of the soul from the spiritual realm to the physical world.

Was the Bible manipulated?

The Bible has been pieced together in such a way as to imply that it is a historical record. However, as many historians have found over the years, a meaningful read through the material indicates that these scrolls were not intended to be a history of humanity. The seeming chronological nature of the periods is deceiving, as it often places events and scrolls that were earlier, later, and vice versa.

Other evidence of tampering between the original scrolls and the texts of the Bible - first translated into Latin by Roman scribes - have been found as a few of the original scrolls have been discovered over the centuries.

The recent discoveries of the Dead Sea scrolls and the Nag Hammadi texts have confirmed that many scrolls accepted as scripture by ancient Judeans were systematically eliminated by the Romans, and at least some of those that were patched together into the Bible were tampered with.

On top of that, we find there is a historical record that shows tablets being changed as they were passed on centuries before Christ. For example, historians have found several tablets telling of Noah's flood. The problem is that there were significant differences between them. For example, some of the tablets described the boat as being circular, while others described it as square, like a tall building.

The bottom line is that this genealogy, as many others provided in the books of the Bible, does point to some historical record, but the context of that record is still at large.

Who is the 'Father of all'?

It is only logical that someone who is "a father of all who..." is not referring to a human, but rather, a superior individual. This text is reminiscent of the Greek and Roman and Egyptian mythologies of the gods, as well as Asian Sanskrit records describing various demigods. These records all describe a superior race who were "fathers" of particular traits among human culture, including war, music, and others.

Apollo, for example, is described as overseeing music among other traits, while Hermes is described as being the protector of the shepherds and the creator of the lyre (a type of harp).

There are other parts of the Bible that point to the existence of a superior race of some kind. For example, later in Genesis, we find:

'The Nephilim were on the earth in those days - and also afterward - when the sons of God went to the daughters of men and had children by them. They were the heroes of old, men of renown.' (Gen. 6:4)

This obviously indicates that an advanced people lived on the earth thousands of years ago. The use of “heroes of old,” “men of renown” and “sons of God” indicate three essential characteristics: 1) They maintained high levels of integrity and heroism. 2) They were highly respected. 3) They were dedicated to God.

This last point is confirmed by the title “sons of God.” The word “sons” is again translated from the word בן (ben), which can mean “son” but also, according to Gesenius’ lexicon, “a member of a guild, order, class.”

In other words, the more appropriate translation of the word בן (ben) in this case is not “sons of God” but rather, would be something akin to “devoted followers of God” or “loving servants of God.”

We must understand that Scripture is devotional. The Scriptures document the lives of those who have been devoted to loving and serving God. They can therefore only be understood through the eyes of devotion.

While this commentary does not pose to speculate upon these verses, we can state with certainty that these verses provide some kind of historical context, but certainly not a genealogical historical record of the first humans that sectarian institutions interpret them to be.

The most likely intention of these and the other supposed genealogy verses that follow in Genesis is that this is a record of one of the early lineages of Prophets. The Hebrew words הֵם (hem) (translated to "children") and בֵּן (ben) (translated to "son") also have devotional contexts. In the devotional contexts, these relate to being students or followers.

Indeed, the use of the Hebrew word יָלַד (yalad) - translated to "begat" or "fathered" can also have a devotional context. That is, being one's spiritual teacher and bringing the student to the point to where they are born again. Such a tradition of calling one's spiritual teacher "father" has continued even through the sectarian institutions today, where priests are called "father."

What is being born again mean?

Jesus also described this process of being "born again:"

Jesus replied, "Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again."
"How can someone be born when they are old?" Nicodemus asked. "Surely they cannot enter a second time into their mother's womb to be born!"
Jesus answered, "Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit. Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. You should not be surprised at my saying, 'You must be born again.'" (John 3:3-3:7)

These sectarian translations of Genesis and the other early Hebrew books are certainly suspect. Especially given the power struggles and the violence that came with these translations as these sectarian institutions forced indoctrination upon populations of people. 

If we assume a devotional context to these ancient texts, this would mean the "genealogy" listing is actually a listing of the early Prophets, as spiritual teachers and their early students - who may (or may not in many cases) have also been family members.

The essential issue is that the patchwork of texts assembled into the "Bible" have been tampered with and mistranslated by those with no authority to organize or interpret scripture.

What are the spiritual lessons?

Even so, the remaining texts of the Bible provide a wealth of spiritual lessons ultimately communicated by the Supreme Being. This was the intention of the ancient teachers that orally passed on these teachings before they even were recorded onto scrolls. Those lessons provide the essence of these texts, often hidden within the subterfuge of misinterpretation and translation error.

A perfect example of misinterpretation is the teaching by some sectarian institutions and their teachers that God either has no name or His name is somehow unspeakable. Genesis 4:26, along with so many others in the Scriptures, contradicts this notion:

At that time men began to call on the Name of the LORD. (Genesis 4:26)

The words "call on" come from the Hebrew קרא (qara'), which means to "to call, call out, recite, read, cry out, proclaim" according to the lexicon. More specifically, it means:

1) to call, cry, utter a loud sound
2) to call unto, cry (for help), call (with name of God)
3) to proclaim

This indicates that we are not just talking about "calling" like someone would make a phone call or yell for someone. It means to devotionally proclaim God's Holy Name, in prayer, song, and recitation.

This has been the essence of spiritual practice for thousands of years, and has been accepted by all true faiths as a manner of reaching out to God. In other words, this is a method that the Supreme Being has authorized as a facility to reach out and connect with Him.

This text has been largely ignored by ecclesiastical institutions. What does it mean?

The fact is, praising and reciting God's Holy Names has been accepted by the Prophets throughout the Scriptures. Here are a few verses that confirm this:
Genesis 12:8:

From there he [Abraham] went on toward the hills east of Bethel and pitched his tent, with Bethel on the west and Ai on the east. There he built an altar to the LORD and called on the Name of the LORD.

Genesis 13:4:

...and where he had first built an altar. There Abram called on the Name of the LORD.

Genesis 21:33:

Abraham planted a tamarisk tree in Beersheba, and there he called upon the Name of the LORD, the Eternal God.

Genesis 24:48:

"...I bowed down and worshiped the LORD. I praised the LORD, the God of my master Abraham, who had led me..."

Genesis 26:25:

Isaac built an altar there and called on the Name of the LORD. There he pitched his tent, and there his servants dug a well.

Exodus 9:16 [God speaking to Moses]

"But I have raised you up for this very purpose, that I might show you My power and that My Name might be proclaimed in all the earth."

Exodus 20:7:

"You shall not misuse the Name of the LORD your God, for the LORD will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses his Name."

Exodus 20:24:

"Make an altar of earth for Me... Wherever I cause My Name to be honored, I will come to you and bless you." 

Deuteronomy 18:7:

"...he may minister in the Name of the LORD his God like all his fellow Levites who serve there in the presence of the LORD."

Deuteronomy 28:10:

"Then all the peoples on earth will see that You are called by the Name of the LORD, and they will revere You."

Deuteronomy 32:3:

"I will proclaim the Name of the LORD. Oh, praise the greatness of our God!"

2 Samuel 6:18:

After he had finished sacrificing the burnt offerings and fellowship offerings, he blessed the people in the Name of the LORD Almighty.

1 Kings 3:2:

The people, however, were still sacrificing at the high places, because a temple had not yet been built for the Name of the LORD.

1 Kings 5:5:

"I intend, therefore, to build a temple for the Name of the LORD my God, as the LORD told my father David, when He said, 'Your son whom I will put on the throne in your place will build the temple for my Name.'"

1 Kings 8:17:

"My father David had it in his heart to build a temple for the Name of the LORD, the God of Israel."

1 Kings 8:18:

But the LORD said to my father David, ‘You did well to have it in your heart to build a temple for My Name.'

1 Kings 8:20:

"The LORD has kept the promise he made: I have succeeded David my father and now I sit on the throne of Israel, just as the LORD promised, and I have built the temple for the Name of the LORD, the God of Israel."

1 Kings 10:1:

When the queen of Sheba heard about the fame of Solomon and his relation to the Name of the LORD, she came to test him with hard questions.

1 Kings 18:24:

"I will call on the Name of the LORD."

1 Kings 18:32:

With the stones he built an altar in the Name of the LORD, and he dug a trench around it large enough to hold two seahs of seed.

1 Kings 22:16:

The king said to him, "How many times must I make you swear to tell me nothing but the truth in the Name of the LORD ?"

2 Kings 2:24:

He turned around, looked at them and called down a curse on them in the Name of the LORD. 

2 Kings 5:11:

But Naaman went away angry and said, "I thought that he would surely come out to me and stand and call on the Name of the LORD his God, wave his hand over the spot and cure me of my leprosy."

Jeremiah 20:13:

"Sing to the LORD! Give praise to the LORD! He rescues the life of the needy from the hands of the wicked."

1 Chronicles 16:2:

After David had finished sacrificing the burnt offerings and fellowship offerings, he blessed the people in the Name of the LORD.

1 Chronicles 21:19:

So David went up in obedience to the word that Gad had spoken in the Name of the LORD.

1 Chronicles 22:7:

David said to Solomon: "My son, I had it in my heart to build a house for the Name of the LORD my God."

1 Chronicles 22:19:

"Now devote your heart and soul to seeking the LORD your God. Begin to build the sanctuary of the LORD God, so that you may bring the ark of the covenant of the LORD and the sacred articles belonging to God into the temple that will be built for the Name of the LORD."

1 Chronicles 29:10:

David praised the LORD in the presence of the whole assembly...

2 Chronicles 2:1:

Solomon gave orders to build a temple for the Name of the LORD and a royal palace for himself.

2 Chronicles 2:4:

"Now I am about to build a temple for the Name of the LORD my God and to dedicate it to Him for burning fragrant incense before Him, for setting out the consecrated bread regularly, and for making burnt offerings every morning and evening and on Sabbaths and New Moons and at the appointed feasts of the LORD our God. This is a lasting ordinance for Israel."

2 Chronicles 6:7

"My father David had it in his heart to build a temple for the Name of the LORD, the God of Israel."

2 Chronicles 6:10:

"The LORD has kept the promise he made. I have succeeded David my father and now I sit on the throne of Israel, just as the LORD promised, and I have built the temple for the Name of the LORD, the God of Israel."

2 Chronicles 18:15:

The king said to him, "How many times must I make you swear to tell me nothing but the truth in the Name of the LORD ?"

2 Chronicles 20:19:

Then some Levites from the Kohathites and Korahites stood up and praised the LORD, the God of Israel, with a very loud voice.

2 Chronicles 30:22:

For the seven days they ate their assigned portion and offered fellowship offerings and praised the LORD

2 Chronicles 33:18:

The other events of Manasseh's reign, including his prayer to his God and the words the seers spoke to him in the Name of the LORD, the God of Israel, are written in the annals of the kings of Israel.

Job 1:21:

"Naked I came from my mother's womb, and naked I will depart. The LORD gave and the LORD has taken away; may the Name of the LORD be praised."

Nehemiah 8:6:

Ezra praised the LORD, the great God

Nehemiah 9:5:

"Stand up and praise the LORD your God, who is from everlasting to everlasting." "Blessed be Your glorious Name, and may it be exalted above all blessing and praise.

Daniel 2:19:

Then Daniel praised the God of heaven

Psalm 5:11:

"But let all who take refuge in You be glad; let them ever sing for joy. Spread Your protection over them, that those who love Your Name may rejoice in You."

Psalm 7:17:

"I will give thanks to the LORD because of His righteousness and will sing praise to the Name of the LORD Most High."

Psalm 8:1 and 8:9:

"LORD, our Lord, how majestic is Your Name in all the earth!"

Psalm 9:2:

"I will be glad and rejoice in You; I will sing the praises of Your Name, O Most High."

Psalm 9:10:

"Those who know Your Name trust in You, for You, LORD, have never forsaken those who seek You."

Psalm 18:49:

"Therefore I will praise You, LORD, among the nations; I will sing the praises of Your Name."

Psalm 20:1:

"May the LORD answer you when you are in distress; may the Name of the God of Jacob protect you."

Psalm 20:7:

"Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the Name of the LORD our God."

Psalm 22:2:

"I will declare Your Name to my people; in the assembly I will praise You."

Psalm 23:3:

"The LORD is my Shepherd, I lack nothing. He makes me lie down in green pastures, He leads me beside quiet waters, He refreshes my soul. He guides me along the right paths for His Name's sake."

Psalm 29:2:

"Ascribe to the LORD the glory due His Name; worship the LORD in the splendor of His Holiness."

Psalm 30:4:

"Sing the praises of the LORD, you His faithful people; praise His Holy Name."

Psalm 31:3:

"Since You are my rock and my fortress, for the sake of Your Name lead and guide me."

Psalm 33:21:

"In Him our hearts rejoice, for we trust in His Holy Name."

Psalm 34:3:

"Glorify the LORD with me; let us exalt His Name together."

Psalm 44:8:

"In God we make our boast all day long, and we will praise Your Name forever."

Psalm 48:10:

"Like Your Name, O God, Your praise reaches to the ends of the earth; Your right hand is filled with righteousness."

Psalm 54:1:

"Save me, O God, by Your Name"

Psalm 54:6

"I will sacrifice a freewill offering to You; I will praise Your Name, LORD, for it is good."

Psalm 61:8:

"Then I will ever sing in praise of Your Name and fulfill my vows day after day."

Psalm 63:4:

"I will praise You as long as I live, and in Your Name I will lift up my hands.."

Psalm 66:2:

"Sing the glory of His name; make His praise glorious."

Psalm 66:4:

"All the earth bows down to You; they sing praise to You, they sing the praises of Your Name."

Psalm 68:4:

"Sing to God, sing in praise of His Name, extol Him who rides on the clouds; rejoice before Him — His name is the LORD."

Psalm 69:30:

"I will praise God’s Name in song and glorify Him with thanksgiving."

Psalm 72:19:

"Praise be to His glorious Name forever; may the whole earth be filled with His glory. Amen and Amen."

Psalm 76:1:

"God is renowned in Judah; in Israel His name is great."

Psalm 79:9:

"Help us, God our Savior, for the glory of Your Name; deliver us and forgive our sins for Your Name’s sake."

Psalm 86:12:

"I will praise You, Lord my God, with all my heart; I will glorify Your Name forever."

Psalm 89:16

"They rejoice in Your Name all day long; they celebrate Your righteousness."

Psalm 91:14-16:

"Because he loves Me," says the LORD, "I will rescue him; I will protect him, for he acknowledges My Name. He will call on Me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him and honor him. With long life I will satisfy him and show him My salvation."

Psalm 92:1:

" It is good to praise the LORD and make music to Your Name, O Most High"

Psalm 96:2:

"Sing to the LORD, praise His Name; proclaim His salvation day after day."

Psalm 96:8:

"Ascribe to the LORD the glory due His Name; bring an offering and come into His courts."

Psalm 97:12:

"Rejoice in the LORD, you who are righteous, and praise His Holy Name."

Psalm 99:3

"Let them praise Your great and awesome Name — He is holy."

Psalm 99:6:

"Moses and Aaron were among His priests, Samuel was among those who called on His name; they called on the LORD and He answered them."

Psalm 100:4:

"Enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise; give thanks to Him and praise His Name."

Psalm 102:15:

"The nations will revere the Name of the LORD, all the kings of the earth will revere Your glory."

Psalm 102:21:

"So the Name of the LORD will be declared in Zion and His praise in Jerusalem."

Psalm 103:1:

"Of David. Praise the LORD, my soul; all my inmost being, praise His Holy Name."

Psalm 105:1:

"Give praise to the LORD, proclaim His Name; make known among the nations what He has done."

Psalm 105:3:

"Glory in His Holy Name; let the hearts of those who seek the LORD rejoice."

Psalm 106:47:

"Save us, LORD our God, and gather us from the nations, that we may give thanks to Your Holy Name and glory in Your praise."

Psalm 111:9:

"Holy and awesome is His Name."

Psalm 113:1:

"Praise the LORD. Praise, O servants of the LORD, praise the Name of the LORD."

Psalm 113:2:

"Let the Name of the LORD be praised, both now and forevermore."

Psalm 113:3:

"From the rising of the sun to the place where it sets, the Name of the LORD is to be praised."

Psalm 115:1:

"Not to us, LORD, not to us but to Your Name be the glory, because of Your love and faithfulness."

Psalm 116:4:

"Then I called on the Name of the LORD: "O LORD, save me!""

Psalm 116:13:

"I will lift up the cup of salvation and call on the Name of the LORD."

Psalm 116:17:

"I will sacrifice a thank offering to You and call on the Name of the LORD."

Psalm 119:132:

"Turn to me and have mercy on me, as you always do to those who love Your Name."

Psalm 122:4:

"That is where the tribes go up, the tribes of the LORD, to praise the Name of the LORD according to the statute given to Israel."

Psalm 124:8:

"Our help is in the Name of the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth."

Psalm 129:8:

"May those who pass by not say, "The blessing of the LORD be upon you; we bless you in the Name of the LORD."

Psalm 135:1:

"Praise the LORD. Praise the Name of the LORD; praise Him, you servants of the LORD"

Psalm 135:3:

"Praise the LORD, for the LORD is good; sing praise to His name, for that is pleasant."

Psalm 135:13:

"Your Name, LORD, endures forever, your renown, LORD, through all generations."

Psalm 138:2:

"I will bow down toward your holy temple and will praise Your Name for your unfailing love and your faithfulness"

Psalm 140:13:

"Surely the righteous will praise Your Name, and the upright will live in Your presence."

Psalm 142:7:

"Set me free from my prison, that I may praise Your Name."

Psalm 145:1:

" I will exalt You, my God the King; I will praise Your Name for ever and ever."

Psalm 145:2:

"Every day I will praise You and extol Your Name for ever and ever."

Psalm 145:21:

"My mouth will speak in praise of the LORD. Let every creature praise His Holy Name for ever and ever."

Psalm 148:5:

"Let them praise the Name of the LORD, for He commanded and they were created."

Psalm 148:13:

"Let them praise the Name of the LORD, for His Name alone is exalted; His splendor is above the earth and the heavens."

Psalm 149:3:

"Let them praise His Name with dancing and make music to Him with timbrel and harp."

Proverbs 18:10:

"The Name of the LORD is a strong tower; the righteous run to it and are safe."

Isaiah 18:7:

"At that time gifts will be brought to the LORD Almighty from a people tall and smooth-skinned, from a people feared far and wide, an aggressive nation of strange speech, whose land is divided by rivers — the gifts will be brought to Mount Zion, the place of the Name of the LORD Almighty."

Isaiah 24:15:

"Therefore in the east give glory to the LORD; exalt the Name of the LORD, the God of Israel, in the islands of the sea."

Isaiah 50:10:

"Let him who walks in the dark, who has no light, trust in the Name of the LORD and rely on his God."

Isaiah 55:6:

"Seek the LORD while He may be found; call on Him while He is near."

Isaiah 56:6:

"And foreigners who bind themselves to the LORD to serve Him, to love the Name of the LORD, and to worship Him..."

Isaiah 57:15: 

"For this is what the high and exalted One says — He who lives forever, whose Name is holy..."

Isaiah 59:19:

"From the west, men will revere the Name of the LORD, and from the rising of the sun, they will revere His glory."

Jeremiah 3:17:

"At that time they will call Jerusalem The Throne of the LORD, and all nations will gather in Jerusalem to honor the Name of the LORD. No longer will they follow the stubbornness of their evil hearts."

Jeremiah 20:13

Sing to the LORD! Give praise to the LORD! He rescues the life of the needy from the hands of the wicked.

Jeremiah 26:16:

Then the officials and all the people said to the priests and the prophets, "This man should not be sentenced to death! He has spoken to us in the Name of the LORD our God."

Jeremiah 26:20:

Now Uriah son of Shemaiah from Kiriath Jearim was another man who prophesied in the Name of the LORD

Daniel 2:20:

"Praise be to the Name of God for ever and ever; wisdom and power are His." 

Joel 2:26:

"You will have plenty to eat, until you are full, and you will praise the Name of the LORD your God, who has worked wonders for you; never again will my people be shamed."

Joel 2:32:

"And everyone who calls on the Name of the LORD will be saved"

Micah 4:5:

"...we will walk in the Name of the LORD our God for ever and ever."

Micah 5:4:

"He will stand and shepherd his flock in the strength of the LORD, in the majesty of the Name of the LORD his God."

Malachi 1:11:

[LORD God says] "My Name will be great among the nations, from where the sun rises to where it sets. In every place incense and pure offerings will be brought to Me, because My Name will be great among the nations," says the LORD Almighty.

Malachi. 4:2:

[LORD God says] “But for you who revere My Name, the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its wings. And you will go out and leap like calves released from the stall.”

Zechariah 10:12:

"I will strengthen them in the LORD and in His Name they will live securely," declares the LORD.

Zechariah 13:9:

[LORD God says] "They will call on My Name and I will answer them; I will say, 'They are my people,' and they will say, 'The LORD is our God.'"

Zephaniah 3:9:

"Then will I purify the lips of the peoples, that all of them may call on the Name of the LORD and serve Him shoulder to shoulder."

Zephaniah 3:12:

"But I will leave within you the meek and humble, who trust in the Name of the LORD."

Luke 11:2 and Matthew 6:9:

"Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be Your Name."

Matthew 21:9, Matthew 23:39, Mark 11:9, Luke 13:35, Luke 19:38, and John 12:13:

"Blessed is he who comes in the Name of the Lord!"

Matthew 5:14-16:

"In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven."

John 17:11:

"Holy Father, protect them by the power of Your Name, the Name you gave me, so that they may be one as we are one."

Matthew 9:8:

When the crowd saw this, they were filled with awe; and they praised God...

Matthew 15:31:

The people were amazed when they saw the mute speaking, the crippled made well, the lame walking and the blind seeing. And they praised the God of Israel.

Mark 2:12:

He got up, took his mat and walked out in full view of them all. This amazed everyone and they praised God

Luke 2:28:

Simeon took him in his arms and praised God.

Luke 7:16:

They were all filled with awe and praised God. “A great prophet has appeared among us,” they said. “God has come to help his people.”

Luke 13:13:

Then he put his hands on her, and immediately she straightened up and praised God.

Luke 18:43:

Immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus, praising God. When all the people saw it, they also praised God.

Luke 23:47:

The centurion, seeing what had happened, praised God...

Matthew 11:25 and Luke 10:21:

“I praise You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth"

John 17:26 (Jesus praying to God):

"And I have declared unto them Your Name, and will declare it"

Luke 24:53:

And they stayed continually at the temple, praising God.

James 3:9:

"With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father..."

James 5:10:

"Brothers, as an example of patience in the face of suffering, take the prophets who spoke in the Name of the Lord."

1 Peter 1:3:

"Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ!"

Acts 2:21:

"And everyone who calls on the Name of the Lord will be saved."

Acts 3:8:

Then he went with them into the temple courts, walking and jumping, and praising God.

Acts 9:28:

So Saul stayed with them and moved about freely in Jerusalem, speaking boldly in the Name of the Lord.

Acts 10:46:

For they heard them speaking in tongues and praising God.

Acts 16:25:

About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them.

2 Timothy 2:19:

"Nevertheless, God's solid foundation stands firm, sealed with this inscription: "The Lord knows those who are His," and, "Everyone who confesses the Name of the Lord must turn away from wickedness."

Romans 10:13:

"Everyone who calls on the Name of the Lord will be saved."

2 Corinthians 11:31:

"The God and Father of the Lord Jesus Who is to be praised forever..."

Ephesians 5:19:

Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord.

Colossians 3:16:

Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God.

Hebrews 13:15:

"Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise—the fruit of lips that openly profess His Name."

Revelations 19:5:

Then a voice came from the throne, saying: “Praise our God, all you His servants, you who revere Him, both great and small!”

Rather than getting wound up with trying to prove historical details among the texts of the Bible, our intent should be to draw out the critical lessons being taught there. And it is clear that one of the most important lessons is that spiritual advancement is achieved through the humble and respectful singing and reciting of God's Holy Names.

Consider another translation of this verse in Chapter Four of the New Book of Genesis.

Genesis 32:25-30 - So Jacob was left alone, and a man wrestled with him till daybreak...

So Jacob was left alone, and a man wrestled with him till daybreak. When the man saw that he could not overpower him, he touched the socket of Jacob's hip so that his hip was wrenched as he wrestled with the man. Then the man said, "Let me go, for it is daybreak." But Jacob replied, "I will not let you go unless you bless me." The man asked him, "What is your name?" "Jacob," he answered. Then the man said, "Your name will no longer be Jacob, but Israel, because you have struggled with God and with humans and have overcome." Jacob said, "Please tell me your name." But he replied, "Why do you ask my name?" Then he blessed him there. So Jacob called the place Peniel, saying, "It is because I saw God face to face, and yet my life was spared." (Genesis 32:24-30)

Did Jacob wrestle with God?

Many sectarian institutional teachers have interpreted that Jacob was wrestling with God. But was He?

The text clearly states that a "man" wrestled with Jacob. The word "man" is translated from the Hebrew word, אִישׁ ('iysh). This means, according to the lexicon in the order of usage, "a man, a husband, a human being, person - in contrast to God." It can also mean, "servant, mankind, champion and great man."

It is clear from the Hebrew that a man wrestled with Jacob. The word "man" is mentioned 6 times in six verses. Why would the scriptures say "man" if Jacob wrestled with God?

Or was God pretending to be a man?

Consider this statement carefully:

"When the man saw that he could not overpower him, he touched the socket of Jacob's hip so that his hip was wrenched as he wrestled with the man."

Would the Supreme Being not be able to overpower Jacob? Such a notion contradicts the omniscience of God. The Supreme Being can overpower anyone and anything. God is the Creator and Destroyer of all things, and He is more powerful than any force - what to speak of a man.

Or was God only pretending to be a man? Was He basically toying with Jacob?

Not that God does sometimes play with His servants. But does the text say that? Actually, no. It would be quite easy for the text to clearly state that God was wrestling with Jacob.

Actually, the text says quite the opposite. It says,

Then the man said, "Let me go, for it is daybreak."

Would the Supreme Being have to ask Jacob to let him go because it was daybreak? Why would the Supreme Being need to do that? Would God have to ask someone to let Him go?

What the text says is that this man did have some special ability to affect Jacob's hip. But how did he affect Jacob? Let's consider this carefully.

We also know that the person wrestling with Jacob - "the man" - asked Jacob: "What is your name?"

Does God need to ask anyone's name? In Genesis 31 we find that God spoke with Jacob personally and addressed him as such. Or is God forgetful? Certainly not.

This is all besides the fact that the scriptures are clearly describing the person wrestling with Jacob as a "man". God never becomes a "man." God is always God. He is always the Supreme Being. He is never forgetful. Nor weak.

Why did Jacob ask for a blessing?

Why then would Jacob ask him for his blessing, and why does the man change Jacob's name? And why did "the man" say, "you have struggled with God and with humans and have overcome"? And why did Jacob call the location of their wrestling match, "Peniel" and say "It is because I saw God face to face, and yet my life was spared"?

We find a clear indication of who wrestled with Jacob:

Jacob also went on his way, and the angels of God met him. When Jacob saw them, he said, "This is the camp of God!" So he named that place Mahanaim. (Genesis 32:1-2)

So here we find that it was God's angels met with Jacob. And because of that, Jacob called that place, "the camp of God." This is a clear indication of what also took place at Peniel. Just because the "man" said that he struggled with God doesn't mean that Jacob was literally wrestling with God.

Here the word "angels" comes from the Hebrew word, מַלְאָךְ (mal'ak), which literally means, "messenger, representative" according to the lexicon.

Indeed, the "man" also said that Jacob struggled with "humans" in the same statement. Does this mean that Jacob literally held a wrestling match with all of humanity as well? No.

Jacob didn't literally wrestle with all of humankind - just as he didn't literally wrestle with God.

But why does the text say, But Jacob replied, "I will not let you go unless you bless me."

As we see throughout the scriptures, God isn't the only person who can bless others. We find, for example, among others, Isaac blessed Jacob (Genesis 28:1), Melchizedek blessed Abraham (Heb. 7:1), Jacob blessed Pharaoh (Genesis 47:7), and Joshua blessed Caleb (Joshua 14:13).

The pattern here is that the Prophets can bless others. The Prophets were God's messengers.

Angels are also God's messengers, and they can also bless others.

When we put this together with the introduction to Genesis 32 - that the angels of God met him - we can make sense of this event and the text.

How can God communicate without appearing?

This test illustrates one of the central means for God's communications within the physical realm: God can communicate to us via His messengers.

Throughout the scriptures, we find descriptions of clear communications attributed to God, yet there no clear statement that God appeared personally. We saw this with Abraham seeing the "three men" from the desert, and also from an angel appearing to Jacob yet saying "I am the God of Bethel." (Gen. 31:13)

Elsewhere we find communications from God coming through dreams with no appearance by God, and references to his angels. What is going on with these?

Quite simply, God utilizes His personal servants as His messengers. God's loving servants can be empowered to speak on His behalf. And those who hear those messengers clearly, understand God is speaking to them.

As His messengers, these loving servants of God have the ability to teach others and to reveal the person of the Supreme Being to their students. The "man" was clearly God's messenger, as he instructed Jacob. And Jacob understood that instruction to be coming from God.

Is the wrestling match allegorical?

The "man" Jacob wrestled with was God's messenger. And the "wrestling match" is an allegorical explanation for what occurred between God's messenger and Jacob - which could well be called a wrestling match simply because Jacob was wrestling with - struggling with - the concept of surrendering himself to the will of the Supreme Being.

And this struggle can occur within any of us - should we become connected with the Supreme Being through His messenger. We struggle with the idea of giving up our own desires and surrendering our will to the Supreme Being's will. This is the meaning of "you have struggled with God and with humans and have overcome." While this is an extremely advanced stage of consciousness - to even begin to wrestle with this - Jacob's allegorical wrestle indicates that indeed he surrendered himself to God's will. This is confirmed by the word "overcome."

Note that the word "overcome" - here comes from the Hebrew word יכל (yakol), which can mean being victorious, but in this context it refers to having strength. This is not related to physical strength - as a relationship with God does not involve physical strength. It involves spiritual strength.

What is spiritual strength? Spiritual strength is the ability to counteract our self-centered forces that breed greed, envy and those things that follow. Spiritual strength is not simply counteractive - it is proactive, because it comes from love. It comes from wanting to please the Supreme Being and His messengers.

God's messengers are pleased when God is pleased. Should a person meet such a messenger of God, and should God's messenger introduce the student to God, the student will be blessed with the ability to regain their own unique relationship with God.

This is what is occurring in this text. Jacob met God's messenger and allegorically wrestled with God's messenger concerning his surrender to God.

Once Jacob surrendered, he asked for and was "blessed" by God's messenger, who then instructed Jacob.

Jacob's meeting with God did not occur within a wrestling match. This is not an event to be taken literally.

Whether they say He was playing with Jacob or not, the description of "the man" is certainly not the description of the Supreme Being.

And yes, God does have fun with His loving children. And He might wrestle with one of His servants. But He is always God. He never becomes a man.

But God's messengers can become men - or women. The Biblical scriptures reveal that as God's messengers introduce God to others, those others who become empowered will have the opportunity to introduce still others to the Supreme Being.

This forms a distinct lineage of teachers and their students throughout the Old Testament and New Testament. And this precisely what we see among the various teachers - referred to as Prophets - of the Old Testament.

Why is this important? The Supreme Being could appear to any of us at any time by Himself. He doesn't need help.

But He utilizes those who want to serve Him to introduce others because He enjoys the process of relationships. He enjoys being introduced and He enjoys being sought after. This is because He is God - and God enjoys love.

That is why God created us. He wants us to love Him. He wants us to choose to love Him. His position is God and our natural position is His loving servant. That is why He created us. To exchange loving relationships with Him.

What is the meaning of the hip in this story?

The story makes it sound that because "the man" could not otherwise defeat Jacob he had to dislocate his hip. Does God have to use a sneaky facility to defeat others?

No. The Hebrew words translated to "hip socket" are כף (kaph) and ירך (yarek). The central meaning of the word כף (kaph) is not thigh or thigh joint. It can mean "palm" or "hollow or flat of the hand" or "sole of the foot" or more importantly, "power" according to the lexicon.

And the word ירך (yarek) typically describes the side or flank of something as well as the loins - the seat of procreative power. This might be the thigh in the case of a man's body - but in this case, the text is not referring to a man's loins or hip socket.

The text is referring to a weakness being exploited by a certain power. The two words כף (kaph) and ירך (yarek) relate to "the man" - God's messenger - finding Jacob's weakness - his critical weak spot that each of us has. A particularly tender area.

Just consider a person's weak spot and how that can be compared to a part of the body. When we hit our "funny bone" for example, we will say that the "funny bone" is a particularly tender spot of the body.

The other indication that כף (kaph) and ירך (yarek) do not describe the hip socket is because "the man" only had to "touch" the spot. In what circumstance does "touching" produce results?

Each of us has a tender spot that can be "touched" by someone. Being "touched" at our tender spot is something communicated today with the phrase, "he pushed my buttons." Such a phrase indicates that the person found a special weakness and exploited that weakness.

Such an occasion may also lead to the situation where someone "touched their heart."

The reality is that after struggling - allegorically wrestling - with God's messenger, God's messenger 'pressed his buttons' and touched Jacob's heart. And through this process, God's messenger revealed the Supreme Being to Jacob, producing a change in heart.

This is what God's messenger can do. He can touch a person's heart by revealing the loving nature of the Supreme Being. This will produce a change of heart in the person - causing them to change their direction in life - from a self-serving nature to their innate God-loving nature.

Religious institutions do sometimes discuss this idea of "love for God" - which is taught throughout the scriptures as the goal of religion. But in order to love God we must know Him. He must be revealed to us. This is the process that God delegates to those who want to serve Him and please Him - to introduce others to Him. At that point of introduction the Supreme Being will reveal Himself.

Therefore it is important we do not blindly accept teachers simply by the fact that they paid tuition and graduated from a seminary college. This has nothing to do with representing the Supreme Being. Only a person who has been personally introduced to God can personally introduce others to the person of God.

One of the odd things about this story about Jacob is the last verse in Genesis 32:

Therefore to this day the Israelites do not eat the tendon attached to the socket of the hip, because the socket of Jacob's hip was touched near the tendon. (Genesis 32:32)

This is quite odd, because the narration is supposing that it was recorded contemporaneously, yet this last verse starts with "Therefore to this day the Israelites..."

This phrase indicates that Genesis 32 was not written contemporaneously. At the time of this story, there were no such people called the "Israelites," since Jacob had just been renamed. What is clear is that this event is being recorded as retold centuries later from an oral tradition. Who recorded it and is the story accurate?

Was Jacob renamed as Israel?

Yes, sometimes the messenger of God may change the name of the student. But is this what is going on with this text?

The word "Israel" - taken from ישראל (Yisra'el) - means "God prevails!" This is a praise of God. It is not the name of a person. And שם (shem) - translated to name - relates to not just any name, but specifically to "the Name (as designation of God)". שם (shem) means to glorify or memorialize this Name - the Holy Name of God.

In fact, this verse is not re-naming Jacob: He was instructing Jacob to glorify God in a certain way. In this case, to glorify God with ישראל (Yisra'el) - or "God prevails!" This is a clear glorification of God, which can be incanted or sung or simply spoken to one another - a way to praise God.

This verse is not about re-naming Jacob. In this verse, God's messenger is calling upon Jacob to glorify God's Holy Names.

According to God's messengers, this is how a person becomes linked up with God.

Consider another translation of this verse in Chapter 32 of the New Book of Genesis.