A question about Jacob in Genesis?

Question

Why was Jacob still called Jacob after he was named Israel?

Answer 1

Genesis 32:28--God blessed Jacob & renamed him Israel.
The people in his life who knew him still called him Jacob, but between he and God he was Israel.

Genesis 35:9-15, "Then God appeared to Jacob again, when he came from Padan Aram, and blessed him. And God said to him, "Your name is Jacob; your name shall not be called Jacob anymore, but Israel shall be your name." So He called his name Israel. Also God said to him: "I am God Almighty. Be fruitful and multiply; a nation and a company of nations shall proceed from you, and kings shall come from your body. The land which I gave Abraham and Isaac I give to you; and to your descendants after you I give this land." Then God went up from him in the place where He talked with him. So Jacob set up a pillar in the place where He talked with him, a pillar of stone; and he poured a drink offering on it, and he poured oil on it. And Jacob called the name of the place where God spoke with him, Bethel."

God is telling Jacob his future and prophesying over the nation of Israel to come & that it will descend from his seed.
His twelve sons. The twelve tribes of Israel.

Answer 2

It's dualism, in literature. Man has two natures, on vulgar, one sublime. When you read a passage using Jacob, the author is speaking of the more earthly, or physical nature of Israel.

I saw a real good photo essay by Steven King, that expresses it better than I can. It's about Gargoyles, and Cathedrals.

Answer 3

Jacob means a "crooked one" or a "thief" Israel means "blessed of God." When they followed God he refered to them as Israel but when they went back to their old ways He reverted to calling them Jacob.

Edit: Malachi 3:6 "For I, the LORD, do not change; therefore you, O sons of Jacob, are not consumed."

Answer 4

Perhaps we (Westerners) still refer to him as Jacob to reduce the confusion between the nation and the person.

Answer 5

The same reason Peter is called "Simon, Simon";
to allegorically denote he was being dbleminded.

Jesus is notably "the Saviour of Israel", of Jacob/Israel.
Christ is notably the Saviour of the world: all, not some.
To wit, that God was in "Christ" reconciling "the world".
That God wasn't in Jesus alienationg the world with law.

The GRACE(ONLY) of our Lord Jesus Christ with you all. Amen.

Answer 6

The Bible doesn't explain that question. On a cultural level it could be that Jacob (supplanter, heel grabber, trickster) was his given name and Israel (prince who wrestles with God) was a descriptive name like Gideon who was also called Jerubbaal (contends with Baal) after he destroyed Baal's temple. On a spiritual level it could refer to a foreshadowing of spiritual rebirth where even though a person has a new God given spiritual nature they still have their old fleshly carnal nature to deal with. Jacob wrestled with God in prayer and became a different sort of man but he still had his old nature to deal with too.

Genesis 32:24 And Jacob was left alone. And a man wrestled with him until the breaking of the day. 25 When the man saw that he did not prevail against Jacob, he touched his hip socket, and Jacob's hip was put out of joint as he wrestled with him. 26 Then he said, "Let me go, for the day has broken." But Jacob said, "I will not let you go unless you bless me." 27 And he said to him, "What is your name?" And he said, "Jacob." 28 Then he said, "Your name shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel, for you have striven with God and with men, and have prevailed."

Judges 6:30 Then the men of the town said to Joash, "Bring out your son, that he may die, for he has broken down the altar of Baal and cut down the Asherah beside it." 31 But Joash said to all who stood against him, "Will you contend for Baal? Or will you save him? Whoever contends for him shall be put to death by morning. If he is a god, let him contend for himself, because his altar has been broken down." 32 Therefore on that day Gideon was called Jerubbaal, that is to say, "Let Baal contend against him," because he broke down his altar.

Answer 7

you're making my head hurt with that question.

If you've ever looked at the Kaballah it talks about names,
and their different meanings.

While I don't remember what it means, "Isreal" has a significant meaning in ancient Hebrew.

Answer 8

nickname?