And when he saw that he prevailed not against him, he touched the hollow of his thigh; and the hollow of Jacob's thigh was out of joint, as he wrestled with him.
All Commentaries on Genesis 32:25 Go To Genesis 32
Augustine of Hippo
AD 430
So what does it mean, Jacob’s wrestling and refusing to let go? The Lord says in the Gospel, “The kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and those who act violently plunder it.” This is what we were saying earlier on: struggle, wrestle, to hold on to Christ, to love your enemy. You hold Christ here and now if you have loved your enemy. And what does the Lord himself say, that is, the angel in the person of the Lord, when he had got the upper hand and was holding him fast? He has touched the hollow of his thigh, and it has withered, and so Jacob was limping. He says to Jacob, “Let me go, it is already morning.” He answered, “I will not let you go unless you bless me.” And he blessed Jacob. How? By changing his name: “You shall not be called Jacob but Israel; since you have got the upper hand with God, you shall also get the upper hand with men.” That is the blessing. Look, it’s a single man; in one respect he is touched and withers and in another he is blessed. This one single person in one respect has withered up and limps; in another he is blessed to give him vigor.
