H0079 H0079
to wrestle, grapple, struggle with
A rare verb appearing only in Genesis 32 when Jacob wrestles with the mysterious figure at the Jabbok ford. The word comes from getting dusty—the idea of two opponents grappling so intensely that dust flies. Jacob wrestled with this man until daybreak (verse 24), and when the stranger saw he couldn't prevail, he touched Jacob's hip socket (verse 25). This nightlong struggle became the defining moment of Jacob's life, earning him a new name: Israel ('he struggles with God').
Senses
1. sense 1 — The verb's etymology connects to dust (related to 'ābāq'), picturing the physical intensity of combat—bodies locked together, kicking up dirt. Genesis 32:24-25 uses both the finite verb (he wrestled) and the infinitive construct (when he wrestled). The Septuagint translates with 'palaiō' (wrestle), capturing the athletic combat sense. This isn't distant sword fighting but intimate grappling. The dust imagery later appears in rabbinic literature ('sitting in the dust at their feet' = being a disciple). Jacob's wrestling match became paradigmatic: Israel's identity is forged through struggle with the divine. 2×
AR["فِي-مُصارَعَتِ-هِ", "وَ-صارَعَ-هُ"]·ben["আর-কুস্তি-করল", "কুস্তি-করতে-গিয়ে-তার"]·DE["als-er-rang", "und-rang"]·EN["and-wrestled", "when-he-wrestled"]·FR["et-lutta", "quand-il-lutta"]·heb["ב-האבקו-ו", "ו-יאבק"]·HI["और-मल्लयुद्ध-किया", "मल्लयुद्ध-में-उसके"]·ID["dan-bergulatlah", "ketika-ia-bergulat"]·IT["e-wrestled", "quando-egli-wrestled"]·jav["lan-tiyang-banten", "nalika-piyambakipun-banten"]·KO["그리고-씨름했다", "씨름하는-동안에"]·PT["ao-lutar-seu", "e-lutou"]·RU["и-боролся", "когда-боролся"]·ES["al-luchar-él", "y-luchó"]·SW["alipopigana", "na-akapigana"]·TR["güreşirken", "ve-güreşti"]·urd["اور-کشتی-لڑا", "کشتی-کرتے-ہوئے"]
Related Senses
G0846 1. third-person pronoun reference (5552×)H???? 1. (4670×)H6213a 1. do, perform, act (2383×)G4160 1. do, act, perform (473×)H5221 1. Hifil: to strike in battle, smite enemies (362×)H0899b 1. garment, article of clothing (216×)H6213a 2. make, construct, fabricate (148×)H3772 1. cut a covenant / make a pact (97×)H5060 1. touch physically (Qal) (96×)H3615 1. complete a task (Piel) (85×)H3772 2. cut off / destroy (Hifil causative) (81×)H3920 1. capture, seize (Qal) (76×)H???? 12. (76×)H3772 3. be cut off / be eliminated (Niphal) (74×)H6213a 3. be done, be made (Niphal) (73×)G4160 2. make, construct, create (62×)H3847 1. Qal: put on, wear (60×)H8210 1. pour out (liquid/libation) (59×)G2440 1. garment or clothing (general) (54×)H4191 4. kill / put to death (Hifil causative) (50×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
† [אָבַק] vb.denom. Niph. wrestle (= get dusty, cf. κόνις, κονίω, v. also StrPirke Aboth, I, 4 מִתְאַבֵּק בַּעֲפַר רַגְלֵיהֶם = sit at their feet; others, e.g. Di, comp. חבק). וַיֵּאָבֵק עִם Gn 32:25; Inf. sf. בְּהֵאָֽבְקוֹ עִם v 26.