Genesis 32:32 kjv

Therefore the children of Israel eat not of the sinew which shrank, which is upon the hollow of the thigh, unto this day: because he touched the hollow of Jacob's thigh in the sinew that shrank.

Genesis 32:32 nkjv

Therefore to this day the children of Israel do not eat the muscle that shrank, which is on the hip socket, because He touched the socket of Jacob's hip in the muscle that shrank.

Genesis 32:32 niv

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 esv

Therefore to this day the people of Israel do not eat the sinew of the thigh that is on the hip socket, because he touched the socket of Jacob's hip on the sinew of the thigh.

Genesis 32:32 nlt

(Even today the people of Israel don't eat the tendon near the hip socket because of what happened that night when the man strained the tendon of Jacob's hip.)

Genesis 32 verses

Genesis 32 32 Meaning

Genesis 32:32 explains the origin of an enduring dietary custom among the Israelites: not eating the gid han-nasheh, commonly translated as the sinew of the thigh or sciatic nerve, from any animal. This practice serves as a perpetual reminder of Jacob's night-long struggle with a divine being at Peniel, where his hip was dislocated by a touch to that very sinew. The custom links a specific physical act of consumption directly to a foundational spiritual encounter of their patriarch, Jacob (later named Israel), marking it as a sign of their identity and connection to this pivotal event.

Genesis 32 32 Context

Genesis chapter 32 chronicles Jacob's apprehensive journey back to Canaan to meet his estranged brother Esau, twenty years after his deceitful acquisition of the birthright and blessing. He prepares for confrontation, sending gifts and dividing his camp. The crucial event leading to this verse is Jacob's solitary encounter at the Jabbok ford, where he wrestles through the night with a mysterious figure, understood as God or an angel of God. This wrestling culminates in Jacob receiving a new name, Israel, signifying his struggle with God and humans and his perseverance. The dislocation of his hip during this struggle is the physical marker of this spiritual transformation and divine touch. Verse 32 immediately follows, explaining how this singular historical event left a lasting physical custom upon the nation descended from Jacob/Israel, serving as a permanent communal remembrance of their forefather's unique encounter and their national identity tied to wrestling with and prevailing by God's strength.

Genesis 32 32 Word analysis

• Therefore (עַל־כֵּ֞ן, ’al-ken): A conjunction signifying a logical consequence or reason. It directly connects the preceding narrative (Jacob’s injury) to the following established custom. This signals an etiological purpose for the dietary law.
• to this day (עַל־כֵּן֩ לֹֽא־יֹאכְל֨וּ בְנֵי־יִשְׂרָאֵ֜ל עַד֙ הַיֹּ֣ום הַזֶּ֔ה, ‘ad hay-yom haz-zeh): Emphasizes the longevity and ongoing nature of the practice among the descendants of Jacob. It highlights the custom as an unbroken tradition, grounding it deeply in the national memory and identity of Israel, stretching from antiquity to the narrator's present and beyond.
• the Israelites (בְנֵי־יִשְׂרָאֵ֜ל, bənê yiś-rā’êl): Literally "sons of Israel." Refers to the descendants of Jacob, who was renamed Israel. This highlights the communal nature of the custom and its tie to their identity as a unique people blessed and transformed by God.
• do not eat (לֹא־יֹאכְל֨וּ, lō’-yōḵlū): A negative command, indicating a prohibition. This establishes a specific dietary regulation. It is a memorial action, not for health or ritual purity in the sense of the Mosaic Law, but purely commemorative.
• the sinew of the thigh (גִּ֣יד הַנָּשֶׁ֔ה, gîḏ han-nāšeh): The specific anatomical part involved. Often identified with the sciatic nerve (the longest nerve in the body, running down the back of the leg) or possibly a specific tendon in the hip. Its Hebrew name is unique and means "the sinew that was put out/displaced." The act of its removal is still part of the Jewish kosher slaughtering process (nikkur), demonstrating continued adherence. This prohibition uniquely marks Israel's connection to Jacob's enduring physical mark.
• that is on the hip socket (אֲשֶׁר֙ עַל־כַּף֙ הַיָּרֵ֔ךְ, ’ăšer ‘al-kap hay-yāreḵ): Clarifies the precise location of the sinew. "Hip socket" (kap hay-yarekh) refers to the broad, cup-like joint of the thigh or hip, emphasizing the intimate connection to the dislocated joint. This specificity confirms the targeted nature of the dietary ban.
• because (כִּ֛י, kî): A causal conjunction, explicitly stating the reason for the custom.
• he touched (נָגַ֤ע, nāḡa‘): The act performed by the divine wrestler. This "touch" was not merely a tap but a powerful, disabling impact. It implies divine power and a physical alteration as a mark of the encounter.
• the socket of Jacob’s hip (בְּכַף֙ יֶ֣רֶךְ יַעֲקֹ֔ב, bə-ḵap ye-reḵ ya‘ăqōḇ): Reiteration of the specific body part on Jacob himself. This makes the custom intensely personal, directly linked to their patriarch’s suffering and transformation.

• Words-group Analysis:
• Therefore to this day the Israelites do not eat: This phrase sets up the legal/customary consequence. It establishes a perpetual, national observance originating from a foundational moment. It signals to the audience that this particular dietary rule is not merely arbitrary but possesses deep historical and theological roots specifically tied to their patriarch's encounter with God. It also differentiates this custom from broader kosher laws by linking it to a personal, narrative event.
• the sinew of the thigh that is on the hip socket: This detailed anatomical description provides the precise object of the prohibition. The specificity serves to ensure clear and continuous adherence. The identification of this specific sinew by name (gid han-nasheh) ensures that the custom is a literal, tangible memorial. This points to the meticulousness of how divine encounters or historical events were translated into physical observances in ancient Israel.
• because he touched the socket of Jacob’s hip in the sinew of the thigh: This clause directly provides the etiology for the custom. It explains that the practice is a direct result of the divine intervention that incapacitated Jacob but also consecrated him. It reiterates the specific body part to cement the connection between Jacob's injury and the dietary prohibition, reinforcing the significance of Jacob’s transformation into Israel. It serves as a permanent physical reminder of his spiritual struggle and divine blessing. The very act of cutting out this sinew from meat symbolizes their connection to the one who wrestled with God and lived, but was marked. This also indirectly serves as a polemic against beliefs that downplay the reality or physicality of divine-human interaction, emphasizing that the encounter with the divine has real, tangible consequences for life and identity.

Genesis 32 32 Bonus section

The gid han-nasheh is known in Jewish tradition as the "sciatic nerve" and its removal (Nikkur HaGid) is still meticulously performed in kosher butchering today. This long-standing practice is a powerful example of how ancient biblical narratives continue to influence religious practice, embodying a deep reverence for the origins of their customs. It is a symbol of their enduring covenant relationship with God, passed down through the physical memory of their patriarch. While the narrative is descriptive rather than prescriptive law (not found in Mosaic legislation), its inclusion highlights its accepted status as an enduring national observance stemming from pre-Sinaitic revelation, cementing Jacob's narrative as foundational to their national identity before the formal giving of the Law.

Genesis 32 32 Commentary

Genesis 32:32 serves as an etiological footnote, explaining a dietary custom deeply embedded in Israelite tradition. This custom is more than just a food law; it is a mnemonic device, a tangible reminder of the defining night in Jacob's life, where he wrestled with God and emerged transformed, albeit physically marked. The prohibition of eating the gid han-nasheh thus perpetually connects every Israelite to their patriarch's personal encounter at Peniel, where he saw God face to face and lived.

This practice is unique as it is based not on ritual purity or general health (as many other Levitical laws might imply), but solely on a specific historical event concerning the father of their nation. It highlights several key theological truths: the reality of divine-human encounters, the cost of wrestling with God (a physical injury, yet also a spiritual blessing), the enduring mark of such encounters, and the importance of national memory for identity. Jacob's limp (implied by the dislocated hip) became a symbol of his weakness turned strength, his past deception replaced by integrity with God. Thus, this seemingly small dietary detail points to the core of Israel's identity: a people named by God, bearing the mark of divine encounter, living in covenant with Him.

The custom ensured that the story of Jacob's transformation, his tenacity, his wrestling, and the divine touch, was literally woven into the daily life and diet of every Israelite generation. It silently preaches that God's ways often involve struggle and transformation, leaving lasting, personal, and communal marks that remind His people of their unique calling and relationship. It's a reminder of God's power over the physical body, His choice to leave a visible, internal sign, and the reverent response required from humanity.