Lexical Definition

‎פְּנוּאֵל‎ Pᵉnûwʼêl (pen-oo-ale') Peniel ^N:N--L
or (more properly,) פְּנִיאֵל Pᵉnîyʼêl (pen-oo-ale'); from ‎פָּנָה‎ and ‎אֵל‎; face of God

Peniel, Penuel.

• § Penuel or Peniel = "facing God"
• Penuel or Peniel, a place East of Jordan
• also (as Penuel) the name of two Israelites

n pr m
1) a Benjamite, son of Shashak, brother of Iphedeiah of the family of Saul
2) son of Hur, father of Gedor, and a descendant of Judah
n pr loc
3) the place named by Jacob when he wrestled with God and located on the north bank of the Jabbok close to the Jordan

See Greek: Φανουήλ

Extended Information

• the place named by Jacob when he wrestled with God and located on the north bank of the Jabbok close to the Jordan

Brown-Driver-Briggs

‎פְּנוּאֵל‎ proper name (face of God, compare GFM ^{JU 8, 8}; late Assyrian Panîli Hilpr^{Univ. Pa. Exp. ix. 68}); — Φανουηλ, but in Gen εἶδος (τοῦ) θεοῦ:

1. location east of Jordan, near Jabbok Gen 32:32*; Judg 8:8 (twice in verse); Judg 8:9; Judg 8:17; 1Kgs 12:25 = ‎פְּנִיאֵל‎ Gen 32:31*: site unknown; see especially Paine^{Bib.Sac.1878,481 ff.}

2. masculine a. in Judah 1Chr 4:4.
b. in Benjamin 1Chr 8:25 Qr (Kt ‎פניאל‎).

Brown-Driver-Briggs References

Profile

Peniel • A place where Jacob wrestled with God

Peniel, also called Penuel, was the place where Jacob wrestled with God and had his name changed to Israel.

• A location first mentioned at Gen.32.30;
• referred to as Peniel or Penuel (NIV= Peniel) פְּנוּאֵל.
  

Peniel, also known as Penuel, was a significant location in the life of the patriarch Israel (or 'Jacob'). It is first mentioned in Genesis 32:30-31, where Jacob wrestled with a mysterious man (believed to be God or an angel) throughout the night. After the encounter, Jacob named the place Peniel, meaning "face of God," saying, "I have seen God face to face, and yet my life has been delivered." The wrestling match marked a turning point in Jacob's life, as he received a new name, Israel, signifying his struggle with God and men (Gen. 32:28).

Later in the Bible, Penuel is mentioned as a city in the territory of Gad, east of the Jordan River. During the time of the judges, Gideon and his men pursued the Midianite kings Zebah and Zalmunna to Penuel (Judg. 8:8-9). The men of Penuel refused to provide bread to Gideon's army, so Gideon vowed to tear down the tower of Penuel upon his return (Judg. 8:17). In the reign of King Jeroboam I of Israel, Penuel was one of the cities he fortified (1 Kgs. 12:25), possibly to secure his kingdom against the threat of Judah in the south.

All entries for Peniel or Penuel: פְּנוּאֵל