The man who wrestles with Jacob is certainly a mystery, but I believe that this unknown figure has to be God, or someone that God sent such as an angel. This man possesses many of the same characteristics as God, such as the power of renaming. God gives Jacob the new name of Israel, which he will now carry as his name for the rest of his life. We also see God change many names throughout the Old Testament such as Abram changing to Abraham. This name change is very significant and I believe that only a God-like figure could do something like this. Also, in addition to the power of name changing, this unknown figure also touched Jacob’s hip, and Jacob was no longer able to walk straight for the rest of his life. Only God could possess a significant power like this, which contributes to my reason to believe that this man is God. The man goes on to appreciate the fact that Jacob has dealt with his many struggles and is truly proud of him for that. This positivity is another characteristic that is connected with God and His ability to compliment people for doing the right thing.
Along with the fact that the story never tells the audience who this man is, the story also doesn’t tell us who won the match. Although Jacob cannot walk straight for the rest of his life with his hip injury, I believe he was the winner of the match. He walked away with a blessing straight from God, and also started a covenant with him. God gave Jacob the new name of Israel so that he could start fresh with a new life and new opportunities, such as serving the Lord in this new covenant. He has essentially been reborn because of his new name that he was given, as well as the eternal blessing.
Pat's Blog 
I agree with your reasoning about the identity of the man wrestling. To add on, Jacob renames the place where the wrestling match occurred after someone who saw the face of God. I see that Jacob recognizes that he encountered a divine being in the wrestling match. I think that Jacob won as well, but I think God also wins by gaining Jacob as one of His followers.
LikeLike
I agree that the renaming of Jacob to Israel is something that could be interpreted as the mark of God. The way Jacob handles the interaction is also noteworthy, as he responds to the encounter saying “I saw God face to face, and yet my life was spared.” With regard to the injured hip, I see this more as a token of their encounter and of Jacob’s new life, rather than an expression of the man’s power.
LikeLike