Place Old Testament
Peniel
Also known as Penuel =ESV, KJV; Peniel =NIV
Peniel, also called Penuel, was the place where Jacob wrestled with God and had his name changed to Israel. Mentioned in 6 verses across 3 books, first at Genesis 32:30.
Why it matters. A place where Jacob wrestled with God
- Primary passages
- Location
- 32.184, 35.703 (approximate, within about 2 km)
Coordinates from STEPBible TIPNR (palopenmaps.org link). Approximate; not independently verified.
- Last reviewed
- 2026-08-30 by the FaithGraph team
About Peniel
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 (1Kgs. 12:25), possibly to secure his kingdom against the threat of Judah in the south.
Description from STEPBible TIPNR (Tyndale House, Cambridge), CC BY 4.0, lightly reformatted. This is background reference material, not Scripture and not a FaithGraph editorial claim.
Connections
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Appears in Scripture
Named in 6 verses across 3 books. Occurrence data from STEPBible TIPNR (CC BY 4.0); references only, no translation text.