Who was Jacob standing in the night with? Who did Jacob fight in the night?

In 1994, at the request of Irina Allegrova, Igor Krutoy wrote music to M. Tsvetaeva’s famous poem, “I Will Rescue You ...”. It immediately became a hit, but not all of the audience could appreciate the deep meaning of the work of the famous poet of the Silver Age. In particular, many of those who are new to the Bible had a question: “And with whom did Jacob stand in the night?” Indeed, in the Old and New Testaments several persons with that name are mentioned. So who did Tsvetaeva mean, and with by whom did the patriarch, from whom the 12 tribes of the people of Israel descended, communicate under cover of darkness?

Apostle James

Jacob the son of Isaac

The first mention of a person with that name is found in the Old Testament, more precisely in Genesis. There, Jacob is introduced as the youngest of the twin brothers born to the patriarch Isaac from his wife Rebekah. With the help of his mother, he managed to deceive his half-blind father and get his blessing for the birthright. For his act, he paid his whole life. In particular, fearing his brother's revenge, Jacob fled to Harran, where he married two sisters, having served for them for 14 years. They, as well as the servants of Zelf and Wallah, bore him a total of thirteen children. When Jacob returned from voluntary exile, his only daughter was dishonored by King Shechem. Her brothers, in response to such an insult, massacred and avenged the inhabitants of the city.

With whom Jacob stood in the night

Years passed. Once, Jacob could not fall asleep at night, reflecting on the misfortunes that fell upon his lot. Suddenly God appeared before him in the guise of an angel. Being on the verge of despair, the patriarch began to fight with a messenger of higher powers, demanding blessing until dawn. The fight was merciless, and the angel even stabbed him in the thigh. However, the zeal of Jacob was appreciated by God, and he not only blessed him, but also bestowed the ability to “overcome men.” In addition, the angel gave him a new name - Israel, meaning "fighting with God." It was supposed to remind of whom and for what Jacob fought in the night. Since that time, Israel’s life has changed: he returned to his father’s house, received his father’s forgiveness and attended his funeral. Even the sale of his beloved son, Joseph, into slavery by his own brothers ultimately turned out to be a triumph for Jacob, since he took an important post in Egypt and, having called his father and relatives under his wing, gave them a rich district of Gesem for living.

with whom Jacob stood in the night

Thus, the biblical story associated with the name of the patriarch of Israel can be surprising. After all, the one with whom Jacob stood in the night and fought was the Almighty himself, and in the New Testament, and in the Old, the call to obey the will of the Lord is constantly repeated implicitly.

Son of Zebedee

In the New Testament, the name James is found repeatedly. So, Jesus met with three fishermen - the Testament and his sons, James and John. Subsequently, young people become apostles, and the first of them is called the Elder in order to distinguish him from other followers of the Savior with the same name. The fact that Jacob, the son of Zebedee, was close to Christ is evidenced by the fact that he was one of the three disciples who witnessed the Transfiguration of the Lord. As for his actions after the Savior ascended to heaven, it is known that he participated in the organization of the first Christian communities. And the apostle James died in the year 44, being killed by the king Agrippa the First.

The son of Alafei

The second apostle named Jacob is the brother of the Evangelist Matthew. He is called by the name of his father Alafeev, and in worldly life he was a publican. His ministry for the glory of Christ consisted in instructing the true Gentiles on the path, and it was for this purpose that he went with the Apostle Andrew the First-Called to Eddes, and then preached in Gaza.

Jacob the brother of the lord

Jacob is the brother of the Lord

Another Bible character with this name is the son of Joseph, with whom the Virgin Mary was engaged. In the church tradition, it is customary to call him the Lesser Apostle James, and he is considered the brother of Christ in the flesh. As a child, he accompanied Mary, Joseph, and the baby Jesus while fleeing to Egypt, and later became the first hierarch of Jerusalem. In addition, the message of Jacob is known in which he writes about how to receive wisdom, and about the joy in enduring temptations. He also owns the famous phrase “Faith without works is dead”, which is one of the most cited truths given in the Bible.

Jacob in the night

The evidence of the tragic death of St. James, the son of Joseph, has been preserved. In particular, it is known that around the year 63, on Jewish Passover, the scribes and Pharisees decided to discredit Christ in the eyes of the people and asked his already elderly brother to climb onto the roof of the temple and explain to people that Jesus is an ordinary person and is not a savior. Jacob went up to where they indicated him, and without fear he spoke truth from above. For this he was pushed down and stoned, and until the last second he prayed and glorified the Lord.

Now you know with whom Jacob stood in the night. And, perhaps, the song that Igor Krutoy wrote to the verses of Marina Tsvetaeva twenty years ago will take on a completely different meaning for you.


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