Genesis 32:29

New English Translation

²⁹Then Jacob asked, “Please tell me your name.”^[a] “Why^[b] do you ask my name?” the man replied.^[c] Then he blessed^[d] Jacob^[e] there.

Genesis 32:29 sn Tell me your name. In primitive thought to know the name of a deity or supernatural being would enable one to use it for magical manipulation or power (A. S. Herbert, Genesis 12-50 [TBC], 108). For a thorough structural analysis of the passage discussing the plays on the names and the request of Jacob, see R. Barthes, “The Struggle with the Angel: Textual Analysis of Genesis 32:23-33, ” Structural Analysis and Biblical Exegesis (PTMS), 21-33.
Genesis 32:29 tn The question uses the enclitic pronoun “this” to emphasize the import of the question.
Genesis 32:29 tn Heb “and he said, ‘Why is it that you ask my name?’” The referent of the pronoun “he” (the man who wrestled with Jacob) has been specified for clarity, and the order of the introductory clause and the direct discourse has been rearranged in the translation for stylistic reasons.
Genesis 32:29 tn The verb here means that the Lord endowed Jacob with success; he would be successful in everything he did, including meeting Esau.
Genesis 32:29 tn Heb “him”; the referent (Jacob) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

New English Translation (NET)