Jacob versus Israel. Oh, the irony!

The title of a recent Fox News article is, “Ohio man arrested after making antisemitic slurs at Jewish family through doorbell camera.” The man, one Jacob Reidy, 39, was taken into custody after he made antisemitic slurs toward two families with Israeli flags displayed on their lawns to express their solidarity with Israel. According to police, Reidy’s arrest was for criminal trespass. Police further noted he had previously been spotted shouting slurs from his car outside a synagogue. Presumably, his being video-recorded aided law enforcement in his capture.

Ahem, the man’s given name is “Jacob.” Now, what an intriguing tidbit that might be!

Jacob is a common masculine name in Western culture. The inescapable fact is that it derives from ancient Hebrew, as explained in the link cited.

Hebrew: יַעֲקֹב (Ya’aqov) —> Greek: Ἰακώβ (Iakob) —> Latin: Iacob —> Modern: Jacob

Jacob, with its variants, has ranked in the highest popularity in the U.S. in recent decades, holding the number one spot for 13 years, from 1999 to 2012.

As described in the Old Testament book of Genesis, Isaac was born to Abraham and Sarah. Jacob and his twin brother, Esau, were then born to Isaac and Rebekah. Now, Esau was born just before Jacob, giving Esau the birthright of “eldest son.” But much later, into their adulthood, and as further recounted, the scheming Jacob convinced Esau to sell him his birthright, giving Jacob sole right to their father’s blessing.

Unsurprisingly, this stunt did not go well for the brothers’ relationship, and Jacob was advised by his mother to flee for his life for a time until the enraged Esau recovered from his fury.

Image: Jacob Wrestling with the Angel (colorized) by Gustave Doré. Public Domain.

As it happened, the brothers went separately on with their lives, taking wives, building families, and pursuing their fortunes. The narrative is lengthy and complex, so let us skip ahead.

Years later, Esau and Jacob are finally reconciled, with Jacob endeavoring to make a peace offering from his sizable livestock herds to his brother, who leads an army of four hundred men. In the run-up, a now-tremulous Jacob is apprehensive about whether the offering will do the trick and devises a stratagem of dividing his flocks into separate groups and sending his wives, maids, and children to safety.

This is where it gets really interesting, for the sake of this discussion. Chapter 32 continues,

The same night he arose and took his two wives, his two maids, and his eleven children, and crossed the ford of the Jabbok. He took them and sent them across the stream, and likewise everything that he had. And Jacob was left alone; and a man wrestled with him until the breaking of the day. When the man saw that he did not prevail against Jacob, he touched the hollow of his thigh; and Jacob’s thigh was put out of joint as he wrestled with him. Then he said, “Let me go, for the day is breaking.” But Jacob said, “I will not let you go, unless you bless me.” And he said to him, “What is your name?” And he said, “Jacob.” Then he said, “Your name shall no more be called Jacob, but Israel, for you have striven with God and with men, and have prevailed.” Then Jacob asked him, “Tell me, I pray, your name.” But he said, “Why is it that you ask my name?” And there he blessed him. So Jacob called the name of the place Peni′el, saying, “For I have seen God face to face, and yet my life is preserved.” The sun rose upon him as he passed Penu′el, limping because of his thigh. [Boldface emphasis by this author]

What’s this??!! Jacob gets into a nocturnal wrestling match, then is renamed to Israel??!! Now, who woulda thunk it??!!

As it happens, Jacob and Esau soon meet and embrace lovingly. At last, all is way cool between them. Just three chapters later, the point of Jacob’s renaming is further driven home:

God appeared to Jacob again, when he came from Paddan-aram, and blessed him. And God said to him, “Your name is Jacob; no longer shall your name be called Jacob, but Israel shall be your name.” So his name was called Israel. And God said to him, “I am God Almighty: be fruitful and multiply; a nation and a company of nations shall come from you, and kings shall spring from you. The land which I gave to Abraham and Isaac I will give to you, and I will give the land to your descendants after you.”

As it happened, Jacob, now Israel, had twelve sons. These sons were to become the progenitors of the twelve tribes of ancient Israel. They became fruitful and multiplied. And so began the entire Jewish civilization.

It doesn’t take much reasoning to realize that, with the names “Jacob” and “Israel” intimately intertwined, had there never been an ancient Israel, Mr. Reidy, probably unaware of the irony, would likely be bearing a different first name.

Really, he owes his name to his ancient namesake, the father of the Jewish Israelites of old. Today’s Israelis—their direct descendants—properly wear that name as part of their citizenship.

They can and will do it, as they are so entitled, unapologetically, with neither shame nor regret.