Jabbok
“Pouring out or emptying”
Summary
A significant river east of the Jordan that served as a boundary between Ammonite territory and the Amorite kingdom of Sihon, and where Jacob wrestled with God.
☩Geography
The Jabbok (modern Wadi Zerqa) is one of the principal eastern tributaries of the Jordan River, flowing westward through Gilead. It served as the northern boundary of the Ammonite territory and the southern border of the kingdom of Og, king of Bashan, while also marking part of Sihon's Amorite domain. The river rises near Rabbah of Ammon (modern Amman) and winds its way through a deep valley before emptying into the Jordan about twenty-five miles north of the Dead Sea.
☩Jacob's Wrestling
The Jabbok is most famously associated with Jacob's wrestling with the angel of God through the night. It was at a ford of the Jabbok that Jacob sent his family and possessions across, then remained alone and wrestled until daybreak, receiving the name Israel ('he who strives with God'). This transformative encounter occurred as Jacob was returning to Canaan to meet his brother Esau.
Related Verses7 mentions
References
- 1.John McClintock and James Strong, "Jabbok," in Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical Literature, vol. IV (Harper & Brothers, 1867–1887).
- 2.George Morrish, "Jabbok," in Morrish's Concise Bible Dictionary (George Morrish, 1898).
- 3.F. N. Peloubet & M. A. Peloubet (ed.), "Jabbok," in Smith's Bible Dictionary (Porter & Coates, 1884).