Enciclopedia Cattolica Vol. IX, 1952 Sacred Scripture Peoples and figures

Phanuel

PHANUEL

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Also known as: German: Penuel; Peniel, Penuel, Pniel

PHANUEL (Heb. Pēnî'ēl, "Face [Appearance] of God"). - Name given to the place where Jacob wrestled with the angel (Gen. 32:30). P. was located, very probably, along the river Jabbok. Its name is explained by the patriarch himself: "I have seen God face to face and my life is saved." In a later period the existence of a fortified city in that region is recalled. Because its inhabitants had not helped the Israelites in their struggle with the Midianites, P. was cruelly punished by Gideon (Judg. 8:8, 17). It was again fortified by King Jeroboam I (1 Kings 12:26).

Modern archaeologists do not agree on the identification of the place, since every reference in modern toponymy is lacking. Already in antiquity every memory of the city was lost. Eusebius (cf. Jerome, De situ et nominibus locorum hebraicorum, ed. P. De Lagarde, Onomastica sacra, 123, 6) limits himself to observing that it stood "in the vicinity of the Jabbok." Angelo Penna

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By Angelo Penna

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Translated from the Enciclopedia Cattolica, vol. IX (1952), coll. 1312–1313.

More by Angelo Penna: Patmos · Pastor Bonus · Parable (Parabolē from paraballō "to place near, compare, liken") · Paul, Apostle, Saint · Palestine Exploration Quarterly

Cite this article

Chicago

Penna, Angelo. “Phanuel (Ebr. Pêni'Ël, « faccia [apparizione] di dio »).” In Enciclopedia Cattolica, vol. IX, coll. 1312–1313. Città del Vaticano: Ente per l’Enciclopedia Cattolica e per il Libro Cattolico, 1952. https://azioneromana.com/article/phanuel-ebr-peni-el-faccia-apparizione-di-dio.

MLA

Penna, Angelo. “Phanuel (Ebr. Pêni'Ël, « faccia [apparizione] di dio »).” Enciclopedia Cattolica, vol. IX, Ente per l’Enciclopedia Cattolica e per il Libro Cattolico, 1952, coll. 1312–1313. Azione Romana, https://azioneromana.com/article/phanuel-ebr-peni-el-faccia-apparizione-di-dio.

BibTeX

@incollection{ec9_phanuel_ebr_peni_el_faccia_app,
  author    = {Penna, Angelo},
  title     = {Phanuel (Ebr. Pêni'Ël, « faccia [apparizione] di dio »)},
  booktitle = {Enciclopedia Cattolica},
  volume    = {IX},
  pages     = {1312--1313},
  note      = {Cited by column},
  publisher = {Ente per l’Enciclopedia Cattolica e per il Libro Cattolico},
  address   = {Città del Vaticano},
  year      = {1952},
  url       = {https://azioneromana.com/article/phanuel-ebr-peni-el-faccia-apparizione-di-dio}
}

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