And, the kicker is that He was in the form of a man… The Hebrew could not be clearer. In Hebrew, from Genesis 32:24, 30:
(32:25) ויותר יעקב לבדו ויאבק אישׁ עמו עד עלות השׁחר׃
(32:31) ויקרא יעקב שׁם המקום פניאל כי־ראיתי אלהים פנים אל־פנים ותנצל נפשׁי׃
The Schottenstein Chumash translates these verses as follows:
v24 Left alone > was Jacob > by himself > and a man wrestled > with him > until > the rise > of the dawn.
v.30 So Jacob called > the name > of the place > Peniel >> For > I have seen > the Divine (Elohim) > face- > to- > face, > yet saved > was my life. (Parenthesis mine)
The only thing I really wish right now is that I had an electronic version of the Schottenstein to search and find how many (or, how few) times they translate אלהים (Elohim) as ‘Divine’ instead of the usual rendering of ‘God.’ I do notice that at least within this story they are consistent in translating v.28 as having ‘struggled with the Divine…’
Bottom line: For those who say God can not take the form of a man, nor can He be seen, this short passage is the death knell. The Hebrew is crystal clear if simply read in the p’shat.
