"And There Wrestled a Man with Him" (Genesis 32:24): Enos’s Adaptations of the Onomastic Wordplay of Genesis

by Matthew L. Bowen

Overview

In this brief note, I will suggest several instances in which the Book of Mormon prophet Enos utilizes wordplay on his own name, the name of his father “Jacob,” the place name “Peniel,” and Jacob’s new name “Israel” in order to connect his experiences to those of his ancestor Jacob in Genesis 32-33, thus infusing them with greater meaning. Familiarity with Jacob and Esau’s conciliatory “embrace” in Genesis 33 is essential to understanding how Enos views the atonement of Christ and the ultimate realization of its blessings in his life.

Product Details

BN ID:	2940149530540
Publisher:	Interpreter Foundation
Publication date:	05/31/2014
Series:	Interpreter: A Journal of Mormon Scripture , #10
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	9
File size:	115 KB

About the Author

Matthew L. Bowen was raised in Orem, Utah and graduated from Brigham Young University. He holds a PhD in Biblical Studies from the Catholic University of America in Washington, DC and is currently an Assistant Professor in Religious Education at Brigham Young University-Hawaii. He and his wife (the former Suzanne Blattberg) are the parents of three children: Zachariah, Nathan, and Adele.