In the context of the Bible, the term "wrestler" is not explicitly used to describe a profession or sport as understood in contemporary times. However, the concept of wrestling is present in the Scriptures, both literally and metaphorically, and holds significant spiritual symbolism.

Jacob's Wrestling with God

The most notable instance of wrestling in the Bible is found in the account of Jacob. In Genesis 32:24-30, Jacob wrestles with a mysterious man until daybreak. This encounter is pivotal in Jacob's life and spiritual journey. The passage reads:

"So Jacob was left all alone, and there a man wrestled with him until daybreak. When the man saw that he could not overpower Jacob, he struck the socket of Jacob’s hip and dislocated it as they wrestled. Then the man said, 'Let Me go, for it is daybreak.' But Jacob replied, 'I will not let You go unless You bless me.' 'What is your name?' the man asked. 'Jacob,' he replied. Then the man said, 'Your name will no longer be Jacob, but Israel, because you have struggled with God and with men, and you have prevailed.' And Jacob asked him, 'Please tell me Your name.' But He replied, 'Why do you ask My name?' Then He blessed Jacob there. So Jacob named the place Peniel, saying, 'Indeed, I have seen God face to face, and yet my life was spared.'"

This wrestling match is often interpreted as a physical manifestation of Jacob's spiritual struggle and transformation. The man Jacob wrestles with is understood to be a theophany, a pre-incarnate appearance of Christ, or an angel representing God. The encounter signifies Jacob's perseverance in seeking God's blessing and his transition from a life of deceit to one of faith and reliance on God. The name "Israel," meaning "he struggles with God," becomes emblematic of the nation that descends from him.

Metaphorical Wrestling

The Apostle Paul uses the metaphor of wrestling to describe the spiritual battles faced by believers. In Ephesians 6:12, Paul writes:

"For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this world’s darkness, and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms."

Here, the term "struggle" is translated from the Greek word "pale," which can also mean "wrestling." Paul emphasizes that the Christian life involves a continuous spiritual battle against evil forces, requiring believers to be vigilant and equipped with the full armor of God.

Spiritual Implications

Wrestling, as depicted in the Bible, serves as a powerful metaphor for the believer's spiritual journey. It represents the struggle against sin, the pursuit of God's blessing, and the perseverance required to live a life of faith. The imagery of wrestling underscores the intensity and personal nature of spiritual conflict, encouraging believers to remain steadfast and reliant on God's strength.

Cultural Context

In the ancient Near East, wrestling was a common sport and a test of strength and skill. It was often associated with military training and physical prowess. The biblical use of wrestling imagery would have resonated with the original audience, who were familiar with the physical and strategic demands of the sport.

Conclusion

While the Bible does not provide a detailed account of wrestling as a sport, the instances and metaphors of wrestling within the Scriptures offer profound insights into the nature of spiritual struggle and the believer's relationship with God. Through the account of Jacob and the teachings of Paul, wrestling becomes a symbol of faith, perseverance, and divine encounter.(n.) One who wrestles; one who is skillful in wrestling.

2 Timothy ii. 7-Jan
... to diet, to temperance and sobriety, and all the rules of the wrestling school,
unless, in short, he go through all that is befitting for a wrestler, [1356] he ...
/.../homily iv 2 timothy ii.htm

On the Departure of Flavian, Bishop of Antioch, who was Gone on an ...
... makes ready his steed for the battle; and the husbandman sharpens his sickle; and
the traveller boldly undertakes a long journey, and the wrestler strips and ...
/.../chrysostom/on the priesthood/homily iii on the departure.htm

Jacob-Wrestling
... It was God and Esau"both together. Till Jacob to the day of his death
never could tell who that terrible wrestler really was. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/whyte/lord teach us to pray/iv jacob-wrestling.htm

Further Objections Anticipated. He did not Choose his Manner of ...
... He did not choose His manner of death; for He was to prove Conqueror of death
in all or any of its forms: (simile of a good wrestler). ...
/.../section 24 further objections anticipated.htm

Consolation in Christ
... too. Did he not appear also to Jacob at the brook Jabbok? Jacob was a wrestler,
and Jesus appears there as a wrestler too. Did he ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 7 1861/consolation in christ.htm

Hebrews ii. 16-17
... to His disciples and Paul says, "All Who will live godly in Christ Jesus, shall
suffer persecution." ( 2 Timothy 3:12.) No noble-spirited wrestler, when in the ...
/.../homilies on the gospel of st john and hebrews/homily v hebrews ii 16-17.htm

Rom. xii. 4, 5
... expenditure of money and the labor of the person, and ruling, and zeal, and teaching,
and other laborious occupations, he again supplies the wrestler with love ...
/.../chrysostom/homilies on acts and romans/homily xxi rom xii 4.htm

Witnessing Better than Knowing the Future
... He is first a wrestler alone by Jabbok; then he becomes a wrestler in the midst
of the host of sinners, conquering them for Christ, taking them captive in the ...
/.../spurgeons sermons volume 39 1893/witnessing better than knowing the.htm

Again, on Matt. vi. On the Lord's Prayer. To the Competentes.
... Suppose avarice tempts a man, and he is conquered in any single temptation (for
sometimes even a good wrestler and fighter may get roughly handled [2025 ...
/.../sermons on selected lessons of the new testament/sermon vii again on matt.htm

The Introduction, and Exhortation to Demetrianus.
... are pleasant. For you know how crafty that wrestler and adversary of ours
is, and also often violent, as we now see that he is. He ...
/.../on the workmanship of god/chap i the introduction and exhortation.htm

Wrestler (3 Occurrences)
...Wrestler (3 Occurrences). ... (WEY). 2 Samuel 22:27 With the pure Thou shewest Thyself
pure, And with the perverse Thou shewest Thyself a wrestler. (YLT). ...
/w/wrestler.htm - 7k

Jacob (361 Occurrences)
... In this mysterious contest Jacob prevailed, and as a memorial of it his name was
changed to Israel (wrestler with God); and the place where this occured he ...
/j/jacob.htm - 77k

Greyhound (1 Occurrence)
... render it "cock." It has been by some interpreters rendered also "stag" and "warrior,"
as being girded about or panoplied, and "wrestler." The greyhound ...
/g/greyhound.htm - 7k

Wrestleth (1 Occurrence)

/w/wrestleth.htm - 6k

Wrestled (6 Occurrences)

/w/wrestled.htm - 8k

Tackle (1 Occurrence)
... or wagon. 6. (n.) To seize; to lay hold of; to grapple; as, a wrestler
tackles his antagonist; a dog tackles the game. 7. (n.) To ...
/t/tackle.htm - 7k

Trip (4 Occurrences)
... 14. (n.) A small piece; a morsel; a bit. 15. (n.) A stroke, or catch, by
which a wrestler causes his antagonist to lose footing. 16. ...
/t/trip.htm - 9k

Reliance (6 Occurrences)
... (WEY). Colossians 1:29 To this end, like an earnest wrestler, I exert all my strength
in reliance upon the power of Him who is mightily at work within me. (WEY) ...
/r/reliance.htm - 8k

Exert (4 Occurrences)
... Colossians 1:29 To this end, like an earnest wrestler, I exert all my strength in
reliance upon the power of Him who is mightily at work within me. (WEY). ...
/e/exert.htm - 8k

Perverted (26 Occurrences)
... (WEB KJV JPS ASV DBY WBS NAS RSV NIV). 2 Samuel 22:27 With the pure Thou shewest
Thyself pure, And with the perverse Thou shewest Thyself a wrestler. (See NAS). ...
/p/perverted.htm - 13k

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