The Hebrew verb abaq means to wrestle or grapple in close physical combat. It appears most famously in Genesis 32, describing Jacob's all-night wrestling match with the mysterious divine figure.
Jacob's wrestling at Peniel is one of the most theologically rich episodes in Genesis. He wrestled with God and prevailed — not by strength but by refusing to let go (Genesis 32:26). The encounter left him with both a limp and a new name: Israel, "he strives with God." This wrestling becomes the defining act of Israel's identity: a people who refuse to let go of God even through suffering, who prevail through desperate clinging rather than self-sufficiency. Paul echoes this in Philippians 3:12 — pressing on, striving to lay hold of Christ.