Place · City
Penuel
Also known as Peniel
Named in 5 verses across 3 books, first in Judges 8:8.
In the Bible
All 3 verses in Judges, in Bible order. Text from the Berean Standard Bible; verse numbers follow the KJV.
Judges
- Judges 8:8
From there he went up to Penuel and asked the same from them, but the men of Penuel gave the same response as the men of Succoth.
- Judges 8:9
So Gideon told the men of Penuel, “When I return in triumph, I will tear down this tower!”
- Judges 8:17
He also pulled down the tower of Penuel and killed the men of the city.
Dictionary
From Easton’s Bible Dictionary (1897), as attached to this record by Theographic. Its geography and “modern” descriptions date from the 1890s. Easton wrote in 1897, and some of his views are now debated.
Read Easton’s entry
Face of God, a place not far from Succoth, on the east of the Jordan and north of the river Jabbok. It is also called “Peniel.” Here Jacob wrestled (Gen. 32:24-32) “with a man” (“the angel”, Hos. 12:4. Jacob says of him, “I have seen God face to face”) “till the break of day.”
A town was afterwards built there (Judg. 8:8; 1 Kings 12:25). The men of this place refused to succour Gideon and his little army when they were in pursuit of the Midianites (Judg. 8:1-21). On his return, Gideon slew the men of this city and razed its lofty watch-tower to the ground.