John Trapp on Hosea 12:3

Verſe 3. He took his brother by the heel in the womb, to have hindred him if he could, of the firſt-birth-right; ſo deſirous he ſhewed himſelf, ſo ſoon, of that deſireable ſireable priviledge, and the pro[illegible: 2 letters]iſes annexed. Whence we may learn (ſaith One) that God taketh care even of unborn babes, that belong to him, and worketh ſtrangely in them ſometimes, as he did in the Baptiſt, Luke 1.44. the child leaped in the womb, by a ſupernaturall motion; he leaped more like a ſuckling at the breſt, as the word ſignifieth, then an unborn Embryo. Mention had been made in the former verſe, of the name of Jacob: here we have the etymon, or reaſon of that name; He took his brother by the heel, or foot-ſole, as if he would have turned up his heels and got to the goal before him. Hence his name was called Iacob, Gen. 25.26. that is, Calcanearius, or Heel-catcher, as if he would have pulled his brother back; or preſage of what he ſhould afterwards do, viz. ſupplant Eſau, and get the preheminence both of birth-right; and bleſſing; Gen. 27.36. and withall a fruit, an inſtance of Gods free grace, in preferring Jacob when he could not yet do any thing that was good) before Eſan, though he were the elder, ſtronger, ſtouter, a manly child, a man already, as his name importeth, one that had every thing more like a man then a babe. See Mal. 1.2. with the Note. And obſerve, that God here upbraideth Iacobs degenerate brood, with his benefits toward him their forefather, whereof they now walked ſo utterly unworthy.

And by his ſtrength,] [non-Latin text not transcribed]. By his hard labour, ſay the Seventy[illegible: 1 letter] but better, by, or in his ſtrength, that is, by the ſupply of the Spirit of Ieſus Chriſt, Phil. 1.19. and by the power of the Almighty, caſting him down with the one hand, and bearing him up with the other.

He had [illegible: 1 word] with God.] Heb. he played the Prince with God, fortiter & fideliter ſe geſſit, he bore himſelf bravely, and had ſtrength with God. He doth not lie down ſullen and diſcouraged, but wreſtleth with excellent wreſtlings; he held with his hands, when his joynts were out of joynt. He wreſtled in the night, and alone, and when God was leaving him, and upon one leg, and prevailed, as it is in the next verſe. This he did partly by his bodily ſtrength elevated, for he was a very ſtrong man, as appeareth Gen. 29.10. by his rouling the great ſtone from the Wels mouth; but principally by the force of his faith put forth in prayer, which can work wonders.Epheſ. 3.16. Oh, its a ſweet thing indeed to be ſtrengthened with might, by the ſpirit, in the inner man. Orqu[illegible: 2 letters] hic home, non eſt omnium! This is the generation of them that ſeek him:Pſal. 24.6. that ſeek thy face, this is Iacob: yea, this is Iſrael, for ſo God knighted him, as it were, in the field for his good ſervice: and new named him, G[illegible: 2 letters] 3[illegible: 1 letter].28. Neither were the faithfull ever ſince called Abrahamites, or Iſaakites, but Iſraelites; for honours ſake.