penuel Summary and Overview
Bible Dictionaries at a Glance
penuel in Easton's Bible Dictionary
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.
penuel in Smith's Bible Dictionary
[PENIEL]
penuel in Schaff's Bible Dictionary
PENU'EL (face of God). 1. A Judite. 1 Chr 4:4. 2. A chief Benjamite. 1 Chr 8:25, 1 Chr 8:28
penuel in Fausset's Bible Dictionary
(See PENIEL.) Between Jabbok and Succoth (Genesis 32:22-30-31; Genesis 33:17). Gideon after Succoth mounted to Penuel (Judges 8:5-8.) (See GIDEON.) It then had a tower. Jeroboam fortified Penuel (1 Kings 12:25.) The men of Penuel, like those of Succoth, as living on the great army route between Canaan and the East, would not help Gideon through fear of Midian's vengeance. Penuel was a frontier fortress built "by the way of them that dwelt in tents" (i.e., their usual route along the course of the Jabbok, where they would have a level way and grass and water, down to the Damieh ford of the Jordan, and so into Canaan). Hence arose Jeroboam's need of rebuilding the tower which Gideon had broken down long before, and which lay due E. from his capital. Four miles above "Canaan's ford" are two conical hills called "hills of gold" (Dhahab) from the yellow sandstone; one is on one side, the other on the other side, of the stream. The western one is larger and has more ruins; the ruins on the eastern one are remarkable, a platform running along its precipitous side, strengthened by a wall 20 ft. high and very solid. The work is cyclopean and of the oldest times; and there are no ruins along the Jabbok course for 50 miles save those. The strange aspect of the place harmonizes with the name given after Jacob's wrestling with the angel of Jehovah, "the Face of God."