Charles Spurgeon Commentary Genesis 32:25-26

"And when he saw that he prevailed not against him, he touched the hollow of his thigh; and the hollow of Jacob`s thigh was strained, as he wrestled with him. And he said, Let me go, for the day breaketh. And he said, I will not let thee go, except thou bless me." — Genesis 32:25-26 (ASV)

That he did not prevail against him, he touched the hollow of his thigh; and the hollow of Jacob's thigh was out of joint, so he wrestled with him. And he said, Let me go, for the day breaks.

And he said, I will not let you go, except you bless me.

When we come nearest to God, we must have a deep sense of our own personal weakness. It must never be supposed, if our plea prevails with heaven, that there is anything in us, or anything in our prayers, to account for our prevailing.

Whatever power we have must come from God's grace alone. And so, usually, when we pray in such a way as to prevail with the Lord, there is at the same time a shrinking of the sinew—a consciousness of weakness, a sense of pain. Yet, it is just then that we are prevailing, and therefore we may rest assured that our prayer will be answered.

The Angel said, Let me go, at the very time when Jacob felt the shrinking of the sinew: He said, Let me go, for the day breaks. And he (Jacob) said, I will not let you go, except you bless me.