Commentators unanimously identify the 'Syrian ready to perish' as the patriarch Jacob. He is called a Syrian (or Aramaean) not because of his birthplace, but because he lived for 20 years in Syria, where he married his wives and fathered most of his children. The phrase 'ready to perish' recalls his multiple life-threatening situations, including fleeing from Esau and his dangerous encounters with his father-in-law, Laban.