Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ramban · Torah

Ramban on Genesis 35:10/רמב"ן על בראשית ל״ה:י׳

אשִׁמְךָ יַעֲקֹב יֹאמַר כִּי עַתָּה עוֹדְךָ אַתָּה נִקְרָא יַעֲקֹב אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁהֶחְלִיף שִׁמְךָ שָׂרוֹ שֶׁל עֵשָׂו, כִּי הוּא לֹא נִשְׁתַּלַּח לְךָ לְהַחֲלִיף אֶת שִׁמְךָ, אֲבָל מֵעַתָּה לֹא יִקָּרֵא שִׁמְךָ יַעֲקֹב כִּי אִם יִשְׂרָאֵל יִהְיֶה שְׁמֶךָ. וְזֶה טַעַם "וַיִּקְרָא אֶת שְׁמוֹ יִשְׂרָאֵל". אוֹ יִרְמֹז שֶׁקָּרָא אֶת שְׁמוֹ יִשְׂרָאֵל מוּסָף עַל יַעֲקֹב, לֹא שֶׁיֵּאָסֵר לְהִקָּרֵא יַעֲקֹב:

1THY NAME IS JACOB. G-d is saying, “Now you are still called Jacob even though the lord of Esau has changed your name¹⁹⁷, Verse 24, that it was “the lord of Esau” who strove with Jacob and then finally blessed him. because he was not sent to you to change your name. However, from now on, thy name shall not be called any more Jacob, but Israel shall be thy name,” this being the meaning of the end of the verse, and He called his name Israel. It may be that it alludes to the fact that He called his name Israel in addition to the name Jacob, but not that it be forbidden for him to be called Jacob.