Jacob’s name follows his twin birth: as Esau emerged first, Jacob grasped his heel as though delaying him to emerge first. It derives from “heel,” aqev, but the root ע־ק־ב also means deception, and aqov means crooked or dishonest: “The heart is deceitful above all things, And it is exceeding weak – who can know it?” (Jeremiah 17:9). Esau accused him:

Is not he rightly named Jacob? for he hath supplanted me these two times: he took away my birthright; and, behold, now he hath taken away my blessing. (Genesis 27:36)

וַיֹּאמֶר: הֲכִי קָרָא שְׁמוֹ יַעֲקֹב וַיַּעְקְבֵנִי זֶה פַעֲמַיִם, אֶת בְּכֹרָתִי לָקָח וְהִנֵּה עַתָּה לָקַח בִּרְכָתִי. (בראשית כ"ז, לו)

“Jacob” thus contains deceit. Jeremiah implicitly criticizes it when complaining of Israel:

Take ye heed every one of his neighbour, And trust ye not in any brother; For every brother acteth subtly, And every neighbour goeth about with slanders. (Jeremiah 9:3)

אִישׁ מֵרֵעֵהוּ הִשָּׁמֵרוּ וְעַל כָּל אָח אַל תִּבְטָחוּ – כִּי כָל אָח עָקוֹב יַעְקֹב וְכָל רֵעַ רָכִיל יַהֲלֹךְ. (ירמיהו ט', ג)

“Israel,” by contrast, symbolizes courageous, direct confrontation: “for thou hast striven with God and with men, and hast prevailed” (Genesis 32:29). Hosea aptly contrasts early Jacob and Israel at his height:

In the womb he took his brother by the heel, And by his strength he strove with a godlike being; (Hosea 12:4)

בַּבֶּטֶן עָקַב אֶת אָחִיו – וּבְאוֹנוֹ שָׂרָה אֶת אֱלֹהִים. (הושע י"ב, ד)

Several tribes in Jacob’s blessings have distinctly “Israel-like” traits, choosing direct, brave confrontation: Judah likened to a lion (Genesis 49:8–9), Benjamin to a wolf (Genesis 49:27).

Others display “Jacob-like” traits and even the root ע־ק־ב. Dan is “a serpent in the way, A horned snake in the path, That biteth the horse’s heels, So that his rider falleth backward” (Genesis 49:17), indirectly defeating an enemy through its horse’s heel. Gad is “Gad, a troop shall troop upon him; But he shall troop upon their heel” (Genesis 49:19), attacking from behind. Both are indirect approaches.

Jacob’s message is that until the end of days Israel has room for both Jacob’s and Israel’s traits, according to circumstance and time. Sometimes strategy, cunning, even deception are appropriate; sometimes direct confrontation is right.