What was the significance of Jacob's limp after Peniel?
Jacob's limp after Peniel signified that he was a changed man. He would halt the rest of his life, but he would never again be a deceiver. The name change from Jacob to Israel marked the old supplanter versus the spiritual side, and he had seen God face to face.
Les explains that Jacob pictures the old life—the supplanter and deceiver—while Israel is the spiritual side, so his name was changed. At Peniel, God made the point that Jacob was a changed man: he would always halt and limp the rest of his life, but he would never again be a deceiver. Jacob asked the Lord's name, and the Lord blessed him there, which only God can do. Jacob named the place Phaneel because he had seen God face to face—a theophany of God the Son, not the invisible Godhead.