Come, O thou Traveller unknown
| Wrestling Jacob | |
|---|---|
| Methodist Hymn | |
| Other name | "Come, O thou Traveller unknown" |
| Text | Charles Wesley |
| Based on | Genesis 32:24–32 |
| Meter | 8.8.8.8.8.8 |
| Melody | "Wrestling Jacob" (Samuel Sebastian Wesley), "Vernon" (Lucius Chapin) "Candler" (Traditional Scottish), "David's Harp" (Robert King), "Woodbury" (Erik Routley) |
| Published | 1742 |
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"Wrestling Jacob", also known by its incipit, "Come, O thou Traveller unknown", is a Christian hymn written by Methodist hymn writer Charles Wesley. It is based on the biblical account of Jacob wrestling with an angel, from Genesis 32:24-32, with Wesley interpreting this as an analogy for Christian conversion. First published in 1742, it has been included in every Methodist hymnbook since 1780. In its original form, it had fourteen stanzas, but it is rarely sung in its entirety. The hymn is commonly described as one of Charles Wesley's greatest compositions, with the hymn writer Isaac Watts quoted as saying that "that single poem, Wrestling Jacob, was worth all the verses he himself had written".