Ramban explicitly identifies the wrestling figure as the 'sar' (heavenly prince) of Esau, acting as a spiritual force opposed to Yaakov's destiny. He explains that the struggle prefigures all the historical conflicts between Israel and the nations descended from Esau, and that Yaakov's victory assures ultimate triumph.
וַיֵּאָבֵק אִישׁ עִמּוֹ וַיִּתְעַפֵּר, כָּךְ פֵּרְשׁוֹ מְנַחֵם, לְשׁוֹן אָבָק, שֶׁמַּעֲלִין אָבָק בְּרַגְלֵיהֶם. וְלִי נִרְאֶה לְשׁוֹן וַיִּתְקַשֵּׁר, וְלָשׁוֹן אֲרַמִּי הוּא, בָּתַר דַּאֲבִיקוּ בֵיהּ (סנהדרין סג), וַאֲבִיקוּ לֵיהּ מֵיבַק (מנחות מב), זֶה לְשׁוֹן רַשִׁ"י (רש"י על בראשית ל"ב:כ"ה). וַאֲבִיקָה בִּלְשׁוֹן חֲכָמִים חֲבִיקָה שִׁמְּשׁוּ בָּהּ הַרְבֵּה, אֲבַקְתָּא אִית בָּהּ (מכות כג), דַּרְגָּשׁ עִיּוּלֵי וְאַפּוֹקֵי בַּאֲבַקְתָּא (נדרים נו), וְכֵן אֲבוּקָה בִּלְשׁוֹנָם בַּעֲבוּר הֱיוֹתָהּ מֵעֵצִים דַּקִּים חֲגֻרִים וּקְשׁוּרִים יַחַד, כִּי הַחֵי"ת תִּכְבַּד בִּלְשׁוֹנָם וְהֵקֵלּוּ אוֹתָהּ לְאָלֶ"ף, וּפְעָמִים רַבִּים יַבְלִיעוּ הַחֵי"ת, תּוּתָךְ (חולין ז) בִּמְקוֹם תְּחוֹתָךְ (זבחים נד), מַסּוּתָא (ב"מ ו) בִּמְקוֹם מַסְחוּתָא (קדושין לג), אֲסִיתָא חֲסִיתָא (שבת עז). וְאֶפְשָׁר שֶׁיִּהְיֶה וַיֵּאָבֵק – וַיְחַבֵּק, כְּמוֹ "וַיְחַבְּקֵהוּ" (בראשית ל"ג:ד'), כִּי אוּלַי כֵּן הַלָּשׁוֹן. וּמָצִינוּ "בְּרֻדִּים אֲמֻצִּים" (זכריה ו ג) כְּמוֹ חֲמוּצִים, מִלְּשׁוֹן "חֲמוּץ בְּגָדִים" (ישעיהו סג א), וְאָמְרוּ הַמְפָרְשִׁים (הרד"ק) כִּי "וַאֲרֻזִים בְּמַרְכֻּלְתֵּךְ" (יחזקאל כז כד) כְּמוֹ וַחֲרוּזִים, מִן "צַוָּארֵךְ בַּחֲרוּזִים" (שיר השירים א י), וְכֵן אָמְרוּ בְּמִלַּת "וַתְּאַלֲצֵהוּ" (שופטים טז טז) שֶׁהוּא כְּמוֹ וַתְּחַלְּצֵהוּ, מְהֻפָּךְ מִן וַתִּלְחָצֵהוּ, וְשֶׁמָּא הוּא דַּעַת אוּנְקְלוֹס (תרגום אונקלוס על בראשית ל"ב:כ"ה) שֶׁאָמַר "וְאִשְׁתַּדַּל", וְכָךְ תִּרְגֵּם "וְכִי יְפַתֶּה" (שמות כב טו) "אֲרֵי יְשַׁדֵּל", יְחַבֵּק וִינַשֵּׁק שֶׁהוּא דֶּרֶךְ הַפִּתּוּי, אוֹ שֶׁלֹּא נִזְדַּמֵּן לוֹ לָשׁוֹן וַעֲשָׂאוֹ עִנְיַן תַּחְבּוּלָה, כִּי כָל הִשְׁתַּדְּלוּת תַּחְבּוּלָה וְצִדּוּד עִנְיָן. וּבִבְרֵאשִׁית רַבָּה (בראשית רבה ע"ז:ג') מִי נִתְמַלֵּא אָבָק, הָאִישׁ שֶׁהָיָה עִמּוֹ, כְּדִבְרֵי מְנַחֵם, וְהוּא הַנָּכוֹן:
‘VAYEI’AVEIK’ A MAN WITH HIM, A man covered himself with dust. So Menachem ben Saruk explained it, being derived from the word avak (dust); by their movements, they were raising dust with their feet. I, however, am of the opinion that it means “and he attached himself to,” and that it is an Aramaic word, as in, “After they have joined (aviku) it;” “And they twined the Fringes with loops.” This is all the language of Rashi. In the language of the Sages, avikah is often used to convey the sense of chavikah (loop), as in: “There are avkso (loops) in the punishing scourge;”, “A couch is called dargesh when it is set up and taken apart by means of loops, through which the cords are fastened.” Similarly the word avukah (a torch) is so called in the language of the Sages because it is made up of small pieces of wood which are tied and bound together. This is because the letter cheth is difficult to pronounce in their language and so they used the easier aleph. Many times the cheth disappears completely as in tuteich (underneath) in place of techuteich; mesuta (a bath) in place of maschuta; asita (a mortar) in place of chasita. And it is possible that the word vayei’aveik is actually vayeichaveik, as vayechabkeihu (and he embraced him), for perhaps it is the way of the Hebrew language to interchange the aleph and cheth. Thus we find: And in the fourth chariot grizzled ‘amutzim’ horses, which is the same as chamitzim, derived from the expression, ‘chamutz’ (crimsoned) garments. Commentators have said that ‘va’aruzim’ for thy merchandise is like vecharuzim, derived from the expression, thy neck ‘bacharuzim’ (with beads). So too did they say concerning the word vate’altzeihu that it is like vatechaltzeihu (and she pressed him), this being an inverted form of vatilchatzeihu, [the root of which is lachatz (oppression)]. Perhaps this is the opinion of Onkelos who said, in translation of the word vayei’aveik, ve’ishtadeil, and so also he translated the expression, And if a man ‘yephateh’ “as if yeshadeil,” if he embraces and kisses which is the manner of seduction. It may be that Onkelos found no word comparable to vayei’aveik, and so he considered it a matter of cunning, for all effort implies cunning and a clarification of circumstances. In Bereshith Rabbah the Sages said: “Who became filled with dust? The man that was with him.” This agrees with the words of Menachem [ben Saruk, who said that vayei’aveik means “he covered himself with dust] “, and this is the correct interpretation.