Genesis 31:23

Genesis 31:23 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And he took his brethren with him, and pursued after him seven days’ journey; and they overtook him in the mount Gilead.
• New International Version (NIV)Taking his relatives with him, he pursued Jacob for seven days and caught up with him in the hill country of Gilead.
• English Standard Version (ESV)he took his kinsmen with him and pursued him for seven days and followed close after him into the hill country of Gilead.
• New King James Version (NKJV)Then he took his brethren with him and pursued him for seven days’ journey, and he overtook him in the mountains of Gilead.

Context of Genesis 31:23

21He fled with all his possessions, crossed the Euphrates, and headed for the hill country of Gilead. 22On the third day Laban was told that Jacob had fled. So he took his relatives with him, pursued Jacob for seven days, and overtook him in the hill country of Gilead. 24But God came to Laban the Aramean in a dream at night. “Watch yourself!” God warned him. “Don’t say anything to Jacob, either good or bad.” 25When Laban overtook Jacob, Jacob had pitched his tent in the hill country, and Laban and his relatives also pitched their tents in the hill country of Gilead.

Genesis 31:23 word by word

וַיִּקַּ֤ח אֶת־אֶחָיו֙ עִמּ֔וֹ וַיִּרְדֹּ֣ף אַחֲרָ֔יו דֶּ֖רֶךְ שִׁבְעַ֣ת יָמִ֑ים וַיַּדְבֵּ֥ק אֹת֖וֹ בְּהַ֥ר הַגִּלְעָֽד׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• And he tookלָקַחlâqach · to take: takeH3947
• his brethrenאָח'âch · brother: male-relativeH251
• with him, and pursuedרָדַףrâdaph · to pursueH7291
• after himאַחַר'achar · afterH310
• sevenשֶׁ֫בַעsheba‛ shib‛âh · sevenH7651
• days’יוֹםyôm · dayH3117
• journeyדֶּ֫רֶךְderek · way: journeyH1870
• and they overtookדָּבַקdâbaq · to cleaveH1692
• him in the mountהַרhar · mountain: hill countryH2022
• Gileadגִּלְעָדgil‛âd · GileadH1568

Cross-references for Genesis 31:23

• Genesis 13:8So Abram said to Lot, “Please, let’s not have quarreling between you and me, or between your herdsmen and my herdsmen, since we are relatives.
• Genesis 24:27and said, “Blessed be the Lord, the God of my master Abraham, who has not withheld his kindness and faithfulness from my master. As for me, the Lord has led me on the journey to the house of my master’s relatives.”
• Exodus 2:11Years later, after Moses had grown up, he went out to his own people and observed their forced labor. He saw an Egyptian striking a Hebrew, one of his people.

Commentaries on Genesis 31:23

• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 1-55Verses 1-55 - Jacob‘s Flight from Haran 19. תרפים terāpı̂ym Teraphim. This word occurs fifteen times in the Old Testament. It appears three times in this chapter, and nowhere else in the Pentateuch. It is always in the plural number. The root does not appear in Biblical Hebrew. It perhaps means “to live well,” intransitively (Gesenius, Roedig.), “to nourish,” transitively (Furst). The teraphim were symbols or representatives of the Deity, as Laban calls…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 22-35Verses 22-35 God can put a bridle in the mouth of wicked men, to restrain their malice, though he do not change their hearts. Though they have no love to God's people, they will pretend to it, and try to make a merit of necessity. Foolish Laban! to call those things his gods which could be stolen! Enemies may steal our goods, but not our God. Here Laban lays to Jacob's charge things that he knew not. Those who commit their cause to God, are not forbidden…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 22-23The theft of the idols (31:19) probably caused Laban and his men to chase Jacob. It was one thing for Jacob to take his family and flocks (Laban probably still thought they were his). But taking the household gods was different. Laban might have feared Jacob would return to claim all of Laban’s property. When he could not find the gods, he asked for a treaty to keep Jacob away (31:43–53). It took Laban seven days to overtake Jacob.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 22-5522-24. it was told Laban on the third day--No sooner did the news reach Laban than he set out in pursuit, and he being not encumbered, advanced rapidly; whereas Jacob, with a young family and numerous flocks, had to march slowly, so that he overtook the fugitives after seven days' journey as they lay encamped on the brow of mount Gilead, an extensive range of hills forming the eastern boundary of Canaan. Being accompanied by a number of his people, he…Read the comment

Topics related to Genesis 31:23

• Gilead
• Laban

In the dictionaries

• Gilead
• Gilead, Gileadite
• Agate
• Carry
• Discern
• Fear
• Gather
• Inheritance
• Jacob
• Leah

Commentaries on Genesis 31

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Rashi on Tanakh
• Calvin’s Commentaries
• Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings