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

21So he left in a hurry with all that belonged to him. He crossed the Euphrates River and went toward the mountains of Gilead. 22Two days later Laban was told that Jacob had left in a hurry. He and his relatives pursued Jacob for seven days. Laban caught up with him in the mountains of Gilead. 24God came to Laban the Aramean in a dream at night and said to him, “Be careful not to say anything at all to Jacob.” 25When Laban finally caught up with Jacob, Jacob had put up his tents in the mountains. So Laban and his relatives put up their tents in the mountains 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 13:8Abram said to Lot, “Please, let’s not have any more quarrels between us or between our herders. After all, we’re relatives.
• Genesis 24:27He said, “Praise the Lord, the God of my master Abraham. The Lord hasn’t failed to be kind and faithful to my master. The Lord has led me on this trip to the home of my master’s relatives.”
• Exodus 2:11In the course of time Moses grew up. Then he went to ⌞see⌟ his own people and watched them suffering under forced labor. He saw a Hebrew, one of his own people, being beaten by an Egyptian.

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