New Living Translation
Genesis 31:46
46Then he told his family members, “Gather some stones.” So they gathered stones and piled them in a heap. Then Jacob and Laban sat down beside the pile of stones to eat a covenant meal.
Genesis 31:46 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)And Jacob said unto his brethren, Gather stones; and they took stones, and made an heap: and they did eat there upon the heap.
- New International Version (NIV)He said to his relatives, “Gather some stones.” So they took stones and piled them in a heap, and they ate there by the heap.
- English Standard Version (ESV)And Jacob said to his kinsmen, "Gather stones." And they took stones and made a heap, and they ate there by the heap.
- New King James Version (NKJV)Then Jacob said to his brethren, “Gather stones.” And they took stones and made a heap, and they ate there on the heap.
Context of Genesis 31:46
44So come, let’s make a covenant, you and I, and it will be a witness to our commitment.” 45So Jacob took a stone and set it up as a monument. Then he told his family members, “Gather some stones.” So they gathered stones and piled them in a heap. Then Jacob and Laban sat down beside the pile of stones to eat a covenant meal. 47To commemorate the event, Laban called the place Jegar-sahadutha (which means “witness pile” in Aramaic), and Jacob called it Galeed (which means “witness pile” in Hebrew). 48Then Laban declared, “This pile of stones will stand as a witness to remind us of the covenant we have made today.” This explains why it was called Galeed—“Witness Pile.”
Read all of Genesis 31Genesis 31:46 word by word
וַיֹּ֨אמֶר יַעֲקֹ֤ב לְאֶחָיו֙ לִקְט֣וּ אֲבָנִ֔ים וַיִּקְח֥וּ אֲבָנִ֖ים וַיַּֽעֲשׂוּ־גָ֑ל וַיֹּ֥אכְלוּ שָׁ֖ם עַל־הַגָּֽל׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- And Jacobיַעֲקֹבya‛ăqôb · JacobH3290
- saidאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
- unto his brethrenאָח'âch · brother: male-relativeH251
- Gatherלָקַטlâqaţ · to gatherH3950
- stonesאֶ֫בֶן'eben · stoneH68
- and they tookלָקַחlâqach · to take: takeH3947
- and madeעָשָׂה‛âώâh · to makeH6213
- an heapגַּלgal · heapH1530
- and they did eatאָכַל'âkal · to eatH398
Cross-references for Genesis 31:46
- Genesis 31:23So he gathered a group of his relatives and set out in hot pursuit. He caught up with Jacob seven days later in the hill country of Gilead.
- Joshua 4:5He told them, “Go into the middle of the Jordan, in front of the Ark of the Lord your God. Each of you must pick up one stone and carry it out on your shoulder—twelve stones in all, one for each of the twelve tribes of Israel.
- Joshua 7:26They piled a great heap of stones over Achan, which remains to this day. That is why the place has been called the Valley of Trouble ever since. So the Lord was no longer angry.
- 2 Samuel 18:17They threw Absalom’s body into a deep pit in the forest and piled a great heap of stones over it. And all Israel fled to their homes.
- Ecclesiastes 3:5A time to scatter stones and a time to gather stones. A time to embrace and a time to turn away.
- Genesis 4:5but he did not accept Cain and his gift. This made Cain very angry, and he looked dejected.
- Genesis 2:1So the creation of the heavens and the earth and everything in them was completed.
- Genesis 3:19By the sweat of your brow will you have food to eat until you return to the ground from which you were made. For you were made from dust, and to dust you will return.”
- Genesis 3:20Then the man—Adam—named his wife Eve, because she would be the mother of all who live.
- 1 Samuel 7:16Each year he traveled around, setting up his court first at Bethel, then at Gilgal, and then at Mizpah. He judged the people of Israel at each of these places.
- 1 Samuel 10:8Then go down to Gilgal ahead of me. I will join you there to sacrifice burnt offerings and peace offerings. You must wait for seven days until I arrive and give you further instructions.”
- 1 Samuel 10:17Later Samuel called all the people of Israel to meet before the Lord at Mizpah.
- 1 Samuel 11:15So they all went to Gilgal, and in a solemn ceremony before the Lord they made Saul king. Then they offered peace offerings to the Lord, and Saul and all the Israelites were filled with joy.
- 1 Samuel 13:7Some of them crossed the Jordan River and escaped into the land of Gad and Gilead. Meanwhile, Saul stayed at Gilgal, and his men were trembling with fear.
- 1 Samuel 15:33But Samuel said, “As your sword has killed the sons of many mothers, now your mother will be childless.” And Samuel cut Agag to pieces before the Lord at Gilgal.
- 1 Samuel 19:15But Saul sent the troops back to get David. He ordered, “Bring him to me in his bed so I can kill him!”
Commentaries on Genesis 31:46
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 46Made a heap - גל gal, translated heap, signifies properly a round heap; and this heap was probably made for the double purpose of an altar and a table, and Jacob's stone or pillar was set on it for the purpose of a memorial.Read the comment
- 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. 43-55Verses 43-55 Laban could neither justify himself nor condemn Jacob, therefore desires to hear no more of that matter. He is not willing to own himself in fault, as he ought to have done. But he proposes a covenant of friendship between them, to which Jacob readily agrees. A heap of stones was raised, to keep up the memory of the event, writing being then not known or little used. A sacrifice of peace offerings was offered. Peace with God puts true comfort…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 45-48The stone and the pillar marked the border agreement between the two men. It was a witness for future generations. Each man named the monument witness in his own language. It became the lasting border between Israel and the kingdom of Aram (Syria), two nations often at war.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 31:46
In the dictionaries
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
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