Genesis 31:51

New Living Translation

"See this pile of stones," Laban continued, "and see this monument I have set between us.

Parallel Translations

Hebrew Names Version
Lavan said to Ya`akov, "See this heap, and see the pillar, which I have set between me and you.

King James Version
And Laban said to Jacob, Behold this heap, and behold this pillar, which I have cast betwixt me and thee:

Lexham English Bible
And Laban said to Jacob, "See, this pile of stones, and see the pillar that I have set up between me and you.

New Century Version
Here is the pile of rocks that I have put between us and here is the rock I set up on end.

New English Translation
"Here is this pile of stones and this pillar I have set up between me and you," Laban said to Jacob.

Amplified Bible
Laban said to Jacob, "Look at this mound [of stones] and look at this pillar which I have set up between you and me.

New American Standard Bible
Laban also said to Jacob, "Behold this heap and behold the memorial stone which I have set between you and me.

Geneva Bible (1587)
Moreouer Laban sayd to Iaakob, Beholde this heape, and behold the pillar, which I haue set betweene me and thee,

Legacy Standard Bible
And Laban said to Jacob, "Behold this heap and behold the pillar which I have set between you and me.

Contemporary English Version
Both this pile of rocks and this large rock have been set up between us as a reminder. I must never go beyond them to attack you, and you must never go beyond them to attack me.

Complete Jewish Bible
Lavan also said to Ya‘akov, "Here is this pile, and here is this standing-stone, which I have set up between me and you.

Darby Translation
And Laban said to Jacob, Behold this heap, and behold the pillar which I have set up between me and thee:

Easy-to-Read Version
Here are the rocks that I have put between us, and here is the special rock to show that we made an agreement.

English Standard Version
Then Laban said to Jacob, "See this heap and the pillar, which I have set between you and me.

George Lamsa Translation
And Laban said to Jacob, Behold this heap, and behold this pillar, which I have set between me and you;

Good News Translation
Here are the rocks that I have piled up between us, and here is the memorial stone.

Christian Standard Bible®
Laban also said to Jacob, “Look at this mound and the marker I have set up between you and me.

Literal Translation
And Laban said to Jacob, Behold this heap, and behold the pillar which I have set between you and me.

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
And Laban sayde morouer vnto Iacob: Beholde, this is the heape, and this is the marckstone that I haue set vp betwixte me and the:

American Standard Version
And Laban said to Jacob, Behold this heap, and behold the pillar, which I have set betwixt me and thee.

Bible in Basic English
And Laban said, See these stones and this pillar which I have put between you and me;

Bishop's Bible (1568)
And Laban sayde moreouer to Iacob: beholde this heape, and this stone set vp on ende, whiche I haue layde betwixt me and thee,

JPS Old Testament (1917)
And Laban said to Jacob: 'Behold this heap, and behold the pillar, which I have set up betwixt me and thee.

King James Version (1611)
And Laban said to Iacob, Behold this heape, and behold this pillar, which I haue cast betwixt me and thee.

Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And Laban said to Jacob, Behold, this heap, and this pillar are a witness.

English Revised Version
And Laban said to Jacob, Behold this heap, and behold the pillar, which I have set betwixt me and thee.

Berean Standard Bible
Laban also said to Jacob, "Here is the mound, and here is the pillar I have set up between you and me.

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
And eft he seide to Jacob, Lo! this heep, and stoon, whiche Y reiside bitwixe me and thee, schal be witnesse;

Young's Literal Translation
And Laban saith to Jacob, `Lo, this heap, and lo, the standing pillar which I have cast between me and thee;

Update Bible Version
And Laban said to Jacob, Look at this heap, and look at the pillar, which I have set between me and you.

Webster's Bible Translation
And Laban said to Jacob, Behold this heap, and behold [this] pillar, which I have cast betwixt me and thee;

World English Bible
Laban said to Jacob, "See this heap, and see the pillar, which I have set between me and you.

New King James Version
Then Laban said to Jacob, "Here is this heap and here is this pillar, which I have placed between you and me.

New Life Bible
Laban said to Jacob, "See these stones that have been set up between you and me.

New Revised Standard
Then Laban said to Jacob, "See this heap and see the pillar, which I have set between you and me.

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
And Laban said to Jacob - Behold this heap, and behold this pillar, which I have set betwixt me, and thee:

Douay-Rheims Bible
And he said again to Jacob: Behold this heap, and the stone which I have set up between me and thee,

Revised Standard Version
Then Laban said to Jacob, "See this heap and the pillar, which I have set between you and me.

THE MESSAGE
Laban continued to Jacob, "This monument of stones and this stone pillar that I have set up is a witness, a witness that I won't cross this line to hurt you and you won't cross this line to hurt me. The God of Abraham and the God of Nahor (the God of their ancestor) will keep things straight between us." Jacob promised, swearing by the Fear, the God of his father Isaac. Then Jacob offered a sacrifice on the mountain and worshiped, calling in all his family members to the meal. They ate and slept that night on the mountain. Laban got up early the next morning, kissed his grandchildren and his daughters, blessed them, and then set off for home.

New American Standard Bible (1995)
Laban said to Jacob, "Behold this heap and behold the pillar which I have set between you and me.

Contextual Overview

⁴³ Then Laban replied to Jacob, "These women are my daughters, these children are my grandchildren, and these flocks are my flocks—in fact, everything you see is mine. But what can I do now about my daughters and their children? ⁴⁴ So come, let's make a covenant, you and I, and it will be a witness to our commitment." ⁴⁵ So Jacob took a stone and set it up as a monument. ⁴⁶ 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. ⁴⁷ To 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). ⁴⁸ Then 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." ⁴⁹ But it was also called Mizpah (which means "watchtower"), for Laban said, "May the Lord keep watch between us to make sure that we keep this covenant when we are out of each other's sight. ⁵⁰ If you mistreat my daughters or if you marry other wives, God will see it even if no one else does. He is a witness to this covenant between us. ⁵¹ "See this pile of stones," Laban continued, "and see this monument I have set between us. ⁵² They stand between us as witnesses of our vows. I will never pass this pile of stones to harm you, and you must never pass these stones or this monument to harm me.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

I have cast: For yarithi, "I have set up," we may read yaritha, "Thou hast set up," with one Heb. and one Samaritan manuscript - see note on Genesis 31:45. Genesis 31:51

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And Laban said to Jacob,.... Continued speaking to him, as follows:

behold this heap, and behold [this] pillar which I have cast betwixt me and thee; the heap of stones seems to be gathered and laid together by the brethren, and the pillar to be erected by Jacob; and yet Laban says of them both, that he cast them, or erected them, they being done by his order, or with his consent, as well as Jacob's; unless the pillar can be thought to design another beside that which Jacob set up, and was like that, a single stone at some little distance from the heap: but the Samaritan and Arabic versions read, "which thou hast seen or set", &c. agreeably to Genesis 31:45.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

- Jacob’s Flight from Haran

19. תרפים t^erāpı̂ym, 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 them his gods. They seem to have been busts (προτομαί protomai, Aquila) of the human form, sometimes as large as life 1 Samuel 19:13. Those of full size were probably of wood; the smaller ones may have been of metal. In two passages Judges 17:1-13; Judges 18:0; Hosea 3:4 they are six times associated with the ephod. This intimates either that they were worn on the ephod, like the Urim and Thummim, or more probably that the ephod was worn on them; in accordance with which they were employed for the purposes of divination Genesis 30:27; Zechariah 10:2. The employment of them in the worship of God, which Laban seems to have inherited from his fathers Joshua 24:2, is denounced as idolatry 1 Samuel 15:23; and hence, they are classed with the idols and other abominations put away by Josiah 2 Kings 23:24.

47. שׂהדוּתא יגר y^egar-śâhădûtā', Jegar-sahadutha, “cairn of witness” in the Aramaic dialect of the old Hebrew or Shemite speech. גלעד gal‛ēd, Gal‘ed; and גלעד gı̂l‛ād, Gil‘ad, “cairn of witness” in Hebrew especially so called (see Genesis 11:1-9).

49. מצפה mı̂tspâh, Mizpah, “watch-tower.”

Jacob had now been twenty years in Laban’s service, and was therefore, ninety-six years of age. It has now become manifest that he cannot obtain leave of Laban to return home. He must, therefore, either come off by the high hand, or by secret flight. Jacob has many reasons for preferring the latter course.

Genesis 31:1-13

Circumstances at length induce Jacob to propose flight to his wives. His prosperity provokes the envy and slander of Laban’s sons, and Laban himself becomes estranged. The Lord now commands Jacob to return, and promises him his presence to protect him. Jacob now opens his mind fully to Rachel and Leah. Rachel, we observe, is put first. Several new facts come out in his discourse to them. Ye know - Jacob appeals to his wives on this point - “that with all my might I served your father.” He means, of course, to the extent of his engagement. During the last six years he was to provide for his own house, as the Lord permitted him, with the full knowledge and concurrence of Laban. Beyond this, which is a fair and acknowledged exception, he has been faithful in keeping the cattle of Laban. “Your father deceived me, and changed my wages ten times;” that is, as often as he could.

If, at the end of the first year, he found that Jacob had gained considerably, though he began with nothing, he might change his wages every following half-year, and so actually change them ten times in five years. In this case, the preceding chapter only records his original expedients, and then states the final result. “God suffered him not to hurt me.” Jacob, we are to remember, left his hire to the providence of God. He thought himself bound at the same time to use all legitimate means for the attainment of the desired end. His expedients may have been perfectly legitimate in the circumstances, but they were evidently of no avail without the divine blessing. And they would become wholly ineffectual when his wages were changed. Hence, he says, God took the cattle and gave them to me. Jacob seems here to record two dreams, the former of which is dated at the rutting season. The dream indicates the result by a symbolic representation, which ascribes it rather to the God of nature than to the man of art. The second dream makes allusion to the former as a process still going on up to the present time. This appears to be an encouragement to Jacob now to commit himself to the Lord on his way home. The angel of the Lord, we observe, announces himself as the God of Bethel, and recalls to Jacob the pillar and the vow. The angel, then, is Yahweh manifesting himself to human apprehension.

Genesis 31:14-19

His wives entirely accord with his view of their father’s selfishness in dealing with his son-in-law, and approve of his intended departure. Jacob makes all the needful preparations for a hasty and secret flight. He avails himself of the occasion when Laban is at a distance probably of three or more days’ journey, shearing his sheep. “Rachel stole the teraphim.” It is not the business of Scripture to acquaint us with the kinds and characteristics of false worship. Hence, we know little of the teraphim, except that they were employed by those who professed to worship the true God. Rachel had a lingering attachment to these objects of her family’s superstitious reverence, and secretly carried them away as relics of a home she was to visit no more, and as sources of safety to herself against the perils of her flight.

Genesis 31:20-24

Laban hears of his flight, pursues, and overtakes him. “Stole the heart,” κλέπτειν νοῦν kleptein noun. The heart is the seat of the understanding in Scripture. To steal the heart of anyone is to act without his knowledge. The river. The Frat, near which, we may conclude, Jacob was tending his flocks. Haran was about seventy miles from the river, and therefore, Laban’s flocks were on the other side of Haran. “Toward mount Gilead;” about three hundred miles from the Frat. “On the third day.” This shows that Laban’s flocks kept by his sons were still three days’ journey apart from Jacob’s. His brethren - his kindred and dependents. “Seven days’ journey.” On the third day after the arrival of the messenger, Laban might return to the spot whence Jacob had taken his flight. In this case, Jacob would have at least five days of a start; which, added to the seven days of pursuit, would give him twelve days to travel three hundred English miles. To those accustomed to the pastoral life this was a possible achievement. God appears to Laban on behalf of Jacob, and warns him not to harm him. “Not to speak from good to bad” is merely to abstain from language expressing and prefacing violence.

Genesis 31:25-32

Laban’s expostulation and Jacob’s reply. What hast thou done? Laban intimates that he would have dismissed him honorably and affectionately, and therefore, that his flight was needless and unkind; and finally charges him with stealing his gods. Jacob gives him to understand that he did not expect fair treatment at his hands, and gives him leave to search for his gods, not knowing that Rachel had taken them.

Genesis 31:33-42

After the search for the teraphim has proved vain, Jacob warmly upbraids Laban. “The camel’s saddle.” This was a pack-saddle, in the recesses of which articles might be deposited, and on which was a seat or couch for the rider. Rachel pleads the custom of women as an excuse for keeping her seat; which is admitted by Laban, not perhaps from the fear of ceremonial defilement Leviticus 15:19-27, as this law was not yet in force, but from respect to his daughter and the conviction that in such circumstances she would not sit upon the teraphim. “My brethren and thy brethren” - their common kindred. Jacob recapitulates his services in feeling terms. “By day the drought;” caused by the heat, which is extreme during the day, while the cold is not less severe in Palestine during the night. “The fear of Isaac” - the God whom Isaac fears. Judged - requited by restraining thee from wrong-doing.

Genesis 31:43-47

Laban, now pacified, if not conscience-stricken, proposes a covenant between them. Jacob erects a memorial pillar, around which the clan gather a cairn of stones, which serves by its name for a witness of their compact. “Jegar-sahadutha.” Here is the first decided specimen of Aramaic, as contradistinguished from Hebrew. Its incidental appearance indicates a fully formed dialect known to Jacob, and distinct from his own. Gilead or Galeed remains to this day in Jebel Jel’ad, though the original spot was further north.

Genesis 31:48-54

The covenant is then completed. And Mizpah. This refers to some prominent cliff from which, as a watch-tower, an extensive view might be obtained. It was in the northern half of Gilead Deuteronomy 3:12-13, and is noticed in Judges 11:29. It is not to be confounded with other places called by the same name. The reference of this name to the present occurrence is explained in these two verses. The names Gilead and Mizpah may have arisen from this transaction, or received a new turn in consequence of its occurrence. The terms of the covenant are now formally stated. I have cast. The erection of the pillar was a joint act of the two parties; in which Laban proposes, Jacob performs, and all take part. “The God of Abraham, Nahor, and Terah.” This is an interesting acknowledgment that their common ancestor Terah and his descendants down to Laban still acknowledged the true God even in their idolatry. Jacob swears by the fear of isaac, perhaps to rid himself of any error that had crept into Laban’s notions of God and his worship. The common sacrifice and the common meal ratify the covenant of reconciliation.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Genesis 31:51. And Laban said to Jacob - behold this pillar, which I have cast betwixt me and thee — But this pillar, not cast but set up, was certainly set up by Jacob; for in Genesis 31:45 we read, And Jacob took a stone, and set it up for a pillar: it is therefore for the honour of one Hebrew and one Samaritan MS. that they have preserved the true reading in Genesis 31:51, ירית yaritha, THOU hast set up. - Kennicott. Instead of either of the above readings the Samaritan text has [Samaritan] yarata, The pillar which thou SEEST betwixt me and thee.