Genesis 31:23

23 He took his men with him and pursued Jacob for seven days until he caught up with him in the hill country of Gilead.

Genesis 31:23 Meaning and Commentary

Genesis 31:23

And he took his brethren with him
Some of his relations, the descendants of his father's brethren, the sons of Nahor, of whom there were seven, besides Bethuel; and who all perhaps lived in Haran the city of Nahor, see ( Genesis 22:20-24 ) ; or some of his neighbours and acquaintance whom he might call to: and pursued after him seven days' journey;
which must be reckoned, not from Jacob's departure from Haran, but from Laban's; for Laban being three days' journey from thence, whither he had to return, after he received the news of Jacob being gone; Jacob must have travelled six days before Laban set out with his brethren from Haran; so that this was, as Ben Gerson conjectures, the thirteenth day of Jacob's travel; for Laban not having cattle to drive as Jacob, could travel as fast again as he, and do that in seven days which took up Jacob thirteen: and they overtook him in the mount Gilead;
said to be three hundred and eighty miles from Haran ^F5.

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FOOTNOTES:

F5 Bunting's Travels, p. 72.

Genesis 31:23 In-Context

21 He took everything he owned and left in a hurry. He crossed the Euphrates River and started for the hill country of Gilead.

22 Three days later Laban was told that Jacob had fled.

23 He took his men with him and pursued Jacob for seven days until he caught up with him in the hill country of Gilead.

24 In a dream that night God came to Laban and said to him, "Be careful not to threaten Jacob in any way."

25 Jacob had set up his camp on a mountain, and Laban set up his camp with his relatives in the hill country of Gilead.