Genesis 31:47

47 Laban named it Jegar Sahadutha, while Jacob named it Galeed.

Genesis 31:47 Meaning and Commentary

Genesis 31:47

And Laban called it Jegarsahadutha
Which in the Syriac and Chaldee languages signifies "an heap of witness"; it being, as after observed, a witness of the covenant between Laban and Jacob: but Jacob called it Galeed;
which in the Hebrew tongue signifies the same, "an heap of witness"; or "an heap, [the] witness", for the same reason. Laban was a Syrian, as he sometimes is called, ( Genesis 25:20 ) ( Genesis 31:20 Genesis 31:24 ) , wherefore he used the Syrian language; Jacob was a descendant of Abraham the Hebrew, and he used the Hebrew language; and both that their respective posterity might understand the meaning of the name; though these two are not so very different but Laban and Jacob could very well understand each other, as appears by their discourse together, these being but dialects of the same tongue.

Genesis 31:47 In-Context

45 So Jacob got a stone and set it up as a memorial.

46 He told his men to gather some rocks and pile them up. Then they ate a meal beside the pile of rocks.

47 Laban named it Jegar Sahadutha, while Jacob named it Galeed.

48 Laban said to Jacob, "This pile of rocks will be a reminder for both of us." That is why that place was named Galeed.

49 Laban also said, "May the Lord keep an eye on us while we are separated from each other." So the place was also named Mizpah.

Footnotes

• [a]. jegar sahadutha: [This name in Aramaic means "a pile to remind us."]
• [b]. galeed: [This name in Hebrew means "a pile to remind us."]