Bereshis 31:23

23 And he took his achim with him, and pursued after him derech shivat yamim; and they overtook him at Har Gil‘ad.

Bereshis 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.

Bereshis 31:23 In-Context

21 So he fled with all that he had; and he rose up, and passed over the Nahar [i.e. the Euphrates], and set his face toward Har Gil’ad.

22 And it was told Lavan on Yom HaShlishi that Ya’akov was fled.

23 And he took his achim with him, and pursued after him derech shivat yamim; and they overtook him at Har Gil‘ad.

24 And Elohim came to Lavan HaArami in a chalom halailah, and said unto him, Take heed that thou speak not to Ya’akov either tov or rah.

25 Then Lavan overtook Ya’akov. Now Ya’akov had pitched his ohel on the har; and Lavan with his achim encamped in Har Gil‘ad.