Genesis 31:21

21 He fled with all that he had and arose and crossed the 1Euphrates, and 2set his face toward the hill country of Gilead.

Genesis 31:21 Meaning and Commentary

Genesis 31:21

So he fled with all that he had
His wives, his children, cattle and substance; and he rose up, and passed over the river;
the river Euphrates, as the Targum of Jonathan expresses it, which lay between Mesopotamia and Canaan; and set his face [toward] the mount Gilead:
he travelled and bent his course that way: this, was a mountain on the border of the land of Canaan, adjoining to Lebanon, near which was a very fruitful country, which had its name from it: it is so called here by way of anticipation; for this name was afterwards given it from the heap of stones here laid, as a witness of the agreement between Laban and Jacob, ( Genesis 31:45 ) .

Genesis 31:21 In-Context

19 Laban had gone to shear his sheep, and Rachel stole her father's household gods.
20 And Jacob tricked Laban the Aramean, by not telling him that he intended to flee.
21 He fled with all that he had and arose and crossed the Euphrates, and set his face toward the hill country of Gilead.
22 When it was told Laban on the third day that Jacob had fled,
23 he took his kinsmen with him and pursued him for seven days and followed close after him into the hill country of Gilead.

Cross References 2

  • 1. Exodus 23:31; Psalms 72:8
  • 2. 2 Kings 12:17; Luke 9:51
The English Standard Version is published with the permission of Good News Publishers.