Genesis 31:47

47 [In his language] Laban called it Jegar Sahadutha [Witness Pile], but Jacob called 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 Jacob took a stone and set it up as a marker.

46 Then Jacob said to his relatives, "Gather some stones." They took stones, put them into a pile, and ate there by the pile of stones.

47 [In his language] Laban called it Jegar Sahadutha [Witness Pile], but Jacob called it Galeed.

48 Laban said, "This pile of stones stands as a witness between you and me today." This is why it was named Galeed

49 and also Mizpah [Watchtower], because he said, "May the LORD watch between you and me when we're unable to see each other.