Genesis 31:47

47 Laban named that place in his language A Pile to Remind Us, and Jacob gave the place the same name in Hebrew.

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 took a large rock and set it up on its end.

46 He told his relatives to gather rocks, so they took the rocks and piled them up; then they ate beside the pile.

47 Laban named that place in his language A Pile to Remind Us, and Jacob gave the place the same name in Hebrew.

48 Laban said to Jacob, "This pile of rocks will remind us of the agreement between us." That is why the place was called A Pile to Remind Us.

49 It was also called Mizpah, because Laban said, "Let the Lord watch over us while we are separated from each other.