Genesis 31:43-55

Jacob and Laban’s treaty

43 Laban responded and told Jacob, "The daughters are my daughters, the children are my children, and the flocks are my flocks. Everything you see is mine. But what can I do now about my daughters and about their sons?
44 Come, let's make a treaty, you and me, and let something be our witness."
45 So Jacob took a stone, set it up as a sacred pillar,
46 and said to his relatives, "Gather stones." So they took stones, made a mound, and ate there near the mound.
47 Laban called it Jegar-sahadutha, but Jacob called it Galeed.
48 Laban said, "This mound is our witness today," and, therefore, he too named it Galeed.
49 He also named it Mizpah, because he said, "The LORD will observe both of us when we are separated from each other.
50 If you treat my daughters badly and if you marry other women, though we aren't there, know that God observed our witness."
51 Laban said to Jacob, "Here is this mound and here is the sacred pillar that I've set up for us.
52 This mound and the sacred pillar are witnesses that I won't travel beyond this mound and that you won't travel beyond this mound and this pillar to do harm.
53 The God of Abraham and the God of Nahor will keep order between us." So Jacob gave his word in the name of the awesome one of his father Isaac.
54 Jacob offered a sacrifice on the mountain, and invited his relatives to a meal. They ate together and spent the night on the mountain.
55 Laban got up early in the morning, kissed his sons and daughters, blessed them, and left to go back to his own place.

Genesis 31:43-55 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO GENESIS 31

This chapter relates how that Jacob observing that Laban and his sons envied his prosperity, and having a call from God to return to his own country, acquaints his wives with it; and reports to them Laban's ill usage of him, and the wonderful appearance of God to him, and for him, and his orders to him to depart from thence, Ge 31:1-13; to which they agreed, knowing full well their father's unkindness, and that they had nothing to expect from him, and therefore judged it best to go off with what they had got through the gift of God unto them, Ge 31:14-16; upon which Jacob set out privately, with all he had, towards his own country, while Laban was shearing his sheep, Ge 31:17-21; three days after, Laban, being informed of it, pursued after Jacob, and overtook him at Mount Gilead; but was warned by the way to be cautious what he said to him, Ge 31:22-25; yet nevertheless he warmly expostulated with him about his secret flight, not giving him the opportunity of taking his leave of his children, and especially for taking away his gods, Ge 31:26-30; to which Jacob gave an answer, Ge 31:31-35; and in his turn was warm likewise, and chided Laban severely for his hot pursuit of him, his charge of stealth, when he could find nothing on him, his hard labour for the space of twenty years with him, and his ill requital of him for it, Ge 31:36-42; however, upon the whole, an amicable agreement was made between them, and they parted in a friendly manner, Ge 31:43-55.

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