Genesis 31:47

47 And Laba called it Iegar Sahadutha but Iacob called it Gylead.

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 Than toke Iacob a stone and sett it vp an ende

46 ad sayde vnto his brethern gather stoones And they toke stoones ad made an heape and they ate there vpo the heape.

47 And Laba called it Iegar Sahadutha but Iacob called it Gylead.

48 Than sayde Laban: this heape be witnesse betwene the and me this daye (therfore is it called Gilead)

49 and this totehill which the lorde seeth (sayde he) be wytnesse betwene me and the when we are departed one from a nother: