Genesis 31:47

47 quem vocavit Laban tumulus Testis et Iacob acervum Testimonii uterque iuxta proprietatem linguae suae

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 tulit itaque Iacob lapidem et erexit illum in titulum

46 dixitque fratribus suis adferte lapides qui congregantes fecerunt tumulum comederuntque super eum

47 quem vocavit Laban tumulus Testis et Iacob acervum Testimonii uterque iuxta proprietatem linguae suae

48 dixitque Laban tumulus iste testis erit inter me et te hodie et idcirco appellatum est nomen eius Galaad id est tumulus Testis

49 intueatur Dominus et iudicet inter nos quando recesserimus a nobis