So he fled with all his possessions, crossed the Euphrates, and headed for the hill country of Gilead.
Parallel translations
- WEB So he fled with all that he had. He rose up, passed over the River, and set his face toward the mountain of Gilead.
- KJV So he fled with all that he had; and he rose up, and passed over the river, and set his face toward the mount Gilead.
- ESV He fled with all that he had and arose and crossed the Euphrates, and set his face toward the hill country of Gilead.
- NKJV So he fled with all that he had. He arose and crossed the river, and headed toward the mountains of Gilead.
- NASB So he fled with all that he had; and he got up and crossed the Euphrates River, and set out for the hill country of Gilead.
- NLT So Jacob took all his possessions with him and crossed the Euphrates River, heading for the hill country of Gilead.
Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
Jacob flees with all he has, crossing the Euphrates toward the hill country of Gilead. He heads decisively for Canaan.
Overview
Crossing the great River and setting his face toward Gilead marks Jacob's commitment to the journey home. His swift, determined movement reflects both his fear of Laban and his obedience to God's call. The geography traces his path back toward the land God promised to his fathers.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 15
- 2 Kgs 12:17At that time Hazael king of Aram marched up and fought against Gath and captured it. Then he decided to attack Jerusalem.
- Gen 31:23So he took his relatives with him, pursued Jacob for seven days, and overtook him in the hill country of Gilead.
- Deut 3:12So at that time we took possession of this land. To the Reubenites and Gadites I gave the land beyond Aroer along the Arnon Valley, and half the hill country of Gilead, along with its cities.
- Gen 37:25And as they sat down to eat a meal, they looked up and saw a caravan of Ishmaelites coming from Gilead. Their camels were carrying spices, balm, and myrrh on their way down to Egypt.
- Gen 15:18On that day the LORD made a covenant with Abram, saying, “To your descendants I have given this land—from the river of Egypt to the great River Euphrates—
- 1 Kgs 17:1Now Elijah the Tishbite, who was among the settlers of Gilead, said to Ahab, “As surely as the LORD lives—the God of Israel before whom I stand—there will be neither dew nor rain in these years except at my word!”
- Gen 2:14The name of the third river is Hiddekel; it runs along the east side of Assyria. And the fourth river is the Euphrates.
- Gen 46:28Now Jacob had sent Judah ahead of him to Joseph to get directions to Goshen. When Jacob’s family arrived in the land of Goshen,
- Jer 50:5They will ask the way to Zion and turn their faces toward it. They will come and join themselves to the LORD in an everlasting covenant that will never be forgotten.
- Num 24:1And when Balaam saw that it pleased the LORD to bless Israel, he did not resort to sorcery as on previous occasions, but he turned his face toward the wilderness.
- Luke 9:51–53As the day of His ascension approached, Jesus resolutely set out for Jerusalem.
- Josh 13:8–9The other half of Manasseh, along with the Reubenites and Gadites, had received the inheritance Moses had given them beyond the Jordan to the east, just as Moses the servant of the LORD had assigned to them:
- Num 32:1Now the Reubenites and Gadites, who had very large herds and flocks, surveyed the lands of Jazer and Gilead, and they saw that the region was suitable for livestock.
- Judg 10:18And the rulers of Gilead said to one another, “Whoever will launch the attack against the Ammonites will be the head of all who live in Gilead.”
- Josh 24:2–3And Joshua said to all the people, “This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: ‘Long ago your fathers, including Terah the father of Abraham and Nahor, lived beyond the Euphrates and worshiped other gods.
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Christ at the center
From the first promise that the seed of the woman would crush the serpent (3:15), through Abraham's blessing to all nations and Judah's coming ruler, Genesis sows every seed that flowers in Christ — the true offspring, the better Adam, the ram caught for Isaac.
How Genesis 31:21 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
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