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.
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.
- BSB So he fled with all his possessions, crossed the Euphrates, and headed for 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 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 12:17Then Hazael king of Syria went up, and fought against Gath, and took it: and Hazael set his face to go up to Jerusalem.
- Gen 31:23And he took his brethren with him, and pursued after him seven days’ journey; and they overtook him in the mount Gilead.
- Deut 3:12And this land, which we possessed at that time, from Aroer, which is by the river Arnon, and half mount Gilead, and the cities thereof, gave I unto the Reubenites and to the Gadites.
- Gen 37:25And they sat down to eat bread: and they lifted up their eyes and looked, and, behold, a company of Ishmeelites came from Gilead with their camels bearing spicery and balm and myrrh, going to carry it down to Egypt.
- Gen 15:18In the same day the LORD made a covenant with Abram, saying, Unto thy seed have I given this land, from the river of Egypt unto the great river, the river Euphrates:
- 1 Kgs 17:1And Elijah the Tishbite, who was of the inhabitants of Gilead, said unto Ahab, As the LORD God of Israel liveth, before whom I stand, there shall not be dew nor rain these years, but according to my word.
- Gen 2:14And the name of the third river is Hiddekel: that is it which goeth toward the east of Assyria. And the fourth river is Euphrates.
- Gen 46:28And he sent Judah before him unto Joseph, to direct his face unto Goshen; and they came into the land of Goshen.
- Jer 50:5They shall ask the way to Zion with their faces thitherward, saying, Come, and let us join ourselves to the LORD in a perpetual covenant that shall not be forgotten.
- Num 24:1And when Balaam saw that it pleased the LORD to bless Israel, he went not, as at other times, to seek for enchantments, but he set his face toward the wilderness.
- Luke 9:51–53And it came to pass, when the time was come that he should be received up, he stedfastly set his face to go to Jerusalem,
- Josh 13:8–9With whom the Reubenites and the Gadites have received their inheritance, which Moses gave them, beyond Jordan eastward, even as Moses the servant of the LORD gave them;
- Num 32:1Now the children of Reuben and the children of Gad had a very great multitude of cattle: and when they saw the land of Jazer, and the land of Gilead, that, behold, the place was a place for cattle;
- Judg 10:18And the people and princes of Gilead said one to another, What man is he that will begin to fight against the children of Ammon? he shall be head over all the inhabitants of Gilead.
- Josh 24:2–3And Joshua said unto all the people, Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, Your fathers dwelt on the other side of the flood in old time, even Terah, the father of Abraham, and the father of Nachor: and they served 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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