Come now, let us make a covenant, you and I, and let it serve as a witness between you and me.”
Parallel translations
- WEB Now come, let us make a covenant, you and I; and let it be for a witness between me and you.”
- KJV Now therefore come thou, let us make a covenant, I and thou; and let it be for a witness between me and thee.
- NKJV Now therefore, come, let us make a covenant, you and I, and let it be a witness between you and me.”
- NASB So now come, let’s make a covenant, you and I, and it shall be a witness between you and me.”
- NLT So come, let’s make a covenant, you and I, and it will be a witness to our commitment.”
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
Laban proposes a covenant to formalize peace between him and Jacob. It shifts the tense confrontation toward a binding agreement witnessed before God.
Overview
Unable to overpower Jacob, Laban seeks a treaty to govern their future relations and protect his interests. Covenants were solemn, often sealed with signs and oaths invoking God as witness. This human pact, marked by mutual distrust, stands in contrast to God's gracious covenant freely given to Abraham's line.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 11
- 1 Sam 20:14–17And as long as I live, treat me with the LORD’s loving devotion, that I may not die,
- Josh 24:25–27On that day Joshua made a covenant for the people, and there at Shechem he established for them a statute and ordinance.
- Deut 31:26“Take this Book of the Law and place it beside the ark of the covenant of the LORD your God, so that it may remain there as a witness against you.
- Josh 22:27Rather, let it be a witness between us and you and the generations to come, that we will worship the LORD in His presence with our burnt offerings, sacrifices, and peace offerings.’ Then in the future, your descendants cannot say to ours, ‘You have no share in the LORD!’
- Gen 31:48Then Laban declared, “This mound is a witness between you and me this day.” Therefore the place was called Galeed.
- Gen 31:52This mound is a witness, and this pillar is a witness, that I will not go past this mound to harm you, and you will not go past this mound and pillar to harm me.
- Deut 31:19Now therefore, write down for yourselves this song and teach it to the Israelites; have them recite it, so that it may be a witness for Me against them.
- Deut 31:21And when many troubles and afflictions have come upon them, this song will testify against them, because it will not be forgotten from the lips of their descendants. For I know their inclination, even before I bring them into the land that I swore to give them.”
- Gen 21:22–32At that time Abimelech and Phicol the commander of his army said to Abraham, “God is with you in all that you do.
- 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—
- Gen 26:28–31“We can plainly see that the LORD has been with you,” they replied. “We recommend that there should now be an oath between us and you. Let us make a covenant with you
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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 31:44 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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