and he said to his relatives, “Gather some stones.” So they took stones and made a mound, and there by the mound they ate.
Parallel translations
- WEB Jacob said to his relatives, “Gather stones.” They took stones, and made a heap. They ate there by the heap.
- KJV And Jacob said unto his brethren, Gather stones; and they took stones, and made an heap: and they did eat there upon the heap.
- NKJV Then Jacob said to his brethren, “Gather stones.” And they took stones and made a heap, and they ate there on the heap.
- NASB Jacob said to his relatives, “Gather stones.” So they took stones and made a heap, and they ate there by the heap.
- NLT Then he told his family members, “Gather some stones.” So they gathered stones and piled them in a heap. Then Jacob and Laban sat down beside the pile of stones to eat a covenant meal.
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's relatives gather stones into a heap, and they share a meal beside it. The shared meal seals the covenant in fellowship.
Overview
The heap of stones formed a tangible witness to the treaty between the two parties. Eating together was a customary way to ratify a covenant and signify peace. This pattern of covenant sealed by a shared meal points forward to the table of the Lord, where believers commune in the new covenant of Christ's blood.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 9
- Eccl 3:5a time to cast away stones and a time to gather stones together, a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing,
- Gen 31:54Then Jacob offered a sacrifice on the mountain and invited his relatives to eat a meal. And after they had eaten, they spent the night on the mountain.
- Josh 4:20–24And there at Gilgal Joshua set up the twelve stones they had taken from the Jordan.
- Gen 31:37You have searched all my goods! Have you found anything that belongs to you? Put it here before my brothers and yours, that they may judge between the two of us.
- Josh 4:5–9and said to them, “Cross over before the ark of the LORD your God into the middle of the Jordan. Each of you is to take a stone upon his shoulder, according to the number of the tribes of Israel,
- 2 Sam 18:17They took Absalom, cast him into a large pit in the forest, and piled a huge mound of stones over him. Meanwhile, all the Israelites fled, each to his home.
- Josh 7:26And they heaped over Achan a large pile of rocks that remains to this day. So the LORD turned from His burning anger. Therefore that place is called the Valley of Achor to this day.
- Gen 31:23So he took his relatives with him, pursued Jacob for seven days, and overtook him in the hill country of Gilead.
- Gen 31:32If you find your gods with anyone here, he shall not live! In the presence of our relatives, see for yourself if anything is yours, and take it back.” For Jacob did not know that Rachel had stolen the idols.
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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 31:46 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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