Jacob said to his relatives, “Gather stones.” So they took stones and made a heap, and they ate there by the heap.
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.
- BSB and he said to his relatives, “Gather some stones.” So they took stones and made a mound, and there by the mound they ate.
- NKJV Then Jacob said to his brethren, “Gather stones.” And they took stones and made a heap, and they ate there on 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 31:54Jacob offered a sacrifice in the mountain, and called his relatives to eat bread. They ate bread, and stayed all night in the mountain.
- Josh 4:20–24Joshua set up those twelve stones, which they took out of the Jordan, in Gilgal.
- Gen 31:37Now that you have felt around in all my stuff, what have you found of all your household stuff? Set it here before my relatives and your relatives, that they may judge between us two.
- Josh 4:5–9Joshua said to them, “Cross before the ark of Yahweh your God into the middle of the Jordan, and each of you pick up a stone and put it on your shoulder, according to the number of the tribes of the children of Israel;
- 2 Sam 18:17They took Absalom and cast him into the great pit in the forest, and raised over him a very great heap of stones. Then all Israel fled, each to his own tent.
- Josh 7:26They raised over him a great heap of stones that remains to this day. Yahweh turned from the fierceness of his anger. Therefore the name of that place was called “The valley of Achor” to this day.
- Gen 31:23He took his relatives with him, and pursued him seven days’ journey. He overtook him in the mountain of Gilead.
- Gen 31:32Anyone you find your gods with shall not live. Before our relatives, discern what is yours with me, and take it.” For Jacob didn’t know that Rachel had stolen them.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
Resources, by level
Commentaries & study tools
Free animated overview and word-study videos for this book.
Sermons and teaching on this passage from across YouTube.
Clear, readable, conservative exposition — the best free place to start on any passage.
Matthew Henry, Barnes, Gill, the Pulpit Commentary, Ellicott, Cambridge, and more — stacked on one page for this exact verse.
The beloved Puritan exposition of this whole book — warm, devotional, and verse by verse (free, CCEL).
Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.
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
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.