Genesis 31:51-55
New English Translation
51 “Here is this pile of stones and this pillar I have set up between me and you,” Laban said to Jacob.[a] 52 “This pile of stones and the pillar are reminders that I will not pass beyond this pile to come to harm you and that you will not pass beyond this pile and this pillar to come to harm me.[b] 53 May the God of Abraham and the god of Nahor,[c] the gods of their father, judge between us.” Jacob took an oath by the God whom his father Isaac feared.[d] 54 Then Jacob offered a sacrifice[e] on the mountain and invited his relatives to eat the meal.[f] They ate the meal and spent the night on the mountain.
55 (32:1)[g] Early in the morning Laban kissed[h] his grandchildren[i] and his daughters goodbye and blessed them. Then Laban left and returned home.[j]
Read full chapterFootnotes
- Genesis 31:51 tn Heb “and Laban said to Jacob, ‘Behold this heap and behold the pillar which I have set between me and you.’” The order of the introductory clause and the direct discourse has been rearranged in the translation for stylistic reasons.
- Genesis 31:52 tn Heb “This pile is a witness, and the pillar is a witness: surely I will not pass by this pile to you, and surely you will not pass by this pile and this pillar to me, for harm.”
- Genesis 31:53 tn The God of Abraham and the god of Nahor. The Hebrew verb translated “judge” is plural, suggesting that Laban has more than one “god” in mind. Smr and the LXX, apparently in an effort to make the statement monotheistic, have a singular verb. In this case one could translate, “May the God of Abraham and the God of Nahor, the God of their father, judge between us.” However, Laban had a polytheistic world view, as evidenced by his possession of household idols (cf. 31:19). The translation uses “God” when referring to Abraham’s God, for Genesis makes it clear that Abraham worshiped the one true God. It employs “god” when referring to Nahor’s god, for in the Hebrew text Laban refers to a different god here, probably one of the local deities.
- Genesis 31:53 tn Heb “by the fear of his father Isaac.” See the note on the word “fears” in v. 42.
- Genesis 31:54 tn The construction is a cognate accusative with the verb, expressing a specific sacrifice.
- Genesis 31:54 tn Heb “bread, food.” Presumably this was a type of peace offering, where the person bringing the offering ate the animal being sacrificed.
- Genesis 31:55 sn Beginning with 31:55, the verse numbers in the English Bible through 32:32 differ by one from the verse numbers in the Hebrew text (BHS), with 31:55 ET = 32:1 HT, 32:1 ET = 32:2 HT, etc., through 32:32 ET = 32:33 HT. From 33:1 the verse numbers in the ET and HT are again the same.
- Genesis 31:55 tn Heb “and Laban got up early in the morning and he kissed.”
- Genesis 31:55 tn Heb “his sons.”
- Genesis 31:55 tn Heb “to his place.”
NET Bible® copyright ©1996-2017 by Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C. http://netbible.com All rights reserved.