Genesis 31:47

Verse

Laban called it Jegar-sahadutha, and Jacob called it Galeed.

American Standard Version (1901)

And Laban called it Jegar-saha-dutha: but Jacob called it Galeed.

And the name Laban gave it was Jegar-sahadutha: but Jacob gave it the name of Galeed.

And Laban called it The witness heap: and Jacob, The hillock of testimony: each of them according to the propriety of his language.

Free Bible Version

Laban called it Jegar-sahadutha, while Jacob called it Galeed.

Geneva Bible 1599

And Laban called it Iegar-sahadutha, and Iaakob called it Galeed.

King James (Authorized) Version

And Laban called it Jegar-sahadutha: but Jacob called it Galeed.

One Unity Resource Bible

Laban [White] called it Jegar Sahadutha [Heap of witness], but Jacob [Supplanter] called it Galeed [Heap of stones, Heap of witness].

Translation for Translators

Laban gave the heap the Aramaic name Jegar-Sahadutha, which means ‘rock-pile to remind us’, but Jacob gave the rock-pile the Hebrew name Galeed, which has the same meaning.

Unlocked Literal Bible

Laban called it Jegar Saha Dutha, but Jacob called it Galeed.

Noah Webster Bible

And Laban called it Jegar-sahadutha: but Jacob called it Galeed:

World English Bible

Laban called it Jegar Sahadutha, but Jacob called it Galeed.

Young's Literal Translation

and Laban calleth it Jegar-Sahadutha; and Jacob hath called it Galeed.

Context

Jacob’s Covenant with Laban

⁴⁶and he said to his relatives, “Gather some stones.” So they took stones and made a mound, and there by the mound they ate. ⁴⁷Laban called it Jegar-sahadutha, and Jacob called it Galeed.

Summary

Laban called the heap of stones 'Jegar Sahadutha,' which means 'witness heap' in Aramaic, while Jacob called it 'Galeed,' which means 'witness heap' in Hebrew. This naming ceremony marked a significant agreement and boundary between Laban and Jacob, serving as a reminder of their covenant and the God who witnessed their promises. The dual naming in different languages reflects the diverse backgrounds of Laban and Jacob, yet it unites them in their shared acknowledgment of God's presence and faithfulness in their relationship.

Commentary

Adam Clarke
John Gill

Adam Clarke Bible Commentary

Laban called it Jegar-sahadutha - יגר שהדותא yegar sahadutha, the heap or round heap of witness; but Jacob called it גלעד galed, which signifies the same thing. The first is pure Chaldee, the second pure Hebrew. אגר agar signifies to collect, hence יגר yegar and אוגר ogar, a collection or heap made up of gathered stones; and hence also אגורא egora, an altar, used frequently by the Chaldee paraphrast. See Kg1 12:33; Jdg 6:31; Kg2 21:3; Jer 17:1. See Castel's Lexicon. From this example we may infer that the Chaldee language was nearly coequal with the Hebrew. A gloss made by St. Jerome, and which was probably only entered by him in his margin as a note, has crept into the text of the Vulgate. It is found in every copy of this version, and is as follows: Uterque juxta proprietatem linguae suae, Each according to the idiom of his own tongue.