Genesis 31:51
New International Version
Laban also said to Jacob, “Here is this heap, and here is this pillar I have set up between you and me.

New Living Translation
“See this pile of stones,” Laban continued, “and see this monument I have set between us.

English Standard Version
Then Laban said to Jacob, “See this heap and the pillar, which I have set between you and me.

Berean Standard Bible
Laban also said to Jacob, “Here is the mound, and here is the pillar I have set up between you and me.

King James Bible
And Laban said to Jacob, Behold this heap, and behold this pillar, which I have cast betwixt me and thee;

New King James Version
Then Laban said to Jacob, “Here is this heap and here is this pillar, which I have placed between you and me.

New American Standard Bible
Laban also said to Jacob, “Behold this heap and behold the memorial stone which I have set between you and me.

NASB 1995
Laban said to Jacob, “Behold this heap and behold the pillar which I have set between you and me.

NASB 1977
And Laban said to Jacob, “Behold this heap and behold the pillar which I have set between you and me.

Legacy Standard Bible
And Laban said to Jacob, “Behold this heap and behold the pillar which I have set between you and me.

Amplified Bible
Laban said to Jacob, “Look at this mound [of stones] and look at this pillar which I have set up between you and me.

Christian Standard Bible
Laban also said to Jacob, “Look at this mound and the marker I have set up between you and me.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Laban also said to Jacob, “Look at this mound and the marker I have set up between you and me.

American Standard Version
And Laban said to Jacob, Behold this heap, and behold the pillar, which I have set betwixt me and thee.

English Revised Version
And Laban said to Jacob, Behold this heap, and behold the pillar, which I have set betwixt me and thee.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Laban said to Jacob, "Here is the pile of stones, and here is the marker that I have set up between you and me.

Good News Translation
Here are the rocks that I have piled up between us, and here is the memorial stone.

International Standard Version
"Look!" Laban added, "Here is the stack of stones and here is the pillar that I've set up between you and me.

Majority Standard Bible
Laban also said to Jacob, “Here is the mound, and here is the pillar I have set up between you and me.

NET Bible
"Here is this pile of stones and this pillar I have set up between me and you," Laban said to Jacob.

New Heart English Bible
Laban said to Jacob, "See this mound, and see the standing-stone, which I have set between me and you.

Webster's Bible Translation
And Laban said to Jacob, Behold this heap, and behold this pillar, which I have cast betwixt me and thee;

World English Bible
Laban said to Jacob, “See this heap, and see the pillar, which I have set between me and you.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
And Laban says to Jacob, “Behold, this heap, and behold, the standing pillar which I have cast between me and you;

Young's Literal Translation
And Laban saith to Jacob, 'Lo, this heap, and lo, the standing pillar which I have cast between me and thee;

Smith's Literal Translation
And Laban will say to Jacob, Behold this heap; and behold the pillar which I cast between me and between thee.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
And he said again to Jacob: Behold, this heap, and the stone which I have set up between me and thee,

Catholic Public Domain Version
And again he said to Jacob. “Lo, this tomb and the stone that I have set up between me and you,

New American Bible
Laban said further to Jacob: “Here is this mound, and here is the sacred pillar that I have set up between you and me.

New Revised Standard Version
Then Laban said to Jacob, “See this heap and see the pillar, which I have set between you and me.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
And Laban said to Jacob, Behold this heap, and behold this pillar, which I have set between me and you;

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
And Laban said to Yaquuv, “See this mound and see this monument that I set up between me and you.
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
And Laban said to Jacob: 'Behold this heap, and behold the pillar, which I have set up betwixt me and thee.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And Laban said to Jacob, Behold, this heap, and this pillar are a witness.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Jacob's Covenant with Laban
50If you mistreat my daughters or take other wives, although no one is with us, remember that God is a witness between you and me.” 51Laban also said to Jacob, “Here is the mound, and here is the pillar I have set up between you and me. 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.…

Cross References
Joshua 24:27
And Joshua said to all the people, “You see this stone. It will be a witness against us, for it has heard all the words the LORD has spoken to us, and it will be a witness against you if you ever deny your God.”

Deuteronomy 31:19-21
Now 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. / When I have brought them into the land that I swore to give their fathers, a land flowing with milk and honey, they will eat their fill and prosper. Then they will turn to other gods and worship them, and they will reject Me and break My covenant. / And 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.”

1 Samuel 7:12
Afterward, Samuel took a stone and set it up between Mizpah and Shen. He named it Ebenezer, saying, “Thus far the LORD has helped us.”

Joshua 22:27-28
Rather, 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!’ / Therefore we said, ‘If they ever say this to us or to our descendants, we will answer: Look at the replica of the altar of the LORD that our fathers made, not for burnt offerings or sacrifices, but as a witness between us and you.’

Joshua 4:6-7
to serve as a sign among you. In the future, when your children ask, ‘What do these stones mean to you?’ / you are to tell them, ‘The waters of the Jordan were cut off before the ark of the covenant of the LORD. When it crossed the Jordan, the waters were cut off.’ Therefore these stones will be a memorial to the Israelites forever.”

1 Kings 18:31-32
And Elijah took twelve stones, one for each tribe of the sons of Jacob, to whom the word of the LORD had come and said, “Israel shall be your name.” / And with the stones, Elijah built an altar in the name of the LORD. Then he dug a trench around the altar large enough to hold two seahs of seed.

Exodus 24:4
And Moses wrote down all the words of the LORD. Early the next morning he got up and built an altar at the base of the mountain, along with twelve pillars for the twelve tribes of Israel.

Isaiah 19:19-20
In that day there will be an altar to the LORD in the center of the land of Egypt, and a pillar to the LORD near her border. / It will be a sign and a witness to the LORD of Hosts in the land of Egypt. When they cry out to the LORD because of their oppressors, He will send them a savior and defender to rescue them.

2 Kings 17:34
To this day they are still practicing their former customs. None of them worship the LORD or observe the statutes, ordinances, laws, and commandments that the LORD gave the descendants of Jacob, whom He named Israel.

2 Samuel 20:8
And while they were at the great stone in Gibeon, Amasa joined them. Now Joab was dressed in military attire, with a dagger strapped to his belt. And as he stepped forward, he slipped the dagger from its sheath.

Matthew 18:16
But if he will not listen, take one or two others along, so that ‘every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.’

Hebrews 12:1
Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off every encumbrance and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with endurance the race set out for us.

Acts 7:44
Our fathers had the tabernacle of the Testimony with them in the wilderness. It was constructed exactly as God had directed Moses, according to the pattern he had seen.

2 Corinthians 13:1
This is the third time I am coming to you. “Every matter must be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.”

Romans 15:4
For everything that was written in the past was written for our instruction, so that through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures, we might have hope.


Treasury of Scripture

And Laban said to Jacob, Behold this heap, and behold this pillar, which I have cast between me and you:

I have cast.

Genesis 31:45
And Jacob took a stone, and set it up for a pillar.

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Betwixt Cast Heap Jacob Laban Pillar Standing Stones
Genesis 31
1. Jacob, displeased with the envy of Laban and his sons, departs secretly.
19. Rachel steals her father's household gods.
22. Laban pursues after him, and complains of the wrong.
34. Rachel's plan to hide the images.
36. Jacob's complaint of Laban.
43. The covenant of Laban and Jacob at Galeed.














Laban also said to Jacob
This phrase introduces Laban, a key figure in the narrative, who is Jacob's father-in-law. The name "Laban" in Hebrew means "white" or "shining," which may symbolize his outward appearance of fairness, though his actions often reveal a more complex character. The relationship between Laban and Jacob is fraught with tension and manipulation, reflecting the broader theme of familial conflict and reconciliation in Genesis. This moment is significant as it marks a turning point where Laban acknowledges Jacob's autonomy and the need for a formal agreement.

Here is this heap
The "heap" refers to a pile of stones that Jacob and Laban gathered as a witness to their covenant. In ancient Near Eastern culture, stone heaps were often used as boundary markers or memorials. The Hebrew word for "heap" is "gal," which can also mean "circle" or "mound." This physical marker serves as a tangible reminder of the agreement between the two men, symbolizing a boundary that should not be crossed, both physically and relationally. It underscores the importance of setting clear boundaries in relationships to maintain peace and respect.

and here is the pillar
The "pillar" is another stone structure set up by Jacob as a witness to the covenant. The Hebrew word for "pillar" is "matstsebah," which often denotes a standing stone used for religious or commemorative purposes. In the context of Genesis, pillars frequently serve as markers of divine encounters or significant events. This pillar stands as a testament to the solemnity of the agreement and the presence of God as a witness to their covenant. It highlights the biblical principle of accountability before God in human agreements.

I have set up between you and me
This phrase emphasizes the personal responsibility Laban takes in establishing the boundary. The act of setting up the heap and pillar "between you and me" signifies a mutual recognition of the need for peace and separation. It reflects the biblical theme of reconciliation and the importance of resolving conflicts in a way that honors both parties. The use of physical markers to delineate personal space and responsibility is a practice that resonates with the biblical call to live peaceably with others, as far as it depends on us (Romans 12:18).

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
Laban
לָבָ֖ן (lā·ḇān)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3837: Laban -- father-in-law of Jacob

also said
וַיֹּ֥אמֶר (way·yō·mer)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 559: To utter, say

to Jacob,
לְיַעֲקֹ֑ב (lə·ya·‘ă·qōḇ)
Preposition-l | Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3290: Jacob -- a son of Isaac, also his desc

“Here is
הִנֵּ֣ה ׀ (hin·nêh)
Interjection
Strong's 2009: Lo! behold!

the
הַזֶּ֗ה (haz·zeh)
Article | Pronoun - masculine singular
Strong's 2088: This, that

mound,
הַגַּ֣ל (hag·gal)
Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 1530: Something rolled, a heap of stone, dung, a spring of water

and here is the pillar
הַמַצֵּבָ֔ה‪‬ (ha·maṣ·ṣê·ḇāh)
Article | Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 4676: Something stationed, a column, an idol

I have set up
יָרִ֖יתִי (yā·rî·ṯî)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - first person common singular
Strong's 3384: To flow as water, to lay, throw, to point out, to teach

between you and me.
בֵּינִ֥י (bê·nî)
Preposition | first person common singular
Strong's 996: An interval, space between


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OT Law: Genesis 31:51 Laban said to Jacob See this heap (Gen. Ge Gn)
Genesis 31:50
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