Genesis Chapter 31 verse 23 Holy Bible

Ellicott's Commentary

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers(23) His brethren.--As Jacob, who had no relatives with him except his sons, applies this term in Genesis 31:46 to his followers, it is, probably, an honourable way of describing retainers, who were freemen and of a higher class than men-servants.Seven days' journey.--The route chosen by Jacob was apparently the more easterly one, past Tadmor, and through the Hauran, leaving Damascus to the west. The hill, which subsequently was called Mount Gilead, lay to the south of the Jabbok; but asMahanaim, reached some days after the meeting with Laban, is to the north of that river, the word Gilead was evidently applied to the whole of the region of chalk cliffs on the east of the Jordan. This is made certain by the fact that Laban overtook Jacob in seven days. But as the distance from Haran to the most northerly part of this country (afterwards assigned to the half-tribe of Manasseh) was fully three hundred miles, it would require hard riding on the part of Laban and his brethren to enable them to overtake Jacob, even on the borders of this region. There is no difficulty about Jacob's movements. His flocks were pastured at so remote a distance from Haran that it would be easy for him to send them in detachments to the ford of the Euphrates, distant about sixty or seventy miles; he would make all the arrangements with his four elder sons and trusty servants, and, probably, even see them across the ford himself, and would return to Haran to fetch his wives and younger children only when all was well advanced. Finally, when Laban goes to a distance, in another direction, for his sheep-shearing, Jacob "sets his sons and his wives upon camels," and follows with the utmost speed. They would have remained quietly at Haran to the last, to avoid suspicion, and, excepting Leah's four elder sons, the rest would have been too young to be of much use. When Jacob, with his wives, overtook the cattle, they would, probably, not travel more than ten or twelve miles a day; but three days passed before Laban learned what had taken place, and a couple of days at least must have been spent in returning to Haran and preparing for the pursuit. Thus Jacob had reached Canaanite ground--a matter of very considerable importance--before his father-in-law overtook him.Parallel Commentaries ...HebrewSo he tookוַיִּקַּ֤ח (way·yiq·qaḥ)Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singularStrong's 3947: To takehis kinsmenאֶחָיו֙ (’e·ḥāw)Noun - masculine plural construct | third person masculine singularStrong's 251: A brother, )with him,עִמּ֔וֹ (‘im·mōw)Preposition | third person masculine singularStrong's 5973: With, equally withpursuedוַיִּרְדֹּ֣ף (way·yir·dōp̄)Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singularStrong's 7291: To pursue, chase, persecuteJacobאַחֲרָ֔יו (’a·ḥă·rāw)Preposition | third person masculine singularStrong's 310: The hind or following partfor sevenשִׁבְעַ֣ת (šiḇ·‘aṯ)Number - masculine singular constructStrong's 7651: Seven, seven times, a week, an indefinite numberdays,יָמִ֑ים (yā·mîm)Noun - masculine pluralStrong's 3117: A dayand overtookוַיַּדְבֵּ֥ק (way·yaḏ·bêq)Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singularStrong's 1692: To impinge, cling, adhere, to catch by pursuithim at Mountבְּהַ֥ר (bə·har)Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular constructStrong's 2022: Mountain, hill, hill countryGilead.הַגִּלְעָֽד׃ (hag·gil·‘āḏ)Article | Noun - proper - feminine singularStrong's 1568: Gilead -- a region in Palestine, also the name of several IsraelitesJump to PreviousCaught Close Country Distance Family Followed Gilead Hill Hill-Country Jacob Journey Kinsmen Mount Mountain Overtaketh Overtook Pursued Pursueth Relatives Seven