 | VaYetse |  |
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| | 31:45 |
Jacob took a boulder and raised it as a pillar.
Vayikach Ya'akov aven vayerimeha matsevah. |
| 31:46 |
'Gather stones!' he said to his relatives. They took stones and made a large mound. They ate there on top of the mound.
Vayomer Ya'akov le'echav liktu avanim vayikchu avanim vaya'asu-gal vayochlu sham al-hagal. |
| 31:47 |
Laban called it Witness Mound (Yegar Sahadutha), but Jacob named it Gal'ed.
Vayikra-lo Lavan yegar sahaduta veYa'akov kara lo Gal'ed. |
| 31:48 |
'This mound shall be a witness between you and me today, ' said Laban. 'That's why it is called Gal'ed.
Vayomer Lavan hagal hazeh ed beyni uveynecha hayom al-ken kara-shmo Gal'ed. |
| 31:49 |
[Let the pillar be called] Watchpost (Mitzpah). Let it be said that God will keep watch between you and me when we are out of each other's sight.
Vehamitspah asher amar yitsef Adonay beyni uveynecha ki nisater ish mere'ehu. |
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Commentary:
on top of the mound
Or, 'by the mound.' Cf. Genesis 24:13. (Artscroll).
| Yegar Sahadutha
Witness Mound in Aramaic, Laban's language.
| Gal'ed
Witness Mound in Hebrew.
| Let the pillar be...
(Lekach Tov).
| Mitzpah
Some sources see this as a proper noun (Ramban). See Judges 10:17, 11:11, 11:34, Hosea 5:1. Others, however, do not see it as a proper name (Targum; Rashi), and would interpret the verse, 'There was a watchpost, regarding which he said...' Some identify this place with Ramath Gilead in 1 Kings 22:3. This is 24 miles north of the Jabbok, and 25 miles east of the Jordan. See note on Genesis 32:3.
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