Genesis 31 · Verse 21

Genesis 31:21

So he fled with all that he had; and he rose up, and passed over the river, and set his face toward the mount Gilead.
Genesis 31:21, King James Version

Genesis 31:21 in other translations

BSBSo he fled with all his possessions, crossed the Euphrates, and headed for the hill country of Gilead.
WEBSo he fled with all that he had. He rose up, passed over the River, and set his face toward the mountain of Gilead.
ASVSo he fled with all that he had; and he rose up, and passed over the River, and set his face toward the mountain of Gilead.
YLTand he fleeth, he and all that he hath, and riseth, and passeth over the River, and setteth his face toward the mount of Gilead.
DARBYAnd he fled with all that he had; and he rose up and passed over the river, and set his face toward mount Gilead.
BBESo he went away with all he had, and went across the River in the direction of the hill-country of Gilead.
WebsterSo he fled with all that he had; and he arose, and passed over the river, and set his face towards the mount Gilead.

What does Genesis 31:21 mean?

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 21 Passed over the river - The Euphrates, as the Targum properly notices. But how could he pass such a river with his flocks, etc.? This difficulty does not seem to have struck critics in general. The rabbins felt it, and assert that God wrought a miracle for Jacob on this occasion, and that he passed over dry shod. As we know not in what other way he could pass, it is prudent to refer it to the power of God, which accompanied him through the whole of his journey. There might, however, have been fords well known to both Jacob and Laban, by which they might readily pass. The mount Gilead - What the ancient name of this mountain was, we know not; but it is likely that it had not the name of Gilead till after the transaction mentioned Gen 31:47. The mountains of Gilead were eastward of the country possessed by the tribes of Reuben and Gad; and extended from Mount Hermon to the mountains of Moab - Calmet. It is joined to Mount Libanus, and includes the mountainous region called in the New Testament Trachonitis - Dodd.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Genesis 31:1-21

The affairs of these families are related very minutely, while (what are called) the great events of states and kingdoms at that period, are not mentioned. The Bible teaches people the common duties of life, how to serve God, how to enjoy the blessings he bestows, and to do good in the various stations and duties of life. Selfish men consider themselves robbed of all that goes past them, and covetousness will even…

Read the full comment on Genesis 31:1-21 →

Genesis 31:21 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

וַיִּבְרַ֥חvai.yiv.Rachand he fledH1272
הוּא֙hu'heH1931
וְכָל\־ve.kholand allH3605
אֲשֶׁר\־'a.Sher-thatH834
ל֔וֹlo[belonged] to <the> him
וַיָּ֖קָםvai.Ya.komand he aroseH6965
וַיַּעֲבֹ֣רvai.ya.'a.Vorand he passed overH5674
אֶת\־'et-<obj.>H853
הַנָּהָ֑רha.na.Harthe riverH5104
וַיָּ֥שֶׂםvai.Ya.semand he setH7760
אֶת\־'et-<obj.>H853
פָּנָ֖יוpa.Navface hisH6440
הַ֥רhar[the] hill country ofH2022
הַגִּלְעָֽד\׃ha.gil.'Ad<the> GileadH1568

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Genesis 31:21

  • 2 Kings 12:17

    Then Hazael king of Syria went up, and fought against Gath, and took it: and Hazael set his face to go up to Jerusalem.

  • Joshua 24:2-3

    And Joshua said unto all the people, Thus saith the Lord God of Israel, Your fathers dwelt on the other side of the flood in old time, even Terah, the father of Abraham, and the father of Nachor: and they served other gods. And I took your father Abraham from the other side of the flood, and led him throughout all the land of Canaan, and multiplied his seed, and gave him Isaac.

  • Genesis 37:25

    And they sat down to eat bread: and they lifted up their eyes and looked, and, behold, a company of Ishmeelites came from Gilead with their camels bearing spicery and balm and myrrh, going to carry it down to Egypt.

  • Genesis 15:18

    In the same day the Lord made a covenant with Abram, saying, Unto thy seed have I given this land, from the river of Egypt unto the great river, the river Euphrates:

  • Luke 9:51-53

    And it came to pass, when the time was come that he should be received up, he stedfastly set his face to go to Jerusalem, And sent messengers before his face: and they went, and entered into a village of the Samaritans, to make ready for him. And they did not receive him, because his face was as though he would go to Jerusalem.

  • Numbers 32:1

    Now the children of Reuben and the children of Gad had a very great multitude of cattle: and when they saw the land of Jazer, and the land of Gilead, that, behold, the place was a place for cattle;

  • Genesis 2:14

    And the name of the third river is Hiddekel: that is it which goeth toward the east of Assyria. And the fourth river is Euphrates.

  • Numbers 24:1

    And when Balaam saw that it pleased the Lord to bless Israel, he went not, as at other times, to seek for enchantments, but he set his face toward the wilderness.

  • Genesis 46:28

    And he sent Judah before him unto Joseph, to direct his face unto Goshen; and they came into the land of Goshen.

  • Jeremiah 50:5

    They shall ask the way to Zion with their faces thitherward, saying, Come, and let us join ourselves to the Lord in a perpetual covenant that shall not be forgotten.

  • Joshua 13:8-9

    With whom the Reubenites and the Gadites have received their inheritance, which Moses gave them, beyond Jordan eastward, even as Moses the servant of the Lord gave them; From Aroer, that is upon the bank of the river Arnon, and the city that is in the midst of the river, and all the plain of Medeba unto Dibon;

  • Genesis 31:23

    And he took his brethren with him, and pursued after him seven days’ journey; and they overtook him in the mount Gilead.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
passed.
2:14; 15:18; Jos 24:2,3
set his.
46:28; Nu 24:1; 2Ki 12:17; Jer 50:5; Lu 9:51-53
Gilead.
23; Nu 32:1; De 3:12; Jos 13:8,9; Jud 10:18; 1Ki 17:1

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • Genesis 31:20

    And Jacob stole away unawares to Laban the Syrian, in that he told him not that he fled.

  • Genesis 31:21

    So he fled with all that he had; and he rose up, and passed over the river, and set his face toward the mount Gilead.

  • Genesis 31:22

    And it was told Laban on the third day that Jacob was fled.

Read all of Genesis 31

Genesis 31:21 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909
Huyó, pues, con todo lo que tenía; y levantóse, y pasó el río, y puso su rostro al monte de Galaad.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885
Et il s’enfuit, lui, et tout ce qui était à lui; et il se leva, et passa le fleuve, et dressa sa face vers la montagne de Galaad.
German
Elberfelder 1871
Und er floh, er und alles was er hatte; und er machte sich auf und setzte über den Strom und richtete sein Angesicht nach dem Gebirge Gilead.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate
Cumque abiisset tam ipse quam omnia quæ juris sui erant, et amne transmisso pergeret contra montem Galaad,