Genesis 31:45
New International Version
So Jacob took a stone and set it up as a pillar.

New Living Translation
So Jacob took a stone and set it up as a monument.

English Standard Version
So Jacob took a stone and set it up as a pillar.

Berean Standard Bible
So Jacob picked out a stone and set it up as a pillar,

King James Bible
And Jacob took a stone, and set it up for a pillar.

New King James Version
So Jacob took a stone and set it up as a pillar.

New American Standard Bible
Then Jacob took a stone and set it up as a memorial stone.

NASB 1995
Then Jacob took a stone and set it up as a pillar.

NASB 1977
Then Jacob took a stone and set it up as a pillar.

Legacy Standard Bible
Then Jacob took a stone and raised it up as a pillar.

Amplified Bible
So Jacob took a stone and set it up as a [memorial] pillar.

Christian Standard Bible
So Jacob picked out a stone and set it up as a marker.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
So Jacob picked out a stone and set it up as a marker.

American Standard Version
And Jacob took a stone, and set it up for a pillar.

Contemporary English Version
After Jacob had set up a large rock,

English Revised Version
And Jacob took a stone, and set it up for a pillar.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Jacob took a stone and set it up as a marker.

Good News Translation
So Jacob got a stone and set it up as a memorial.

International Standard Version
So Jacob took a stone and raised it as a pillar.

Majority Standard Bible
So Jacob picked out a stone and set it up as a pillar,

NET Bible
So Jacob took a stone and set it up as a memorial pillar.

New Heart English Bible
Jacob took a stone, and set it up as a standing-stone.

Webster's Bible Translation
And Jacob took a stone, and set it up for a pillar.

World English Bible
Jacob took a stone, and set it up for a pillar.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
And Jacob takes a stone, and lifts it up [for] a standing pillar;

Young's Literal Translation
And Jacob taketh a stone, and lifteth it up for a standing pillar;

Smith's Literal Translation
And Jacob will take a stone and raise up a pillar.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
And Jacob took a stone, and set it up for a title:

Catholic Public Domain Version
And so Jacob took a stone, and he set it up as a memorial.

New American Bible
Then Jacob took a stone and set it up as a sacred pillar.

New Revised Standard Version
So Jacob took a stone, and set it up as a pillar.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
So Jacob took a stone and set it up for a pillar.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
And Yaquuv took a stone and raised it as a monument.
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
And Jacob took a stone, and set it up for a pillar.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And Jacob having taken a stone, set it up for a pillar.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Jacob's Covenant with Laban
44Come now, let us make a covenant, you and I, and let it serve as a witness between you and me.” 45So Jacob picked out a stone and set it up as a pillar, 46and he said to his relatives, “Gather some stones.” So they took stones and made a mound, and there by the mound they ate.…

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.”

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.

Deuteronomy 27:2-4
And on the day you cross the Jordan into the land that the LORD your God is giving you, set up large stones and coat them with plaster. / Write on them all the words of this law when you have crossed over to enter the land that the LORD your God is giving you, a land flowing with milk and honey, just as the LORD, the God of your fathers, has promised you. / And when you have crossed the Jordan, you are to set up these stones on Mount Ebal, as I am commanding you today, and you are to coat them with plaster.

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 4:20-24
And there at Gilgal Joshua set up the twelve stones they had taken from the Jordan. / Then Joshua said to the Israelites, “In the future, when your children ask their fathers, ‘What is the meaning of these stones?’ / you are to tell them, ‘Israel crossed the Jordan on dry ground.’ ...

1 Kings 18:31
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.”

Isaiah 19:19
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.

2 Kings 3:19
And you shall attack every fortified city and every city of importance. You shall cut down every good tree, stop up every spring, and ruin every good field with stones.”

2 Samuel 18:18
During his lifetime, Absalom had set up for himself a pillar in the King’s Valley, for he had said, “I have no son to preserve the memory of my name.” So he gave the pillar his name, and to this day it is called Absalom’s Monument.

Ezekiel 37:16-17
“And you, son of man, take a single stick and write on it: ‘Belonging to Judah and to the Israelites associated with him.’ Then take another stick and write on it: ‘Belonging to Joseph—the stick of Ephraim—and to all the house of Israel associated with him.’ / Then join them together into one stick, so that they become one in your hand.

Matthew 16:18
And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades will not prevail against it.

1 Peter 2:5
you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.

Ephesians 2:20
built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus Himself as the cornerstone.

Revelation 21:14
The wall of the city had twelve foundations bearing the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.

Acts 4:11
This Jesus is ‘the stone you builders rejected, which has become the cornerstone.’


Treasury of Scripture

And Jacob took a stone, and set it up for a pillar.

Genesis 28:18-22
And Jacob rose up early in the morning, and took the stone that he had put for his pillows, and set it up for a pillar, and poured oil upon the top of it…

Jump to Previous
Jacob Lifteth Pillar Standing Stone
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Jacob Lifteth Pillar Standing Stone
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.














So Jacob
The name "Jacob" is derived from the Hebrew root "Ya'akov," meaning "heel" or "supplanter." Jacob, the son of Isaac and Rebekah, is a central patriarchal figure in the Genesis narrative. His life is marked by divine encounters and covenantal promises. In this context, Jacob is acting decisively, indicating a moment of significant transition and covenant-making. His actions are often seen as a reflection of his complex character, one who wrestles with God and man, yet is chosen to carry forward the Abrahamic covenant.

took a stone
The act of taking a stone is symbolic and practical. In ancient Near Eastern cultures, stones were often used as memorials or witnesses to significant events. The Hebrew word for stone, "eben," is frequently associated with strength and permanence. By selecting a stone, Jacob is choosing a lasting symbol to mark the covenant between him and Laban. This act signifies the importance of the event and the desire for a tangible reminder of the agreement.

and set it up
Setting up the stone implies an intentional and deliberate action. The Hebrew verb "natsav" conveys the idea of standing or establishing something firmly. This action is not merely about placing a stone but about creating a monument that stands as a witness. It reflects the seriousness with which Jacob approaches this covenant, ensuring that it is recognized and remembered by all who see it.

as a pillar
The term "pillar" in Hebrew is "matstsebah," which often refers to a standing stone or monument. Pillars were used in various cultures as markers of sacred spaces or significant events. In the biblical context, pillars often serve as reminders of divine encounters or covenants. By setting up a pillar, Jacob is not only marking a boundary but also establishing a sacred witness to the agreement with Laban. This act underscores the spiritual and relational dimensions of the covenant, highlighting its enduring significance in the narrative of God's people.

Verse 45. - And Jacob took a stone, and set it up for a pillar - or Matzebah, as a memorial or witness of the covenant about to be formed (ver. 52); a different transaction from the piling of the stone-heap next referred to (cf. Genesis 28:18; Joshua 24:27).

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
So Jacob
יַעֲקֹ֖ב (ya·‘ă·qōḇ)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3290: Jacob -- a son of Isaac, also his desc

picked out
וַיִּקַּ֥ח (way·yiq·qaḥ)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 3947: To take

a stone
אָ֑בֶן (’ā·ḇen)
Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 68: A stone

and set it up
וַיְרִימֶ֖הָ (way·rî·me·hā)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular | third person feminine singular
Strong's 7311: To be high actively, to rise, raise

as a pillar,
מַצֵּבָֽה׃ (maṣ·ṣê·ḇāh)
Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 4676: Something stationed, a column, an idol


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OT Law: Genesis 31:45 Jacob took a stone and set it (Gen. Ge Gn)
Genesis 31:44
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