Bible Strands
Genesis 31:21
So he fled with all his possessions, crossed the Euphrates, and headed for the hill country of Gilead.
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — Jacob executes a secret departure from Laban after concealing his plans, moving his entire estate across a major river toward the hill country of Gilead. This action occurs immediately after his initial concealment and precedes Laban's third-day notification of the escape.
The words — The text records וַ/יִּבְרַ֥ח (va/i.yiv.Rach) = and he fled [H1272] and וַ/יַּעֲבֹ֣ר (va/i.ya.'a.Vor) = and he passed over [H5674] הַ/נָּהָ֑ר (ha./na.Har) = the/ river [H5104]. These verbs denote a sudden departure followed by the physical crossing of a specific geographic boundary.
The thread — The river identified as the Euphrates appears in Genesis 2:14 as one of the four rivers flowing from Eden and in Genesis 15:18 as the western boundary of the territory promised to Abram's descendants. The region of Aram, associated with Laban, reappears in 2 Kings 12:17 as a hostile military power under Hazael.
Why it lands — The narrative records Jacob's physical relocation across a defined border, marking a permanent separation from his father-in-law's household. The geographic movement aligns the patriarch's journey with the territorial scope established in the Abrahamic covenant.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Hebrew words
King James Version
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.
Cross-references
- 2 Kings 12:17 At that time Hazael king of Aram marched up and fought against Gath and captured it. Then he decided to attack Jerusalem.
- Genesis 2:14 The name of the third river is the Tigris; it runs along the east side of Assyria. And the fourth river is the Euphrates.
- Genesis 15:18 On that day the LORD made a covenant with Abram, saying, “To your descendants I have given this land—from the river of Egypt to the great River Euphrates—
- Genesis 31:23 So he took his relatives with him, pursued Jacob for seven days, and overtook him in the hill country of Gilead.
- Genesis 37:25 And as they sat down to eat a meal, they looked up and saw a caravan of Ishmaelites coming from Gilead. Their camels were carrying spices, balm, and myrrh on their way down to Egypt.
- Genesis 46:28 Now Jacob had sent Judah ahead of him to Joseph to get directions to Goshen. When Jacob’s family arrived in the land of Goshen,
- Numbers 24:1 And when Balaam saw that it pleased the LORD to bless Israel, he did not seek omens as on previous occasions, but he turned his face toward the wilderness.
- Numbers 32:1 Now the Reubenites and Gadites, who had very large herds and flocks, surveyed the lands of Jazer and Gilead, and they saw that the region was suitable for livestock.
- Deuteronomy 3:12 So at that time we took possession of this land. To the Reubenites and Gadites I gave the land beyond Aroer along the Arnon Valley, and half the hill country of Gilead, along with its cities.
- Joshua 13:8 The other half of Manasseh, along with the Reubenites and Gadites, had received the inheritance Moses had given them beyond the Jordan to the east, just as Moses the servant of the LORD had assigned to them: