And Jacob said unto his brethren, Gather stones; and they took stones, and made an heap: and they did eat there upon the heap.
46. his brethren ] i.e. his followers and companions; see Gen 31:23 ; Gen 31:32.
an heap ] Heb. gal. What we should now call a “cairn,” on the top of a mountain. Lat. tumulus.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Verse 46. Made a heap] gal, translated heap, signifies properly a round heap; and this heap was probably made for the double purpose of an altar and a table, and Jacob’s stone or pillar was set on it for the purpose of a memorial.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
To wit, afterwards, Gen 31:54, though it be here mentioned by anticipation.
They did eat there upon the heap, or rather by or beside the heap, as the Hebrew particle al is oft understood, as Psa 23:2; 81:7.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
And Jacob said unto his brethren, gather stones,…. Not to his sons, as the Targum of Jonathan and Jarchi; these would not be called brethren, and were not fit, being too young to be employed in gathering large stones, as these must be, to erect a monument with; rather his servants, whom he employed in keeping his sheep under him, and might so call them, as he did the shepherds of Haran, Ge 29:4; and whom he could command to such service, and were most proper to be made use of in it; unless it can be thought the men Laban brought with him, whom Jacob before calls his brethren, Ge 31:37, are meant; and then the words must be understood as spoken, not in an authoritative way, but as a request or direction, which was complied with:
and they took stones, and made an heap; they fetched stones that lay about here and there, and laid them in order one upon another, and so made an heap of them:
and they did eat there upon the heap; they made it like a table, and set their food on it, and ate off of it; or they “ate by” it o, it being usual in making covenants to make a feast, at least to eat and drink together, in token of friendship and good will. The Chinese p call friendship that is most firm and stable, and not to be rescinded, “stony friendship”: whether from a like custom with this does not appear.
o “apud”, “juxta”, “prope”; see Nold. Concord. Part. Heb. p. 691. p Martin. Hist. Sinic. p. 178.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
Gen 31:46. Made an heap, &c. This monument, says Parker, Jacob seems to have erected after the same manner as he did that of Beth-el. It must not be supposed to have been a heap of loose stones; for then it could not have continued long in the same position, nor given a name to the country round it. It was, doubtless, a regular and permanent building; but then what the form and figure of it was, is not so easy to determine. Had it been only for a memorial to posterity, and not for some present transaction also, the figure either of a column or a pyramid would have been very proper. But we find that the present use of it was to eat and sacrifice upon; and therefore we may imagine that it was made in the figure of a table, and have some authority to think, of a round table; because the name which Jacob calls it by, is taken from a verb, which signifies to turn round, as the word gilal is properly the circumference of a circle.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
Gen 31:46 And Jacob said unto his brethren, Gather stones; and they took stones, and made an heap: and they did eat there upon the heap.
Ver.46. And Jacob said unto his brethren. ] As well Laban’s company as his own, Gen 31:51 .
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
eat: i.e. of the covenant sacrifices. Compare Gen 26:30. Exo 24:5, Exo 24:11.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
brethren: Gen 31:23, Gen 31:32, Gen 31:37, Gen 31:54
Gather: Jos 4:5-9, Jos 4:20-24, Jos 7:26, 2Sa 18:17, Ecc 3:5
an heap: The word gal, rendered “heap,” properly signifies a round heap or circle; probably like the Druidical remains in this country, which have been traced in India, Persia, Western Asia, Greece, and Northern Europe. These usually consist of irregular circles of large stones, with a principal one in the midst; the former probably being used for seats, and the latter for an altar; corresponding to the stone set up as a pillar by Jacob, and the heap of stones collected by his brethren. They appear to have been used, as Gilgal undoubtedly was – Jos 4:5, Jdg 2:1, Jdg 3:19, ch. 20; 1Sa 7:16, 1Sa 10:8, 1Sa 10:17, 1Sa 11:15, 1Sa 13:7, 1Sa 15:33. 2Sa 19:15, 2Sa 19:40. 2Ki 2:1 as temples, and as places for holding councils, and assembling the people. For a satisfactory elucidation of this subject, consult the Fragments to Calmet, Nos. 156, 735, 736.
Reciprocal: Gen 28:11 – took Jos 22:10 – built