Leah and Rachel (No. 295)

The story of Leah and Rachel concerns the women who were to become the wives of Jacob who was the son of Isaac, son of Abraham. The story is really of four women, Leah and Rachel and their two handmaidens, Bilhah and Zilpah, who also became the mothers of the sons of Jacob.

Jacob was to have his name changed to Israel, which means: “he shall rule as El”, or as God. The story of the women and the children they bore is the blueprint of the salvation of mankind through the Messiah. The story commences in Genesis chapter 29 when Jacob goes to another land, to the people of the East, so that he may take a wife.

Each item of the story is symbolic. The three flocks of sheep point towards the broader family of Noah in the sons of Shem, Ham and Japheth. The concepts of sheep and cattle, and the terminology referring to both, deal with the concepts of the nations and the sons of Israel.

The symbolism of the stone on the well indicates that the water of the word of God was as yet shut up, and only opened in set times and made available by the prophets, who were responsible for the oracles of God (see also the paper The Oracles of God (No. 184)). Jacob addresses them as brethren and they disclose that they are of Haran. This was SHD 2771 charan meaning to be parched, hence a dry land parched from anger or passion. The name Haran, relating to Haran son of Terah, is SHD 2039, meaning mountaineer or of the mountain (there is a misprint in Strong’s on the numbers).

Jacob then asks them if they know Laban, the son of Nahor his kinsman. Nahor is the name of both the father of Terah and grandfather of Abraham, and also the name of the son of Terah. Nahor (SHD 5152) means: snorer from the root to snort or snore. Laban was also Jacob’s mother’s brother (Gen. 28:2). Laban (SHD 3837) means: to be or become white (SHD 3837 from SHD 3835 and 3836). Haran, son of Terah, and brother of Abraham and Nahor, was the father of Lot. Jacob was thus sent to a parched land from whence he would take his brides. The brides would come from he who becomes white, as a son of he who is snoring. The concept is that the brides are taken from one who becomes white, being born from those asleep. Salvation is thus of the Gentiles.

Genesis 29

Then Jacob went on his journey, and came into the land of the people of the east. ²And he looked, and behold a well in the field, and, lo, there were three flocks of sheep lying by it; for out of that well they watered the flocks: and a great stone was upon the well's mouth. ³And thither were all the flocks gathered: and they rolled the stone from the well's mouth, and watered the sheep, and put the stone again upon the well's mouth in his place. ⁴And Jacob said unto them, My brethren, whence be ye? And they said, Of Haran are we. ⁵And he said unto them, Know ye Laban the son of Nahor? And they said, We know him. ⁶And he said unto them, Is he well? And they said, He is well: and, behold, Rachel his daughter cometh with the sheep. ⁷And he said, Lo, it is yet high day, neither is it time that the cattle should be gathered together: water ye the sheep, and go and feed them. ⁸And they said, We cannot, until all the flocks be gathered together, and till they roll the stone from the well's mouth; then we water the sheep.

Jacob had returned to Haran to his own people to take a wife. In the same way Christ was sent to his own people to take a wife. Jacob went to Laban, his kinsman. Rachel, daughter of Laban, was to come with the flocks. Rachel (SHD 7354 from 7353) means: to journey as a ewe that is a good traveller. Ewes are the predominant members of a flock and travel to feed. Thus the chosen bride of Jacob (SHD 3290; heel-catcher or supplanter) who became Israel (he shall rule as God) was the female sheep of the flock that travelled to feed on the word of God, and the family they created would rule as God. Israel represented Christ who was to replace Satan as Morning Star.

The time is set as being before the stone was rolled from the mouth of the well. They no doubt could have done that but it referred allegorically to the rolling of the stone from the tomb at the resurrection of the Christ.

This text deals with the concept of the elect as the sheep of God being restrained and unable to be watered until they were gathered together and the stone was rolled from the well’s mouth. In that action, God, through Christ, made the water of the Holy Spirit available to the elect.

⁹And while he yet spake with them, Rachel came with her father's sheep; for she kept them. ¹⁰And it came to pass, when Jacob saw Rachel the daughter of Laban his mother's brother, and the sheep of Laban his mother's brother, that Jacob went near, and rolled the stone from the well's mouth, and watered the flock of Laban his mother's brother. ¹¹And Jacob kissed Rachel, and lifted up his voice, and wept. ¹²And Jacob told Rachel that he was her father's brother, and that he was Rebekah's son: and she ran and told her father. ¹³And it came to pass, when Laban heard the tidings of Jacob his sister's son, that he ran to meet him, and embraced him, and kissed him, and brought him to his house. And he told Laban all these things. ¹⁴And Laban said to him, Surely thou art my bone and my flesh. And he abode with him the space of a month.

This text has an allegory regarding the fact that Messiah was to commence his ministry when he was in his thirties (the month), and for that ministry he was to inherit both physical and spiritual Israel as his bride.

He revealed his presence to the Church in the wilderness. He fed the few before it was time to feed all the sheep of the nations.

¹⁵And Laban said unto Jacob, Because thou art my brother, shouldest thou therefore serve me for nought? tell me, what shall thy wages be? ¹⁶And Laban had two daughters: the name of the elder was Leah, and the name of the younger was Rachel. ¹⁷Leah was tender eyed; [weak eyed: refers to the spiritual blindness of Judah and the unconverted tribes] but Rachel was beautiful and well favoured. ¹⁸And Jacob loved Rachel; and said, I will serve thee seven years for Rachel thy younger daughter. ¹⁹And Laban said, It is better that I give her to thee, than that I should give her to another man: abide with me.

The text then goes on to refer allegorically to the service of Christ for the age of seven thousand years that he laboured for the Church of God, and the salvation of mankind. That is represented by the seven years. His objective was the final spiritual Church of God that would be as the City of God and was the real objective of the creation. The same seven-year period is then applied to Leah. He wanted Rachel but first had to marry Leah who is physical Israel. Rachel is spiritual Israel and that spiritual creation also covers the seven thousand years of the physical creation.

²⁰And Jacob served seven years for Rachel; and they seemed unto him but a few days, for the love he had to her. ²¹And Jacob said unto Laban, Give me my wife, for my days are fulfilled, that I may go in unto her.

This refers to the text in Deuteronomy 32:8 where Israel is the inheritance of Yahovah (see esp. RSV).

²²And Laban gathered together all the men of the place, and made a feast. ²³And it came to pass in the evening, that he took Leah his daughter, and brought her to him; and he went in unto her. ²⁴And Laban gave unto his daughter Leah Zilpah his maid for an handmaid.

The section here deals with the deception of Jacob. The fact is that Christ had to labour for Israel over time, and could only take his bride (the Church) out after he had redeemed physical Israel, and paved the way for the redemption of the gentile nations. These groups are represented by Zilpah and Bilhah. They represent the mixed multitude that are called and attached to both physical and spiritual Israel, which is the Church.

²⁵And it came to pass, that in the morning, behold, it was Leah: and he said to Laban, What is this thou hast done unto me? did not I serve with thee for Rachel? wherefore then hast thou beguiled me? ²⁶And Laban said, It must not be so done in our country, to give the younger before the firstborn.²⁷Fulfil her week, and we will give thee this also for the service which thou shalt serve with me yet seven other years. ²⁸And Jacob did so, and fulfilled her week: and he gave him Rachel his daughter to wife also. ²⁹And Laban gave to Rachel his daughter Bilhah his handmaid to be her maid. ³⁰And he went in also unto Rachel, and he loved also Rachel more than Leah, and served with him yet seven other years.

In this text we see that the concept that Leah was tender eyed, can also have the effect that she was weak eyed. In this context it can mean she was unable to see as well as Rachel. In other words Rachel was able to see and was beautiful and well favoured, meaning she could also see and hear and understand. She was called by God, according to His purpose. In that context the first wife of Christ was Israel the nation represented by Leah. She was unable to see and hear and understand the word of God as spoken through the prophets. Israel as the nation was the bride, but she was divorced for adultery on numerous occasions.

Spiritual Israel, the Church, was brought to Christ by God through the Holy Spirit, and was given to him as the second wife, but in fact was the one that was predestined to Christ as Spiritual Israel from before the foundation of the world.

She, as the Church, was the true purpose of the creation in the first place. The Church was predestined from before the foundation of the earth.

Initially, the Church had no fruit and was restricted to the prophets as ordained by God. In that sense it was barren.

Thus Leah (who was also the mother of Judah) was made to produce sons. In this sense Israel was physical, the product of the nation and not the Church of God.

³¹And when the LORD saw that Leah was hated, he opened her womb: but Rachel was barren. ³²And Leah conceived, and bare a son, and she called his name Reuben: for she said, Surely the LORD hath looked upon my affliction; now therefore my husband will love me.

Reuben means: seeing a son or behold a son. It refers to the beginning of the Plan of God. This son forfeited his birthright through sin. He saw but did not see. The sequence of the plan of God is first to see.

³³And she conceived again, and bare a son; and said, Because the LORD hath heard I was hated, he hath therefore given me this son also: and she called his name Simeon.

Simeon (SHD 8095) means: hearing. It is derived from SHD 8085 Shama’ meaning, to hear intelligently as with obedience. He was cruel and was scattered throughout Israel. Thus the first sons of Israel saw and did not see and heard and did not hear. The second phase of the Plan of God is to hear and obey.

³⁴And she conceived again, and bare a son; and said, Now this time will my husband be joined unto me, because I have born him three sons: therefore was his name called Levi.

Levi (SHD 3878) means: joined or attached. On seeing and hearing we are then to be joined to the Lord.

³⁵And she conceived again, and bare a son: and she said, Now will I praise the LORD: therefore she called his name Judah; and left bearing.

Thus we see that the firstborn, Reuben, was brilliant, but unstable as water.

The second son, Simeon, was cruel. Levi also was cruel but was entrusted with the priesthood and the killing of the sacrifices of Israel.

With Judah, the fourth child, she left off bearing children for the time being.

Judah means: praise. Thus the sequence is to see and hear and obey, and then be joined to the Lord and so offer praise to God. We do this as part of the body of Israel, which is the nation, and then the Church of God.

Rachel was then distressed because she was barren and would die if she had no children. But it was God that determined the time that Rachel would conceive and bear fruit, as it was God that determined the day in which the Church would be commenced from the first baptisms and the gift of the Holy Spirit, consequent to the obedience and labour of Christ.

Genesis 30

And when Rachel saw that she bare Jacob no children, Rachel envied her sister; and said unto Jacob, Give me children, or else I die. ²And Jacob's anger was kindled against Rachel: and he said, Am I in God's stead, who hath withheld from thee the fruit of the womb? ³And she said, Behold my maid Bilhah, go in unto her; and she shall bear upon my knees, that I may also have children by her. ⁴And she gave him Bilhah her handmaid to wife: and Jacob went in unto her. ⁵And Bilhah conceived, and bare Jacob a son. ⁶And Rachel said, God hath judged me, and hath also heard my voice, and hath given me a son: therefore called she his name Dan.

The first child born to Rachel by her handmaid Bilhah was Dan, meaning judge, who was born to be judge in Israel by birthright. The Church was proclaimed also among the Gentiles. Dan represented the physical judgment of the nation as part of his birthright. Then it was to progress to the judgment being given to the Church as we will see below.

The second child born to Bilhah was Napthali (SHD 5321) and means: my wrestling. She prevailed though this birth.

⁷And Bilhah Rachel's maid conceived again, and bare Jacob a second son. ⁸And Rachel said, With great wrestlings have I wrestled with my sister, and I have prevailed: and she called his name Naphtali.

The concept is of judgment and the struggle of the faith to establish the Church of God.

Leah then gave Zilpah to Jacob because she had stopped bearing children.

⁹When Leah saw that she had left bearing, she took Zilpah her maid, and gave her Jacob to wife. ¹⁰And Zilpah Leah's maid bare Jacob a son. ¹¹And Leah said, A troop cometh: and she called his name Gad.

The name Gad (SHD 1410) means: a force or a troop. It is derived from 1464 goode meaning to invade or overcome.

Zilpah then bore Jacob another son and called him Asher. Every one of these sons was given the rights as sons without distinction. The concept is that with God there is no respect of persons (see the paper Respect of Persons (No. 221)).

Asher (SHD 836) means: to be blessed, from 833 to be straight, or level, to be honest and go forward in prosperity.

¹²And Zilpah Leah's maid bare Jacob a second son. ¹³And Leah said, Happy am I, for the daughters will call me blessed: and she called his name Asher.

The sense here is to overcome and to prosper. It refers to the conversion of physical Israel and the advancement and development to the end of the plan in the Last Days.

¹⁴And Reuben went in the days of wheat harvest, and found mandrakes in the field, and brought them unto his mother Leah. Then Rachel said to Leah, Give me, I pray thee, of thy son's mandrakes. ¹⁵And she said unto her, Is it a small matter that thou hast taken my husband? and wouldest thou take away my son's mandrakes also? And Rachel said, Therefore he shall lie with thee to night for thy son's mandrakes. ¹⁶And Jacob came out of the field in the evening, and Leah went out to meet him, and said, Thou must come in unto me; for surely I have hired thee with my son's mandrakes. And he lay with her that night.

This is an important aspect in that we see the concept of mandrakes being used as a bargaining item. The assertion regarding the mandrakes was that it caused fertility and intercourse. The Church is resorting to taking the physical aberrations of the less favoured to bear fruit and increase, when it is God that grants the increase.

¹⁷And God hearkened unto Leah, and she conceived, and bare Jacob the fifth son. ¹⁸And Leah said, God hath given me my hire, because I have given my maiden to my husband: and she called his name Issachar.

Issachar (SHD 3485) means: He will bring a reward.

The sequence goes through from seeing and hearing to obedience and joining to the Lord and in praise. By judgment and struggle we increase and then overcome by wrestling in adversity. We overcome and then are blessed, being honest or straight in our dealings and character. Then we are rewarded.

¹⁹And Leah conceived again, and bare Jacob the sixth son. ²⁰And Leah said, God hath endued me with a good dowry; now will my husband dwell with me, because I have born him six sons: and she called his name Zebulun.

Zebulun (SHD 2074) means: habitation. The reward is to be given a place in the Temple of God as our habitation. From there the Church is to take up the process of judgment as a spiritual force. Dinah (SHD 1783) is the female form of Diyn or Doon (SHD 1779) as judgment, or tribunal, and represents the judgment passing to the Church as the Body of Christ, which is Israel.

²¹And afterwards she bare a daughter, and called her name Dinah.

This point marks the translation and hallowing of the Church.

So she had six sons and two sons by her handmaid. Thus, she had eight sons in all and that was two thirds of the nation.

This was also in proportion to the Host. The two thirds that remained loyal waited on God and the third that fell had to be redeemed.

²²And God remembered Rachel, and God hearkened to her, and opened her womb. ²³And she conceived, and bare a son; and said, God hath taken away my reproach: ²⁴And she called his name Joseph; and said, The LORD shall add to me another son.

Then Rachel gave birth to Joseph (SHD 3130), which means: Let him add or perhaps simply adding. This point marked the departure for Jacob and he wished to leave Laban and return to his own land. This marks the end of the period in the nations and the point at which the kingdom is set up in the Holy Land.

Rachel had born her firstborn son who would one day lead Israel. Her second son was to be Benjamin (SHD 1144), which means: Son of the right hand, and looked towards the Church as it was formed under Christ in glory and ruling from Jerusalem. The tribe that sprung from him was repopulated from the women of the other tribes, and pointed towards the elect in Israel of the nation. They were usually left-handed and this fact also points to the conversion of Israel from the physical to the spiritual, and the transformation as sons of God.

This point of the story looks toward the establishment of the millennial system and those called out under that system also.

²⁵And it came to pass, when Rachel had born Joseph, that Jacob said unto Laban, Send me away, that I may go unto mine own place, and to my country. ²⁶Give me my wives and my children, for whom I have served thee, and let me go: for thou knowest my service which I have done thee. ²⁷And Laban said unto him, I pray thee, if I have found favour in thine eyes, tarry: for I have learned by experience that the LORD hath blessed me for thy sake.

God blesses nations for our sake, and those who bless the Church are themselves blessed as we see from the parable of the sheep and the goats. The increase of the Church is affected by God in the Last Days by a number of miracles, as we will see.

This next text deals with the calling of the elect of God. God uses the weak and the base to confound the mighty. Satan is the accuser of the brethren. He accuses us day and night. God deals with those he accuses and makes them white in the body of Christ.

Here, Christ is given those that were considered to be undesirable and accused. In that way the elect are added to and increased as the inheritance of Christ, which is the body of the Church.

²⁸And he said, Appoint me thy wages, and I will give it. ²⁹And he said unto him, Thou knowest how I have served thee, and how thy cattle was with me ³⁰For it was little which thou hadst before I came, and it is now increased unto a multitude; and the LORD hath blessed thee since my coming: and now when shall I provide for mine own house also?

In this sense we are dealing with the House of God and the provision of those who serve in it. Christ and the Church are entitled to the tithe and the firstfruits of the nations. In that way they are blessed in the way they bless us.

³¹And he said, What shall I give thee? And Jacob said, Thou shalt not give me any thing: if thou wilt do this thing for me, I will again feed and keep thy flock. ³²I will pass through all thy flock to day, removing from thence all the speckled and spotted cattle, and all the brown cattle among the sheep, and the spotted and speckled among the goats: and of such shall be my hire. ³³So shall my righteousness answer for me in time to come, when it shall come for my hire before thy face: every one that is not speckled and spotted among the goats, and brown among the sheep, that shall be counted stolen with me. ³⁴And Laban said, Behold, I would it might be according to thy word. ³⁵And he removed that day the he goats that were ringstraked and spotted, and all the she goats that were speckled and spotted, and every one that had some white in it, and all the brown among the sheep, and gave them into the hand of his sons. ³⁶And he set three days' journey betwixt himself and Jacob: and Jacob fed the rest of Laban's flocks. ³⁷And Jacob took him rods of green poplar, and of the hazel and chesnut tree; and pilled white strakes in them, and made the white appear which was in the rods.³⁸And he set the rods which he had pilled before the flocks in the gutters in the watering troughs when the flocks came to drink, that they should conceive when they came to drink. ³⁹And the flocks conceived before the rods, and brought forth cattle ringstraked, speckled, and spotted. ⁴⁰And Jacob did separate the lambs, and set the faces of the flocks toward the ringstraked, and all the brown in the flock of Laban; and he put his own flocks by themselves, and put them not unto Laban's cattle. ⁴¹And it came to pass, whensoever the stronger cattle did conceive, that Jacob laid the rods before the eyes of the cattle in the gutters, that they might conceive among the rods. ⁴²But when the cattle were feeble, he put them not in: so the feebler were Laban's, and the stronger Jacob's. ⁴³And the man increased exceedingly, and had much cattle, and maidservants, and menservants, and camels, and asses.

Thus the elect are taken out of the nations and are made stronger in the body of Israel, which is the body of Christ.

Genesis 31

And he heard the words of Laban's sons, saying, Jacob hath taken away all that was our father's; and of that which was our father's hath he gotten all this glory. ²And Jacob beheld the countenance of Laban, and, behold, it was not toward him as before. ³And the LORD said unto Jacob, Return unto the land of thy fathers, and to thy kindred; and I will be with thee. ⁴And Jacob sent and called Rachel and Leah to the field unto his flock, ⁵And said unto them, I see your father's countenance, that it is not toward me as before; but the God of my father hath been with me. ⁶And ye know that with all my power I have served your father. ⁷And your father hath deceived me, and changed my wages ten times; but God suffered him not to hurt me. ⁸If he said thus, The speckled shall be thy wages; then all the cattle bare speckled: and if he said thus, The ringstraked shall be thy hire; then bare all the cattle ringstraked. ⁹Thus God hath taken away the cattle of your father, and given them to me.

God intervenes to establish His plan of salvation. He gives to Christ all that He has predestined, chosen then called. All of these are given to Christ and then justified and glorified. God reveals the elect to Christ.

¹⁰And it came to pass at the time that the cattle conceived, that I lifted up mine eyes, and saw in a dream, and, behold, the rams which leaped upon the cattle were ringstraked, speckled, and grisled. ¹¹And the angel of God spake unto me in a dream, saying, Jacob: And I said, Here am I. ¹²And he said, Lift up now thine eyes, and see, all the rams which leap upon the cattle are ringstraked, speckled, and grisled: for I have seen all that Laban doeth unto thee. ¹³I am the God of Bethel, where thou anointedst the pillar, and where thou vowedst a vow unto me: now arise, get thee out from this land, and return unto the land of thy kindred. ¹⁴And Rachel and Leah answered and said unto him, Is there yet any portion or inheritance for us in our father's house? ¹⁵Are we not counted of him strangers? for he hath sold us, and hath quite devoured also our money. ¹⁶For all the riches which God hath taken from our father, that is ours, and our children's: now then, whatsoever God hath said unto thee, do.

Thus the inheritance of the Church is not counted in the nations but is counted in the Church of God as the inheritance of Israel. The Church is to follow Christ. Also Israel will be restored in the Last Days, in the second great exodus of Isaiah 66:18-20.

¹⁷Then Jacob rose up, and set his sons and his wives upon camels; ¹⁸And he carried away all his cattle, and all his goods which he had gotten, the cattle of his getting, which he had gotten in Padanaram, for to go to Isaac his father in the land of Canaan. ¹⁹And Laban went to shear his sheep: and Rachel had stolen the images that were her father's. ²⁰And Jacob stole away unawares to Laban the Syrian, in that he told him not that he fled. ²¹So he fled with all that he had; and he rose up, and passed over the river, and set his face toward the mount Gilead. ²²And it was told Laban on the third day that Jacob was fled. ²³And he took his brethren with him, and pursued after him seven days' journey; and they overtook him in the mount Gilead.

God determines what is to happen to the elect and decides our fate. All things work together for the good for those that love God and are called according to His purpose (Rom. 8:28).

²⁴And God came to Laban the Syrian in a dream by night, and said unto him, Take heed that thou speak not to Jacob either good or bad. ²⁵Then Laban overtook Jacob. Now Jacob had pitched his tent in the mount: and Laban with his brethren pitched in the mount of Gilead. ²⁶And Laban said to Jacob, What hast thou done, that thou hast stolen away unawares to me, and carried away my daughters, as captives taken with the sword? ²⁷Wherefore didst thou flee away secretly, and steal away from me; and didst not tell me, that I might have sent thee away with mirth, and with songs, with tabret, and with harp? ²⁸And hast not suffered me to kiss my sons and my daughters? thou hast now done foolishly in so doing. ²⁹It is in the power of my hand to do you hurt: but the God of your father spake unto me yesternight, saying, Take thou heed that thou speak not to Jacob either good or bad. ³⁰And now, though thou wouldest needs be gone, because thou sore longedst after thy father's house, yet wherefore hast thou stolen my gods? ³¹And Jacob answered and said to Laban, Because I was afraid: for I said, Peradventure thou wouldest take by force thy daughters from me. ³²With whomsoever thou findest thy gods, let him not live: before our brethren discern thou what is thine with me, and take it to thee. For Jacob knew not that Rachel had stolen them. ³³And Laban went into Jacob's tent, and into Leah's tent, and into the two maidservants' tents; but he found them not. Then went he out of Leah's tent, and entered into Rachel's tent. ³⁴Now Rachel had taken the images, and put them in the camel's furniture, and sat upon them. And Laban searched all the tent, but found them not.

Rachel, as the Church, took the wealth but she had no business with the images of Laban. The idolatry of the Church is because of this covetousness.

³⁵And she said to her father, Let it not displease my lord that I cannot rise up before thee; for the custom of women is upon me. And he searched but found not the images. ³⁶And Jacob was wroth, and chode with Laban: and Jacob answered and said to Laban, What is my trespass? what is my sin, that thou hast so hotly pursued after me? ³⁷Whereas thou hast searched all my stuff, what hast thou found of all thy household stuff? set it here before my brethren and thy brethren, that they may judge betwixt us both. ³⁸This twenty years have I been with thee; thy ewes and thy she goats have not cast their young, and the rams of thy flock have I not eaten. ³⁹That which was torn of beasts I brought not unto thee; I bare the loss of it; of my hand didst thou require it, whether stolen by day, or stolen by night. ⁴⁰Thus I was; in the day the drought consumed me, and the frost by night; and my sleep departed from mine eyes. ⁴¹Thus have I been twenty years in thy house; I served thee fourteen years for thy two daughters, and six years for thy cattle: and thou hast changed my wages ten times.

The nations have constantly been faithless in their word, and the Church has been twisted and the word of God altered time without end.

⁴²Except the God of my father, the God of Abraham, and the fear of Isaac, had been with me, surely thou hadst sent me away now empty. God hath seen mine affliction and the labour of my hands, and rebuked thee yesternight. ⁴³And Laban answered and said unto Jacob, These daughters are my daughters, and these children are my children, and these cattle are my cattle, and all that thou seest is mine: and what can I do this day unto these my daughters, or unto their children which they have born? ⁴⁴Now therefore come thou, let us make a covenant, I and thou; and let it be for a witness between me and thee. ⁴⁵And Jacob took a stone, and set it up for a pillar.⁴⁶And Jacob said unto his brethren, Gather stones; and they took stones, and made an heap: and they did eat there upon the heap. ⁴⁷And Laban called it Jegarsahadutha (Chaldean for witness heap.): but Jacob called it Galeed (witness).

The meaning is the same and means witness.

⁴⁸And Laban said, This heap is a witness between me and thee this day. Therefore was the name of it called Galeed; ⁴⁹And Mizpah; for he said, The LORD watch between me and thee, when we are absent one from another. ⁵⁰If thou shalt afflict my daughters, or if thou shalt take other wives beside my daughters, no man is with us; see, God is witness betwixt me and thee. ⁵¹And Laban said to Jacob, Behold this heap, and behold this pillar, which I have cast betwixt me and thee: ⁵²This heap be witness, and this pillar be witness, that I will not pass over this heap to thee, and that thou shalt not pass over this heap and this pillar unto me, for harm. ⁵³The God of Abraham, and the God of Nahor, the God of their father, judge betwixt us. And Jacob sware by the fear of his father Isaac.

The One True God is recognised and agreed.

⁵⁴Then Jacob offered sacrifice upon the mount, and called his brethren to eat bread: and they did eat bread, and tarried all night in the mount.

The sacrifice is related to the Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread by which all nations are to partake and be saved.

⁵⁵And early in the morning Laban rose up, and kissed his sons and his daughters, and blessed them: and Laban departed, and returned unto his place.

The division of the nations and the elect in the Promised Land are to be established. Jerusalem will be the centre of worship and the power of the world in the last days. All nations will be at peace. Israel will be blessed and the nations will bless Israel in peace.

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