KJV ORIGINAL
This 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.
Close to the original. Clear modern English.
✦ MADE SIMPLE
This pile of stones and this pillar will serve as witnesses that I will not cross over this boundary to attack you, and you will not cross over this boundary to attack me with harmful intent.
⚡ THE BOTTOM LINE
Jacob and Laban are making a peace treaty, using a pile of stones as a boundary marker to promise they won't harm each other.
📚 Historical Context
This occurs during Jacob's tense departure from his father-in-law Laban after twenty years of service. The two men had a complicated relationship marked by deception and conflict, but they're now establishing a covenant of peace. In ancient times, stone monuments served as permanent witnesses to agreements and treaties between parties.
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