Galeed
“Heap of witness”
Summary
The Hebrew name meaning 'heap of witness' given by Jacob to the stone cairn marking his covenant with Laban.
☩The Covenant Memorial
When Jacob and Laban made their covenant of peace in the mountains of Gilead, they erected a pile of stones as a witness. Jacob called it Galeed in Hebrew, meaning 'heap of witness,' while Laban gave it the equivalent Aramaic name Jegar-sahadutha. This difference in language shows that Jacob's family had adopted Hebrew in Canaan, while Laban's family retained the original Aramaic of their ancestors.
☩Ancient Covenant Customs
The practice of associating important events with inanimate objects as witnesses was common in ancient times. They sealed their covenant with a meal eaten beside the cairn, invoking God as witness that neither would pass that heap to harm the other. Similar customs appear throughout Hebrew history when covenants were made or significant events commemorated.
References
- 1.John McClintock and James Strong, "Galeed," in Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical Literature, vol. III (Harper & Brothers, 1867–1887).
- 2.James Orr (ed.), "Galeed," in International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, vol. II (Howard-Severance Company, 1915).
- 3.Andrew Robert Fausset, "Galeed," in The Englishman's Critical and Expository Bible Cyclopædia (Hodder & Stoughton, 1878).
- 4.George Morrish, "Galeed," in Morrish's Concise Bible Dictionary (George Morrish, 1898).