Genesis 31:51

This heap. Should either of them in the future think to take revenge upon the other, this monument was to be reminder of their pact of friendship. As upon this occasion hostile intent had been subdued, so in the future, memory of the event was to deter any possible punitive expedition. From Laban’s point of view he was making a great sacrifice in permitting Jacob to escape unscathed, for Jacob’s rapidly increasing wealth and power, together with a possible reconciliation with Esau, made any future prospect of overpowering Jacob dim indeed. Laban, it seems, was eager to impress Jacob with his own magnanimous spirit.