Jacob keeps his word by giving Esau a meal with bread and pottage of lentils; lentils are small lens-shaped peas that have been grown since prehistoric times in biblical lands. Lentils are referred to elsewhere only in 2 Sam 17.28; 23.11; and Ezek 4.9. In the translation of bread and pottage of lentils where neither of these foods is known or eaten, the translator may borrow words from a major language in the area or, more suitably, substitute local foods that are eaten together at a meal.

He ate and drank may need to be expressed as a subordinate clause; for example, “When Esau had finished eating and drinking….”

Rose and went his way: the narrator pictures the lighthearted Esau as unmindful of what he has done. We may say in English “He just got up and walked away.”

The story concludes by expressing a feeling of disdain for Esau: Thus Esau despised his birthright. Despised is used here in the sense of careless indifference or disregard. For Esau the birthright is a worthless object. Revised English Bible translates “Esau showed by this how little he valued his birthright,” Biblia Dios Habla Hoy “Esau … left, without attaching any importance to his rights as oldest son.” These and Good News Translation are satisfactory translation models.

Quoted with permission from Reyburn, William D. and Fry, Euan McG. A Handbook on Genesis. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 1997. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .