Some translations insert a new heading before verse 41. For example, Biblia Dios Habla Hoy has “Jacob flees from Esau,” Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch “Jacob has to flee,” and Bible en français courant “Jacob flees to his uncle Laban.”

Now Esau hated Jacob: Now represents a transition to a further development in the story. Hated expresses the “enmity,” “ill feeling,” “animosity” that Esau feels toward his brother. Esau’s hate for Jacob has now become intense and leads him to plan to kill Jacob.

Because of the blessing … him: that is, “because his father had given Esau’s blessing to Jacob.”

The days of mourning for my father are approaching: both Revised Standard Version and Good News Translation place Esau’s words in quotes. The Hebrew is literally “Esau said in his heart….” This suggests that these words were the thoughts of Esau, but in verse 42 they are reported to Rebekah. We may translate “Esau thought to himself” or “Esau said to himself.” The days of mourning refers to the mourning period that will follow Isaac’s death. In Gen 50.10 this lasted seven days. For mourning see 23.2. In order to make clear that Esau’s plan to kill his brother will take effect after the death and mourning for Isaac, we may need to translate, for example, “After my father has died and we have finished mourning for him….” A number of translations retain the thought that the days for mourning Isaac’s death are approaching and therefore will soon happen, and they say something like “In a short time my father will die, and we will mourn for him; when the time of mourning is past, I will kill Jacob.”

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 .