Then Laban said to Jacob: this statement may seem odd in that Laban has been the speaker since verse 48. We may translate it “Laban also said to Jacob” or “Laban went on talking to Jacob.” Note that Good News Translation translates without identifying Laban as the speaker again here in verse 51.

See this heap and the pillar: See functions to call Jacob’s attention to the pile of stones and the pillar. We may say “Look at….” See also Good News Translation “Here are the….”

Which … me: in Revised Standard Version Laban appears to be the one who set up the pillar and the heap. Good News Translation‘s rendering makes Laban responsible for the heap and leaves it possible that Jacob could have set up the memorial stone, as is stated in verse 45: “Here are the rocks that I have piled up between us, and here is the memorial stone.” Good News Translation thus gives a good model to follow.

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 .