He took them and sent them across the stream: this repeats what was said in verse 22, except that the verb sent has the meaning in English that Jacob himself did not go across. The Hebrew verb translated sent is a causative form, “he caused them to cross,” which does not indicate whether Jacob himself crossed or not. The majority of translations agree with Revised Standard Version and Good News Translation, and this interpretation is recommended to translators. However, some translations have “After he had taken them across,” which would mean that Jacob did go across the river; and this could also be understood to mean that he returned to the other side before he sent across everything that he had. One translation, for example, translates verse 23 as “He took them to the other side of the river, then he went back and told his workers to take all his possessions across.”

Good News Translation retains the repetition of the verb from verse 22 with “After he had sent them across….” Bible en français courant gives another model. It numbers this verse together with the previous verse and does not repeat the verbs “took” and “crossed.” Thus after “his eleven children” we read “He made them cross the ford of the Jabbok with everything he possessed.”

And likewise everything that he had: the Hebrew text says “what belonged to him,” which Hebrew Old Testament Text Project rates as {B}. “All that belonged to him” is found in one Hebrew manuscript and in the ancient versions. Hebrew Old Testament Text Project recommends the Hebrew text, but most modern versions prefer “all….” The difference in meaning is not significant, and translators may follow either form.

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 .