But Jacob said to him: in this context said introduces an excuse, reason, or objection. Jacob does not accept Esau’s proposal, but he is not so confident in his new relationship with his brother that he can express open disagreement.

My lord knows that the children are frail: Jacob continues to address his brother as his superior, a fact that tells Esau not to take Jacob’s remarks at their face value. Frail translates a word meaning “inexperienced” or “tender,” as in 1 Chr 22.5; Pro 4.3. The idea is probably that the children are young and inexperienced in the hardships of desert travel. In many languages this is expressed simply as “the children are not [very] strong.” The verb knows is used as a reminder to Esau. In some languages it may necessary to say, for example, “Don’t forget, my lord, that my children are young” or “Remember, sir, that….”

Flocks and herds refers to all of Jacob’s livestock, his animals.

Giving suck is literally “giving suck [suckling, feeding with milk] with me.” These are the adult female animals in Jacob’s herds (“with me”) that are suckling their young. These animals must move slowly, as they have to allow their young to drink as they go. In many languages something like Good News Translation “[the livestock] with their young” will be sufficient to indicate what this text means.

Are a care to me and Good News Translation “I must think of” are not stated in the Hebrew but clearly express what it means.

Overdriven for one day: overdriven means “forced to go too fast” or “pushed too hard.” The result of driving the animals too hard for even one day will be to cause them to die. Some examples of how this is translated are “If we make them run hard for one day they will die,” “If we make them travel fast, in just one day they will all be dead.”

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 .