Loaded their asses: for discussion of ass see 22.3. Nothing has been said in the story about the brothers having animals to carry their grain. In some languages it may be necessary to add “They loaded the asses [donkeys] they had come with to Egypt.” It may be better in some languages to add this information in verse 5 at the beginning of the episode. In many languages loaded must be rendered as “put their grain on the backs of….”

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 .