Horses, the flocks, the herds, and the asses: that is, “horses, sheep and goats, cattle, and donkeys.”

And he supplied them with food in exchange for all their cattle that year: this is a summary of what was done. Supplied translates a verb that means “to guide” or “lead to a watering place,” and by extension “to refresh” or “support” (Driver). “Provided” or “supplied” are suitable translations in English.

That year: this time expression may need to be placed either at the beginning of verse 17 or linked to the sentence “He supplied them with food.” In some translations it is made a separate sentence: “They did that until the end of that year,” and the next verse begins “The next year…” (see Good News Translation).

In many meat-eating cultures it will appear amazing that people would not eat their animals, no matter how scrawny they might be, but would trade them for grain. Anchor Bible thinks the reason is to be found in taboos on eating animals, or simply that the story requires this development to accomplish its purpose of explaining the origin of the tax on harvests.

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 .