When birds of prey came down: birds of prey is singular in Hebrew, but the sense is clearly collective. Some interpreters understand the birds of prey here to refer to evil omens or evil powers attempting to interfere in the covenant ritual.

In many languages there is no general term or expression for birds of prey, and translators may have to consider using the name of a particular bird that is known to feed on the dead bodies of animals. Good News Translation and others understand these birds to be “vultures.” Vultures are widely known but are sometimes called by terms that describe their function; for example, “village cleaners” or “God’s messengers” (since they are said to be sent by God to clean up the forest). In parts of the world where vultures are not found, it is often certain hawks, eagles, or crows that feed on the bodies of animals that have died. Examples of some different translations are: “Some sea-eagles came,” “then the birds, dead flesh eaters, landed and sat on…,” “then some birds came down on those dead animals to eat them,” “then those big vulture birds, which all the time eat dead bodies, came.”

Came down should be translated by a verb suitable for the descent of the birds named. Revised English Bible and Speiser say “swooped down.” Carcasses refers to the dead body parts of the animals Abram has laid out. In some languages carcasses cannot be used to refer to these body parts. It may be necessary to say something like “parts of the carcasses.” Dead animal and human bodies are often referred to by different terms.

Abram drove them away: the text does not say how Abram did this, but he was apparently successful. In English “to drive something off” means to use force to cause it to leave quickly. New English Bible has “scared them away.”

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 .