The angel who has redeemed me … evil: angel is used of God several times in the patriarchal stories as the one who rescues someone from trouble. See 21.17; 22.11. Redeemed means “rescued,” “saved,” “delivered.”

Bless the lads: see chapter 27 for discussion of translating bless. The lads must often be rendered “these boys” (Good News Translation) or “these two [boys].”

In these two verses it may be confusing to speak of The God, the God who, and the angel who, since these may be understood as three separate gods. It may be possible to overcome this problem by addressing God directly with “you”; for example, “O God, you are the one my grandfather Abraham and my father Isaac worshiped. You are the God who has taken care of me all the days of my life. You are also the angel who has rescued me from all kinds of evil. I ask you, God, to bless these boys.” See Good News Translation for another model.

And in them let my name be perpetuated is literally “and may my name be named on them,” that is, “by means of them may my name be remembered” or “may people remember my name because of them.” See Good News Translation. In some languages the dual pronoun “them-two” must be used rather than the plural them to refer to the boys throughout this blessing.

And the name of my fathers Abraham and Isaac: it is not only Jacob’s name that is to be carried on through Joseph’s sons but also the name of Abraham and that of Isaac. Accordingly it is best to join this clause with the previous one; for example, “May people remember my name and the names of my father Isaac and my grandfather Abraham because of these boys.” See also Good News Translation.

The final thought in the blessing regards their fertility, as in 1.22. And let them grow into a multitude in the midst of the earth refers to having numerous descendants. We may translate, for example, “May they [these boys] have many descendants.” In the midst of the earth does not refer to a particular part of the earth, but “on the earth” generally (New Revised Standard Version). Good News Translation does not translate this expression.

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 .