There are four actions described in this verse, so it is important to understand them in the correct order. The Israelites took their dough, placed it in their kneading bowls, wrapped or bound them in their mantles, and carried them on their shoulders. The first two actions may be combined, since the people probably had already mixed the dough in the kneading bowls.

The dough was a thick mixture of either wheat or barley flour with just enough water to make it stiff. A small amount of fermented dough (leaven) from an earlier batch was normally added to the dough to make it rise. But now they took the dough before it was leavened, that is, before the leaven had been added to it. It may be helpful to have a separate sentence for the idea of “unleavened” and express the first part of the verse as follows: “So the Israelites took bread dough and put it in bread bowls. But they did not mix any yeast in the dough to make it rise.” (For “yeast” see the comment at verse 15.) The kneading bowls were probably not like the modern “baking pans” but may have been clay or wooden bowls or “troughs” (New International Version, Revised English Bible) in which they kneaded the dough, or worked it with their hands. (See also the comment at 8.3.)

The bowls containing the dough were then bound up or “wrapped” in their mantles, that is, their cloaks or outer clothing. This was done in such a way that they could carry them on their shoulders.

An alternative translation model for this verse is:

• So the Israelites took bread dough and put it in bread bowls. But they did not add any yeast in the dough to make it rise. They wrapped the pans in their outer garments and carried them on their shoulders.

Quoted with permission from Osborn, Noel D. and Hatton, Howard A. A Handbook on Exodus. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 1999. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .