Esau said: without commenting on Jacob’s family, Esau inquires about the herds sent to him as gifts. The Hebrew text has “He said” where “He” can only mean Esau. Said must often be rendered as “asked,” since what follows is a question.

What do you mean by all this company which I met?: Esau’s question is literally “Who [or, What] to you all that camp [or, company] I met?” (The word for “camp” or “company” is the same as that used in 32.10 and in forming the word “Mahanaim” in 32.2.) Although somewhat difficult to interpret, the sense seems to be “What did you have in mind when you sent all those herds to me?” Esau seems to be asking why Jacob wanted to give them to him. Jacob’s answer confirms that interpretation of Esau’s question. We may translate the question, for example, “What did you hope to do with those herds I met?” “What was your purpose in sending those animals to me?” or “Why did you send all those animals to me?” In some languages it may be easier to translate some or all of Esau’s words as a statement rather than a question. Two examples are “I met these people coming with animals. Why did you send them to me?” and “Those workers with the animals which I met before, I don’t know why you sent them.”

To find favor in the sight of my lord: for the meaning of this expression, see 6.8 and 32.5. Jacob’s answer refers to what Esau has asked about, namely, the gift of animals, but does not actually say that. In translation this will often have to be filled in: “I sent them in order to…” or “They are for you, to make you feel good toward me.”

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 .