Wood of the burnt offering: that is, “the wood to be used for the fire of the burned offering” or “the wood to burn the sacrifice.”

Laid it on Isaac: the Hebrew verb does not indicate the place nor the manner in which the wood is placed on Isaac. However, many languages have special verbs for carrying or loading water, wood, and other burdens. In some languages it may be necessary to indicate that the wood was laid on Isaac’s head, shoulder, or back. A number of translations prefer to express laid it on as “gave it to Isaac to carry” or “made his son carry it.”

Took in his hand the fire: the translation should not give a picture of Abraham carrying a blazing fire in his bare hand. The picture is probably that of carrying a container of coals or embers from the last camp fire, or of carrying a fire stone and flint with which to make a fire. Note Good News Translation “live coals for starting a fire,” and Bible en français courant “coals for the fire.” Other translations have “glowing charcoal to make fire” and “a bucket of live charcoal.”

Knife: Speiser translates it “cleaver,” saying that the word is used for “butcher knife.” See Judges 19.29. Most translations do not specify what kind of knife it is. However, the knife should be large enough to butcher an animal, that is, to cut it into pieces. In some cultures a special term is used for the knife that is used to kill animals for sacrifice.

So they went both of them together: the narrator pictures the two walking off to offer the sacrifice together. Good News Translation has restructured this sentence so that it functions as a time clause with verse 7: “As they walked along together, Isaac spoke up….”

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 .