Now his brothers went to pasture their father’s flock near Shechem: Now is transitional. His brothers refers to Joseph’s brothers. Pasture … flocks means to guard, tend, or care for the sheep and goats while they graze. The murderous events that took place in Shechem (see chapter 34) seem to have been forgotten. Note how Good News Translation opens this episode with “One day when…” and makes verse 13 the main clause.

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 .