When they came to Jacob their father in the land of Canaan: this time clause serves as a transition to the conversation with Jacob in Canaan. In some languages it may be necessary to express the movement in the direction of Canaan before being able to speak of arriving there; for example, “They traveled on toward Canaan until they came to their father Jacob” or “… and when they came to their father they told him….”

They told him all that had befallen them: that is, “they told him everything that had happened to them in Egypt.”

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 .