These men are friendly with us: These men refers to Jacob and his sons. Friendly translates an adjectival form of the Hebrew shalom and expresses their peaceful and friendly intentions, as misunderstood by Hamor and his son. In some languages a peaceful and friendly attitude is expressed simply as “are good people” or “are a good group.”

Let them dwell in the land: translators will notice that with us is linked in Revised Standard Version to friendly. However, in Good News Translation with us is connected to dwell in the land. The reason for the difference is that Good News Translation follows the Septuagint and the src Samaritan Pentateuchsrc*. Hebrew Old Testament Text Project, which acknowledges some degree of doubt in the Hebrew text, recommends the translation of Revised Standard Version.

And trade in it: for trade see the recommendation in verse 10.

The land is large enough for them is literally “the land is wide on both hands.” Westermann says concerning this expression that it “imagines that the arms are stretched out on both sides to indicate the extent of the land.”

Let us take … give them our daughters: see verse 9.

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 .