But the other woman said … The first said …: Some translations say that the other woman “began to shout” (Bible en français courant, Parole de Vie). Revised English Bible translates the first quotation frame with the verb said according to the context as “The other woman broke in,” and the second one as “while the first insisted.” The second verb in Hebrew is in fact a participle, which suggests that the first woman was speaking at the same time as the other woman; that is, the two women were not taking turns speaking to the king, as Good News Translation may suggest, but rather were talking at the same time, arguing against each other.

Instead of the first No, Nouvelle version Segond révisée says “On the contrary!” Note that Good News Translation uses exclamation marks in the quotations since surely the women were not talking calmly but rather with great feeling and emotion (also La Bible du Semeur).

Thus they spoke before the king: The Hebrew says that the women spoke, but Good News Translation and New Living Translation have translated according to the context, in which the women “argued” with each other. Compare also “And they went on arguing before the king” (New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh; similarly New Revised Standard Version, Revised English Bible, New American Bible) and “And so they wrangled before the king” (New Jerusalem Bible).

Quoted with permission from Omanson, Roger L. and Ellington, John E. A Handbook on 1-2 Kings, Volume 1. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2008. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .