He said: The common verb said is translated according to the context as “answered” by Good News Translation and New American Bible. New Jerusalem Bible and New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh have “replied.” One of these models should probably be followed in many other languages.

Elijah begins speaking to God in the third person as the LORD, the God of hosts and then changes to the second person singular (thy). Since this will be very unnatural in some languages, the model of Good News Translation may be helpful. The third person reference may be transformed into second person so that Elijah is addressing the LORD directly from the beginning. It will be recalled that the archaic pronoun thy in such prayers in Revised Standard Version does not reflect any special form in Hebrew and should be translated by an ordinary pronoun in the receptor language (see 1 Kgs 3.6).

I have been very jealous for the LORD, the God of hosts: I have been very jealous is literally “To be zealous I have been zealous.” The Hebrew construction is emphatic, and this is expressed in various ways in English: “I have been most zealous” (New American Bible, Anchor Bible) and “I am full of jealous zeal” (New Jerusalem Bible). While other Israelites served Baal, Elijah was faithful in worshiping only the God of Israel; and he insisted that all of the people of Israel must worship only the God of Israel. The notion of zealousness (jealous) speaks of single-minded devotion to a cause or to a person. Elijah is insisting on the fact that he had always been completely devoted to Yahweh. This idea has been expressed in other languages as “I have given myself completely to you” or “I have served you and you only.”

For the LORD, the God of hosts, see the comments on 1 Kgs 18.15. Other renderings here include “the Lord, the God of the heavenly armies” (La Bible du Semeur), “Yahweh Sabaoth” (New Jerusalem Bible), “LORD God All-Powerful” (Contemporary English Version), and “the LORD God Almighty” (New International Version, New Living Translation).

Have forsaken thy covenant: The Israelite people “abandoned” (New Jerusalem Bible) the covenant (see 1 Kgs 3.15) that God had made with them. Contemporary English Version translates this as “have broken their solemn promise to you.” Some modern translations (for example, Osty-Trinquet) follow the ancient versions here in reading “have forsaken you” instead of have forsaken thy covenant, but the Masoretic Text should be followed.

Thrown down thy altars: The Hebrew verb translated thrown down may also be rendered “torn down” (Good News Translation, New Living Translation, Revised English Bible, New Jerusalem Bible, New American Bible), “demolished” (La Bible Pléiade), or “destroyed” (New Century Version). Thy altars refers to the altars used in the worship of the LORD.

I, even I only, am left: As the Revised Standard Version translation shows, the Hebrew emphasizes the first person singular pronoun I here, as also in verse 14.

In Rom 11.3 Paul refers to these words of Elijah.

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 .