He returned from following him: Since the previous verses mention both Elisha and Elijah, Good News Translation substitutes the name “Elisha” for the pronoun he. The previous verse says that Elisha had left his oxen and had run after Elijah. So here Elisha goes back to his team of oxen and carries out the actions described in the remainder of this verse.

With the yokes of the oxen is literally “with the vessels/equipment of the oxen.” See the discussion in 1 Kgs 7.51 on the Hebrew noun rendered yokes here and “vessels” in 7.51. Nearly all translations understand “vessels” to mean “yoke” in this context, but it may also be understood to refer to the “plow” (so Contemporary English Version, New Living Translation), or both the yoke and the plow. New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh says more generally “with the gear of the oxen.”

A literal translation of the words boiled their flesh with the yokes of the oxen may sound as if both the meat and the wooden yoke were in the pot together. Good News Translation expresses clearly the meaning, stating that the yoke was used as firewood. Contemporary English Version says “boiled them over a fire he had made with the wood from his plow.” Compare also New International Version: “He burned the plowing equipment to cook the meat.”

Gave it to the people: The people is probably a reference to the other farmers and Elisha’s family and friends who came to say good-bye to him. Peregrino says “his people” (also New American Bible) and Parola Del Signore: La Bibbia in Lingua Corrente has “those who were with him.” New Living Translation says more specifically “the other plowmen,” and this is also a possible interpretation. Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch provides a very helpful model for the whole clause here by saying “he gave it to his people as a farewell meal.”

Ministered to him: This has been translated in a variety of ways by modern versions as follows: “became his servant” (New Revised Standard Version, New Jerusalem Bible), “became his helper” (New Century Version), and “became his disciple” (Revised English Bible). But it is probably best understood in the sense that Elisha “began to serve as his assistant.”

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 .