While Revised Standard Version begins a new sentence at the beginning of this verse, Good News Translation makes this a continuation of the thought at the end of verse 6, indicating that the other prophets followed Elijah and Elisha.

The sons of the prophets: See verses 3 and 5.

The Hebrew text as reflected in Revised Standard Version states that the fifty prophets stood at some distance from Elijah and Elisha, who are depicted at the end of the verse as standing by the Jordan. In some languages it will be more natural to restructure this part of the verse as Good News Translation has done so that the action of the two main characters is more in focus.

Some translators take the three Hebrew words translated stood at some distance to mean “stood opposite [them] at a distance” (American Bible, Hobbs). And indeed the Hebrew contains a word that normally means “opposite” or “facing.” This is the basis for the renderings “stood facing them at a distance” (New American Bible) and “stood at a distance, facing the place” (New International Version). Nouvelle version Segond révisée has the fifty prophets standing “face to face” with Elijah and Elisha. Revised English Bible takes this to mean “watching.” Translators should keep the idea of “facing” in the sense of “watching” and not omit it as Good News Translation does.

The Hebrew word translated distance refers to very distant places in some Old Testament passages. The context here suggests that the fifty prophets were standing close enough to see Elijah and Elisha, so the Good News Translation rendering “a short distance away” is acceptable here.

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