They poured out: The pronoun they is indefinite and does not refer back to anyone in particular. For this reason Good News Translation made the verb passive. If a definite subject is required, translators may indicate that it was “the cooks” or “the men who cooked” who did the serving.

The text does not state what was poured out, but it is clearly the stew or pottage. The verb here may be better rendered in some cases as “served.”

While they were eating of the pottage: In view of the context, this may be rendered “as they began to eat the stew” or “when they tasted the stew.”

O man of God occurs at the end of the quotation in Hebrew. See the comments on verse 16 and 1 Kgs 17.18.

There is death in the pot: While it is apparently possible to die from eating too much of this fruit, it is doubtful that those complaining would have actually eaten very much of the bitter-tasting food. This statement is probably a great exaggeration since the men were not really in danger of dying. But it is a reaction of fear after tasting something extremely bitter or distasteful. Another possible rendering for this exaggeration is “this stew is killing us!” Contemporary English Version translates “this stew tastes terrible!”

They could not eat it; that is, they would not eat it. Some may prefer to say “they refused to eat it.” Contemporary English Version transforms this statement into a part of the direct discourse that precedes it and has the men who complain saying “We can’t eat it.”

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 .