Was it commanded me is literally “he commanded me,” but this is an impersonal construction, which Revised Standard Version has appropriately translated with a passive construction in English. Some interpreters make a small correction in the Hebrew to read “I have been commanded,” but the Masoretic Text makes sense as it stands. In any case, many languages will require an active statement rather than a passive construction. Good News Translation provides a good model for those languages.

By the word of the LORD: See the comments on verse 1. This phrase may be combined with the first part of the verse to read “The LORD has commanded me” (so Good News Translation). Compare Revised English Bible “for the LORD’s command to me was…” and New Jerusalem Bible “for I have had Yahweh’s order.”

The words of God are a quotation within the words spoken by the prophet. Good News Translation turns the words of God into an indirect quotation.

Nor return by the way that you came: The text does not give a reason why the prophet was not supposed to return by the same way that he had gone to Bethel. Various interpretations have been given, but these belong to exegesis and not to the translation of this verse. Good News Translation adds the word “home” and New Living Translation adds “to Judah.” Verse 1 told the reader that these events happened in Bethel, and verse 10 states that the man of God had come to Bethel. Bible en français courant, however, moves the words “to Bethel” from verse 10 to the end of verse 9, stating “you shall return by a different way than you followed to come to Bethel.”

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 .