Again: This represents a Hebrew verb that literally means “and he turned.” The verb is used here to mark the repetition of an action already mentioned. The same form is found at the beginning of verse 13 and this use of the verb “turn” or “return” is also found at the beginning of Gen 26.18. In some languages the most natural rendering might be something like “Just as before.”
The king sent to him: Some versions make the term king more explicit by using the proper name “Ahaziah” (New American Bible, New Century Version). In other languages it may be appropriate to use both the name and the title, “King Ahaziah.” The Masoretic Text says simply “he sent to him.”
Another captain of fifty men with his fifty: See verse 9. But note that here the text adds the word another. The inclusion of this adjective in translation is important in order to avoid giving the impression that the same officer and men were sent back.
He went up translates the Septuagint. As in verse 9, the second officer took his fifty men up the hill where Elijah was located just as the first one had done. In place of went up, the Hebrew text says that the captain “answered,” but this seems strange because the captain did not respond to anything that the prophet Elijah had said. For this reason many translations follow the ancient Greek in reading that the captain went up. In Hebrew the words “he went up” and “he answered” are spelled alike except for the final consonant, which has somewhat the same shape. Critique Textuelle de l’Ancien Testament, however, gives an {A} rating to the Hebrew text since the verb “answered” sometimes means “began to speak” (for example, 1 Sam 9.17, where Revised Standard Version has “told”) and the reading went up probably arose under the influence of the same verb in verse 9. Translators should follow the Hebrew text and translate the verb as “began to speak” rather than “answered.”
As in verse 9, there are two levels of quotation at the end of this verse. They may be handled in the same way as in the earlier case.
Come down quickly: The quoted command of the king is slightly different in this verse. In Hebrew the word quickly is added. The order might be more literally rendered “Hasten to come down!” or “Hurry down!” This indicates an added sense of urgency to the message as previously given.
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 .