The two Hebrew particles translated Behold now are intended to draw attention to the words that follow. While they are often omitted in English translations, the following attempts have been made to render them in English: “Look” (New Jerusalem Bible, New International Version) and “See now” (New Revised Standard Version). Many languages have particles that focus attention and highlight subsequent discourse. These would be perfectly natural in such a context and should be used here.

With your servants: These words are used by the prophets from Jericho to refer to themselves. The use of this indirect reference is additional proof of the respect in which they held Elisha. In addition to their act of obeisance mentioned in the previous verse, they show their respect in the way that they speak to Elisha. It is unlikely that this way of speaking will be natural in other languages, so translators should look for other ways to show respect in a direct address. In some cases it will just be a matter of beginning the sentence with a word like “sir.”

Fifty strong men is literally “fifty men sons of strength.” Gray reads “fifty able men.” The wording of Revised Standard Version, unlike Good News Translation, makes it sound as if there were fifty strong men in addition to the prophets. Good News Translation, for example, gives the impression that the fifty strong men mentioned are the total group of the prophets in Jericho. Since the number of those members of the prophetic guild is given as fifty in verse 7, this seems logical, but what follows seems to favor understanding these fifty as a separate group. Translators will have to choose between these two different interpretations. They may wish to put the alternative translation in a footnote, as Bible en français courant does.

For pray see the comments on “I pray you” in verse 2.

Let them go: The third person plural pronoun them may refer to other prophets or to the speakers themselves. According to Good News Translation, the third person pronoun is used here in keeping with the indirect reference (your servants) earlier in the verse. If this interpretation is followed, it will be more natural in most languages to use the first person plural: “let us go.”

Your master: These words refer, of course, to Elijah. In languages where the same word is used for “master” in the human sense and “Lord,” referring to God, it may be wise to say “your master, Elijah” in order to avoid confusion.

The Spirit of the LORD: See the comments on 1 Kgs 18.12. Since the Hebrew word for Spirit may be translated “spirit,” “wind,” or “breath,” some scholars feel that the prophets here were referring to “YHWH’s wind” (American Bible), “the wind of the LORD” (An American Translation), or better, “the breath of the Lord” (Nouvelle Bible Segond), rather than the Spirit of the LORD. NET Bible says “the wind sent from the LORD,” but most modern versions retain the traditional understanding of the text and use the word “spirit” in translation. Since the doctrine of the Trinity had not yet begun to develop by this time, translators should not use a capital letter for “spirit” as some translations do (New International Version, Nueva Versión Internacional). It is also possible to understand of the LORD as a superlative qualifying Spirit, with the meaning “a mighty wind,” but no translations consulted give this rendering.

You shall not send: The use of the verb send without an object will be quite unnatural in certain languages. The problem is further complicated by the indirect reference (your servants) used earlier in this verse. It is common in the Old Testament for servants to speak about themselves in the third person to their masters, but it would be strange for the master to speak to the servants in the third person as if he were speaking about them rather than to them. If Elisha were referring to the people speaking, he would be much more likely to say “do not go” instead of “do not send.” If translators are following the interpretation that the speakers are referring to people other than themselves, they may translate “you must not send them” (Revised English Bible; similarly New American Bible, New Revised Standard Version, New Jerusalem Bible, New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh, Bible en français courant, Parole de Vie, Nouvelle Bible Segond). But if it is understood that they are referring to themselves, the translation would be something like “you must not go” (Good News Translation).

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 .