But: The common Hebrew conjunction here marks the contrast between Elisha’s refusal and the other prophets’ insistence.
They urged him: The Hebrew verb used here means “pushed” or “pressed” (Moffatt, Revised English Bible, American Bible). But in this context it may be translated “kept begging” (Contemporary English Version).
Till he was ashamed: This expression has been rendered “until he had not the heart to refuse” (Revised English Bible), “until he was embarrassed” (New American Bible), “until he couldn’t refuse them any more” (New Century Version), and “to the extreme” (Osty-Trinquet). As indicated by the Revised Standard Version rendering, the Hebrew verb here normally means “be ashamed,” but in this context the idea seems to be that the members of the prophetic group kept on begging Elisha until the situation became awkward. The same expression is found in 2 Kgs 8.11 as well as in Jdg 3.25 (where Revised Standard Version has rendered it “till they were utterly at a loss”). In some languages the most natural rendering may be something like “until he was tired of saying no” or “until he said that he had to give them permission.”
Send: For the use of this verb without an object, see the comments on the previous verse. In this case it will be more natural in some languages to change the direct quotation to an indirect statement as Good News Translation has done.
They sent therefore fifty men: Therefore renders the common Hebrew conjunction, which introduces the result of Elisha’s reluctantly giving in to the urging of the prophets. The referent of the subject pronoun They is the fifty prophets from Jericho, mentioned in verses 7 and 15. In keeping with the interpretation that the fifty men here are the same as in verse 7, Good News Translation says “The fifty of them went.” Contemporary English Version does not repeat the number fifty since the previous verse indicated the number, so it simply has “the prophets sent the men out.”
Sought: Most modern English versions use a more common verb here, such as “searched” (New Revised Standard Version, New American Bible, New Jerusalem Bible, New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh, Revised English Bible), “looked” (New Century Version), or “looked for” (Contemporary English Version, Hobbs).
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 .