Let us make: The woman thus makes a suggestion to her husband. In this polite request the Hebrew contains the particle of entreaty, which is translated “I pray thee” in King James Version (see the comments on 1 Kgs 1.12). It is omitted in most other versions, but in those languages that have a similar particle, it should be used here. Even in English it could be legitimately translated by beginning the sentence “Please….”

A small roof chamber with walls: This expression makes it clear that the proposed guest room would not be very large and that it would be located on the flat roof of the house. But the Hebrew word translated with walls is the subject of considerable debate among scholars. Possibly what is intended is that the existing walls of one corner of the house be extended upward and that two other walls and a roof be added to make the guest room. In this case it would be true that the room would be located “… on the roof” (Jewish Publication Version) and “… by the wall” (American Bible). Some interpreters change the middle consonant of the word translated with walls to read “cool,” so that the whole phrase is “a small cool upper chamber” (so Montgomery).

Put there for him a bed, a table, a chair, and a lamp: The woman’s suggestion included furnishing the prophet’s room with the basic essentials: a bed on which he could pass the night comfortably, a table, a chair, and a lamp, which would provide the necessary light for any activities in the evening before retiring to bed.

The lamp would have been a bowl-shaped object made of pottery containing olive oil with a narrow open-neck spout for the wick.

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 .