But: Although the Hebrew has only the common conjunction here, many languages will render it “But” to mark the contrast between the doubt and anxiety of the woman on the one hand, and the certainty of what happened on the other.

The verb conceived is expressed in a variety of ways in different languages. While modern English naturally says “got pregnant,” other languages say things such as “received a stomach,” “came to accept a stomach,” or “stopped seeing the moon,” meaning “stopped having her monthly period.”

Again there is some important implied information that will probably be understood in most cases. But if there is any possibility that the readers will think of some kind of supernatural conception or that someone other than her husband slept with the woman, it may be necessary to indicate that the old man did sleep with his wife.

About that time the following spring is literally “at this season according to the time of life” (same phrase as in the previous verse). New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh takes this to mean “at the same season the following year.” This information is shifted forward to the beginning of the verse in Contemporary English Version, which reads “But a few months later….”

It will be noted that the structure of this verse has also been altered by Good News Translation, shifting as Elisha had said to her to the beginning of the sentence and placing she bore a son at the very end. This may be a helpful model for certain other languages. Good News Translation omits the verb conceived since it is clearly implied in the statement “she gave birth to a son.”

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 .