And: The conjunction here is taken as a logical connector in Good News Translation (also New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh, American Bible). This shows more clearly that it was because of what Elisha said that the king of Israel was able to warn his men of danger. New Jerusalem Bible translates “accordingly.”
The king of Israel sent to the place of which the man of God told him: Once again the nameless place is referred to without precision. But it refers certainly back to “such and such a place” in verse 8. The meaning of this part of the verse is not certain. Why did the king send to the place? According to many translations, the king sent a warning to the men of that place (so Good News Translation; similarly Revised English Bible, New American Bible, and New Revised Standard Version, which say he “sent word”). But it is also possible that the king sent troops to fortify or guard the place. The Septuagint says “Elisha” rather than the man of God here.
Thus: This translates the common Hebrew conjunction, which introduces a verb form that is usually taken as indicating repeated action in the past. The conjunction therefore seems to set up a kind of summary statement.
He used to warn him, so that he saved himself there more than once or twice: In view of the habitual character of the events described, the verb forms used here should indicate repeated action. The subject of the verb warn is most likely Elisha and not the king, that is, Elisha used to warn the king. Revised English Bible, however, translates this part of the verse “the king took special precautions every time he found himself near that place.” New American Bible says that the king sent word to that place to “alert it; then they [the people of that place] would be on guard….” More likely the intended meaning is “he kept warning the king, and the king stayed on the alert; and this happened more than once or twice” (New Jerusalem Bible; similarly em>Parola Del Signore: La Bibbia in Lingua Corrente). New International Version is also a good model: “Time and again Elisha warned the king, so that he was on his guard in such places.”
With the words more than once or twice, the Hebrew text finally reveals quite clearly that what is described in verses 8-10 is something that happened more than a few times. A more literal translation of the text at this point would be “not once and not twice.” New International Version translates this idea at the beginning of the final sentence as “Time and again.” New American Bible translates the meaning accurately but formulates a separate sentence in the same way as Good News Translation: “This happened several times.” As noted in the discussion on verse 8, Contemporary English Version shifts this element of meaning to the beginning of the story for the sake of clarity.
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 .