Then: The common Hebrew conjunction here may be rendered as a temporal connector or, in some cases, omitted altogether. It serves merely to continue the flow of the story.
The captain on whose hand the king leaned: This refers to one of the close personal escorts of the king. The Hebrew word translated captain is literally “the third.” The reference is to the third man who got into the king’s chariot, after the king and his driver. He was clearly a high-ranking person who had the authority to speak out in such a situation. This person has been referred to in various translations as an “aide” (New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh), a “lieutenant” (New English Bible, Hobbs), an “adjutant” (New American Bible, Moffatt), an “officer” (New International Version, Revised English Bible), and a “chief officer” (Contemporary English Version). The physical action of the king’s leaning on this person’s hand is not necessarily to be taken literally. What is important is that this person was close to the king and was able to speak with his authority. For the whole expression here, New Century Version has “the officer who was close to the king.”
As in a number of previous verses (2 Kgs 6.6, 9, 10, 15), the expression the man of God may be replaced by the proper name “Elisha” (so Good News Translation).
If the LORD himself should make windows in heaven: The king’s lieutenant begins his response in Hebrew with the focusing particle often translated “behold” or “lo.” Here it introduces and puts emphasis on this conditional clause, so Good News Translation renders it well with “even if.”
Heaven here refers to the sky. The windows in heaven were thought to be the source of rain (Gen 7.11; 8.2). What is implied is the possibility that God would open up these windows and pour out rain in order to produce grain or possibly pour out the grain itself. In either case the officer does not believe that it is remotely possible for Elisha’s prediction to come true. This particular kind of figurative language may prove confusing if translated literally in some languages. But it is almost impossible to avoid some kind of figure. Some may say “Even if God poured grain down out of the sky” or something similar. For other passages having to do with the windows in heaven, see Isa 24.18 and Mal 3.10.
Parole de Vie has a helpful footnote on windows in heaven, which may be useful in other languages: “The windows of heaven are openings through which rain fell. In the ancient Orient the world was pictured as follows: the earth is like a sort of round, flat plate, surrounded by water on all sides. The sky is like a solid roof above the earth. It protects the waters above. Under the earth is a sea formed by the waters below. See Genesis 1.6-10.”
Could this thing be?: This question is really a way of saying “this could not possibly be!” In many languages it should be translated as a strong negative statement rather than as a question. Contemporary English Version provides a good model by beginning the officer’s comments with “I don’t believe it!”
For the officer’s whole response, this model from Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch may be helpful: “That is impossible, even if the LORD were to make a window in heaven.” Compare also Bible en français courant: “Even if the Lord sent grain by piercing a hole in the vault of the sky, could what you have just said take place?”
He said: Translators should ensure that the pronoun he is understood as referring to Elisha.
You shall see it with your own eyes: In Hebrew these words begin with the focusing particle often rendered “behold.” Here it draws special attention to what follows. The pronoun it probably refers to the whole process of the LORD’s sending grain and the falling of prices as predicted by the prophet. Some translators may have to say “You will see these things happen….” The addition of with your own eyes makes the statement all the more emphatic. But others may express this same idea by using an emphatic pronoun; for example, “You yourself will see….”
The contrast between seeing abundant grain and being unable to eat any of it is marked by translating the common Hebrew conjunction here as but in Revised Standard Version and Good News Translation as well as most other versions.
You shall not eat of it: This statement leaves a great deal to the imagination of the reader. If all the elements are made explicit, it would read something like “you will not eat any of the food made from the grain that the LORD will provide.”
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 .