Elijah

The name that is transliterated as “Elijah” in English means “God-LORD,” “strength of the LORD,” “my God is YHWH.” “the LORD God.” (Source: Cornwall / Smith 1997 )

In Spanish Sign Language it is translated as “whirlwind” (according to 2 Kings 2:11) (Source: John Elwode in The Bible Translator 2008, p. 78ff. )


“Elijah” in Spanish Sign Language, source: Sociedad Bíblica de España

Click or tap here to see how other sign languages are translating “Elijah”

In American Sign Language it is translated with a depiction of being taken up to heaven with a chariot of fire. (Source: ASL Sign Language Directory )


“Elijah” in American Sign Language (source )

Likewise in Estonian Sign Language, but with a different sign (source: Liina Paales in Folklore 47, 2011, p. 43ff.)


“Elijah” in Estonian Sign Language (source )

In Finnish Sign Language it is translated with the sign signifying “fire” (referring to 1 Kings 18:38). (Source: Tarja Sandholm)


“Elijah” in Finnish Sign Language (source )

For more information on translations of proper names with sign language see Sign Language Bible Translations Have Something to Say to Hearing Christians .

Following is a Russian Orthodox icon of Elijah from the late 13h century.

 
Orthodox Icons are not drawings or creations of imagination. They are in fact writings of things not of this world. Icons can represent our Lord Jesus Christ, the Virgin Mary, and the Saints. They can also represent the Holy Trinity, Angels, the Heavenly hosts, and even events. Orthodox icons, unlike Western pictures, change the perspective and form of the image so that it is not naturalistic. This is done so that we can look beyond appearances of the world, and instead look to the spiritual truth of the holy person or event. (Source )

Learn more on Bible Odyssey: Elijah .

complete verse (1 Kings 19:21)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of 1 Kings 19:21:

  • Kupsabiny: “Elisha returned to where the oxen were and slaughtered them. Then he cooked the meat with the yoke and everything that could burn and gave his people to eat. Then he got up to follow Elisha and he became his follower/disciple.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “So leaving Elijah he took one pair of oxen, he killed them. Taking the wood of the plough, he used it to cook the meat and gave it to the people. They ate the meat. From then on Elisha followed and served Elijah.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “Elisha returned, and he took his cows and slaughtered (them). He made (to-be)-firewood the yokes and plows (in-order)-to cook the meat of the cows. After- (it was) now -cooked, he gave-(it/some)-to his companions who were-plowing, and they all ate. Then he followed Elias as his helper.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • English: “So Elisha went back to his oxen. He killed them and cut them in pieces and used the wood from the plow to build a fire to roast the meat. He distributed the meat to the other people in his town, and they all ate some. Then he went with Elijah and became his helper.” (Source: Translation for Translators)

Translation commentary on 1 Kings 19:21

He returned from following him: Since the previous verses mention both Elisha and Elijah, Good News Translation substitutes the name “Elisha” for the pronoun he. The previous verse says that Elisha had left his oxen and had run after Elijah. So here Elisha goes back to his team of oxen and carries out the actions described in the remainder of this verse.

With the yokes of the oxen is literally “with the vessels/equipment of the oxen.” See the discussion in 1 Kgs 7.51 on the Hebrew noun rendered yokes here and “vessels” in 7.51. Nearly all translations understand “vessels” to mean “yoke” in this context, but it may also be understood to refer to the “plow” (so Contemporary English Version, New Living Translation), or both the yoke and the plow. New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh says more generally “with the gear of the oxen.”

A literal translation of the words boiled their flesh with the yokes of the oxen may sound as if both the meat and the wooden yoke were in the pot together. Good News Translation expresses clearly the meaning, stating that the yoke was used as firewood. Contemporary English Version says “boiled them over a fire he had made with the wood from his plow.” Compare also New International Version: “He burned the plowing equipment to cook the meat.”

Gave it to the people: The people is probably a reference to the other farmers and Elisha’s family and friends who came to say good-bye to him. Peregrino says “his people” (also New American Bible) and Parola Del Signore: La Bibbia in Lingua Corrente has “those who were with him.” New Living Translation says more specifically “the other plowmen,” and this is also a possible interpretation. Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch provides a very helpful model for the whole clause here by saying “he gave it to his people as a farewell meal.”

Ministered to him: This has been translated in a variety of ways by modern versions as follows: “became his servant” (New Revised Standard Version, New Jerusalem Bible), “became his helper” (New Century Version), and “became his disciple” (Revised English Bible). But it is probably best understood in the sense that Elisha “began to serve as his assistant.”

Quoted with permission from Omanson, Roger L. and Ellington, John E. A Handbook on 1-2 Kings, Volume 1. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2008. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .