cloak / shirt, mantle

The Hebrew that is translated as “cloak,” “shirt,” or “mantle” or similar in English is translated in Newari as gā (गा), the Nepali shawl wrapped around upper part of body, used by both men and women. (Source: Newari Back Translation)

See also cloak / shawl and loins girded.

dry / arid

In Gbaya, the notion of something very (unnaturally) dry or arid is emphasized in the referenced verses with kútú-kútú, an ideophone that refers to a head covered with scabs, a crusty head, or something scaly.

Ideophones are a class of sound symbolic words expressing human sensation that are used as literary devices in many African languages. (Source: Philip Noss)

translations with a Hebraic voice (2 Kings 2:6-11)

Some translations specifically reproduce the voice of the Hebrew text of the Old Testament / Hebrew Bible.

English:
Then Eliyyahu said to him:
Pray stay here,
for Yhwh has sent me to the Jordan.
But he said:
By the life of Yhwh and by your own life, if I should leave you. . . !
Thus the two of them walked on.
Now fifty men of the Sons of the Prophets went
and stood opposite, at a distance,
while the two of them stood by the Jordan.
And Eliyyahu took his mantle, folded it up, and struck the waters,
and they split in half, to here and to there,
and the two of them crossed over on dry-ground.
It was when they crossed that Eliyyahu said to Elisha:
Make-request: what may I do for you before I am taken from beside you?
Elisha said:
Pray let a twofold measure of your spirit be upon me!
He said:
You have made a difficult request.
If you see me being taken from you, it will be thus for you,
but if not, it will not be.
And it was, as they were walking, walking along and speaking
that here, a chariot of fire and horses of fire:
they parted the two of them,
and Eliyyahu went up in the storm to the heavens.

Source: Everett Fox 2014

German:
Elijahu sprach zu ihm:
Verweile doch hier,
denn Er hat mich an den Jordan gesandt.
Er aber sprach:
Sowahr Er lebt, sowahr deine Seele lebt:
verlasse ich dich je, …!
So gingen sie beide.
Mitgegangen aber waren von den Jungkündern fünfzig Mann,
die blieben gegenüber stehn, von fern,
als die beiden am Jordan standen.
Elijahu nahm seinen Mantel,
er ballte ihn
und schlug das Wasser,
das spaltete sich hierhin und hierhin,
auf dem Sandgrund schritten die beiden hindurch.
Es geschah nun, als sie hindurchgeschritten waren,
zu Elischa sprach Elijahu:
Wünsche,
was soll ich dir tun,
ehe ich von dir hinweggenommen werde?
Elischa sprach:
Geschähe doch, daß mir würde von deinem Geistbraus das Erstlings-Doppelteil!
Er sprach:
Schweres hast du erwünscht!
darfst du mitansehn,
wie ich von dir hinweggenommen werde,
wirds dir so geschehn,
sonst aber: wirds nicht geschehn.
Es geschah:
während sie weitergingen, gingen und redeten,
da, Feuergefährt und Feuerrosse,
sie trennten die beiden.
Elijahu stieg im Sturm zum Himmel.

Source: Buber / Rosenzweig 1976

French:
Élyahou lui dit: « Siège donc là, oui, IHVH-Adonaï m’envoie au Iardèn. »
Il dit: « Vive IHVH-Adonaï, vive ton être, je ne t’abandonnerai pas. »
Ils vont, les deux.
Cinquante hommes, des fils des inspirés, vont et se tiennent en face, de loin.
Les deux se tiennent sur le Iardèn.
Élyahou prend sa cape, l’entortille, frappe les eaux.
Elles se divisent, là et là. Ils passent, les deux, à sec.
Et c’est à leur passage, Élyahou dit à Èlisha‘:
« Demande ce que je ferai pour toi, avant que je sois pris loin de toi. »
Èlisha‘ dit: « Que deux bouches de ton souffle soient donc en moi ! »
Il dit: « Tu es dur en demandes.
Si tu me vois pris loin de toi, pour toi, ce sera oui. Sinon, ce sera non. »
Et c’est eux, ils vont, vont et parlent.
Et voici, un char de feu, des chevaux de feu, séparent les deux.
Élyahou monte, dans la tempête, aux ciels.

Source: Chouraqui 1985

For other verses or sections translated with a Hebraic voice, see here.

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 (2 Kings 2:8)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of 2 Kings 2:8:

  • Kupsabiny: “Then Elijah took off his dress and rolled it up, and then he hit the water with it. The water divided into two for the bottom where it was dry to appear. Both of them went through there to go to the other bank of Jordan.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “Elijah took off his shawl and folded it. Then he struck the water with it. The water on the right and on the left became two parts. They went to the other side of the river, going on dry ground.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “Elias took-off his cover/cloak-for-the-back/cape and rolled- it -up and struck (it) upon the water. Then the water divided, and the two of them crossed-over on dry ground.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • English: “Then Elijah rolled up his cloak and struck the water with it. A path opened up for them through the river, and they walked across as though they were on dry ground.” (Source: Translation for Translators)

Translation commentary on 2 Kings 2:8

Mantle: The Hebrew term used here refers to a wide, loose-fitting robe or outer garment. It has also been translated “cloak” (New Jerusalem Bible, Revised English Bible, New International Version), “coat” (New Century Version), and “garment” (Hobbs). The same term is used in 1 Kgs 19.13, 19.

Rolled it up: The Hebrew verb used in this case is not found elsewhere in the Old Testament, although there is a related term in Ezek 27.24 (rendered “clothes” in Revised Standard Version). The verb seems to come from a root meaning “formless” or “unshapen.” It conveys the idea of wrapping or folding something pliable. It is probably equally accurate to translate “folded it up.” The verb probably carries the idea of wadding up the garment rather than neatly folding it. Many translations say that he “rolled up” the mantle, and this also is acceptable.

The water was parted to the one side and to the other: It may prove to be rather awkward to translate this literally into other languages since it contains a passive verb form as well as the unusual expression referring to the two sides (literally “here and here”). The latter expression is also found in 1 Kgs 20.40, where it is rendered “here and there.” In the present verse Revised English Bible has translated “The water divided to right and left.” It is also possible to say that “the water split into two parts.” Contemporary English Version translates more dynamically with “a path opened up through the river.”

The words go over on dry ground as well as the idea of the waters parting are reminiscent of the crossing of the Red Sea by the people of Israel (Exo 14.29), although the specific vocabulary used here is not very similar.

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 .