Elisha

The name that is transliterated as “Elisha” in English means “God the Savior,” “to whom God is salvation,” “God of salvation,” “God is Savior.” (Source: Cornwall / Smith 1997 )

In Finnish Sign Language it is translated with the sign signifying “help + prophet.” (Source: Tarja Sandholm)


“Elisha” in Finnish Sign Language (source )

In American Sign Language it is translated with the sign for “bald,” referring to 2 Kings 2:23. This is a sign that was adapted from Kenyan Sign Language. (Source: Ruth Anna Spooner, Ron Lawer)


“Elisha” in American Sign Language, source: Deaf Harbor

In Spanish Sign Language it is translated with with the sign depicting “putting on mantel” referring to 2 Kings 2:13. (Source: Steve Parkhurst)


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

Learn more on Bible Odyssey: Elisha .

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

complete verse (2 Kings 4:32)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of 2 Kings 4:32:

  • Kupsabiny: “When Elisha arrived, he saw the child lying dead on the bed.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “When Elisha arrived at the house, he saw the child who had died on his bed.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “When Elisha arrived at the house, he saw the child lying-dead on his bed there in his room.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • English: “When Elisha reached the house, he saw that the boy was lying dead on his bed.” (Source: Translation for Translators)

Translation commentary on 2 Kings 4:32

The house, with the definite article, clearly refers to the house of the couple in Shunem where the dead child was lying.

He saw the child lying dead on his bed: Immediately following the word house, the Hebrew text has the focusing particle often rendered “behold.” New Living Translation renders it “indeed,” saying “the child was indeed dead, lying there on the prophet’s bed.” Here it introduces information that the reader would have expected although a certain amount of information is left to the imagination of the reader. When Elisha arrived at the house, he would not have seen the dead boy immediately since the boy was still in the upper room lying on the bed of Elisha. For this reason some translators may find it necessary to state that he went up the stairs to the guest room where he could see that the boy was lying on his bed.

Good News Translation includes a detail not found in Revised Standard Version or any other versions, namely, that Elisha went into the room alone. While this information is certainly implied in the following verse, there is no particular reason to introduce it here.

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 .

SIL Translator’s Notes on 2 Kings 4:32

4:32a When Elisha reached the house,

Elisha arrived at the ⌊woman’s⌋ house/home.

-or-

⌊They⌋ came to the house and Elisha ⌊went up to his room⌋ .

4:32b there was the boy lying dead on his bed.

There he saw the boy lying dead on his bed.

-or-

He saw the child’s dead body on his bed.

© 2020 by SIL International®

Made available under the terms of a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License (CC BY-SA) creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0.

All Scripture quotations in this publication, unless otherwise indicated, are from The Holy Bible, Berean Standard Bible.

BSB is produced in cooperation with Bible Hub, Discovery Bible, OpenBible.com, and the Berean Bible Translation Committee.