fat, oil

The different Hebrew and Greek terms that are translated as “(olive) oil” and “(animal) fat” in English are translated in Kwere with only one term: mavuta. (Pioneer Bible Translators, project-specific translation notes in Paratext)

complete verse (2 Kings 4:4)

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

  • Kupsabiny: “Then, go and close yourself inside the house with your sons and start pouring that oil into those bottles for all to fill up and place them aside.’” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “After that go into the house, also keep your sons with you, and close the door. Then pour the oil that is in your Jar into those pots. Then keep the full jars separate.’” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “Then you (plur.) and your (sing.) children are-to-go-inside your (plur.) house and you (plur.) shut the door. You (plur.) pour-into all the containers the oil which is in a flask/small-jar. After- each container -is-filled, then put-it-aside.’” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • English: “Then take the jars into your house with your sons. Shut the door. Then pour olive oil from your container into the other jars. When each jar is full, set it aside and fill another jar. Keep doing that until all the jars are full.’” (Source: Translation for Translators)

Translation commentary on 2 Kings 4:4

Go in: This verb is the opposite of “Go outside” in verse 3 and means the widow is to go back into her own house. In the view of the New American Bible translators, Elisha was giving instructions to the widow while at her house. They therefore find it more natural to translate this verb “come back.” But there is nothing in the context that indicates that Elisha went to the woman’s house. The contextual clues point rather to the fact that she must have gone to Elisha. For this reason it will be better to use a verb meaning “go back home.”

Shut the door upon yourself and your sons: This expression is clearly intended to emphasize the privacy of what takes place next. The door of the house is to be closed so that only the woman and her sons are inside. In some languages it may be necessary to say “be sure that no one but you and your sons are in the house, then close the door.”

Revised Standard Version refers to the sons as “children” in verse 1, but the Hebrew word there for “children” nearly always refers to male children. The fact that they were both male is new information at this point in the Hebrew text. However, certain English versions take the word sons in this context as being more generic and continue to translate “children” here (New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh, New American Bible).

Pour into all these vessels: Pour will require an object in many languages. The meaning is obviously to pour some of the oil mentioned at the end of verse 2 into the containers. Nouvelle version Segond révisée adds the words “the oil” in parentheses, but this implicit information may be made explicit without the use of parentheses (so Good News Translation, Contemporary English Version, New International Version, Nouvelle Bible Segond).

When one is full, set it aside: Each time one of the containers was full, the widow was instructed to remove it from the area where the pouring was taking place. Some may say “each time you fill one of the containers, put it in another place.”

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 4:4

4:4a Then go inside,

Then, go (sing.) back inside ⌊your house⌋ .

-or-

After ⌊collecting them⌋ , ⌊take all of those containers/jars⌋ into your house.

4:4b shut the door behind you and your sons,

Shut the door with you and your (sing.) sons inside.

-or-

Close the door. Only your (sing.) sons should be there/inside with you.

4:4c and pour oil into all these jars,

Then pour oil into all the ⌊empty⌋ containers/vessels.

-or-

Then start to pour the/⌊your⌋ olive oil into the jars/pots ⌊that you borrowed/collected⌋ .

4:4d setting the full ones aside.”

As each one gets full, remove (sing.) it ⌊from the others⌋ .”

-or-

When one of the jars/pots is full ⌊of oil⌋ , set/place (sing.) it somewhere else.”

4:4d (reordered)

Push (sing.) them away/off to the side as you fill them.”

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