One day: The Hebrew text begins with the verbal transition marker “And it happened one day,” showing that a new story is about to be told. But this marker is represented in most modern versions by the beginning of a new paragraph or a new section. The same may be done in most other languages.

Elisha went on to Shunem: Moffatt has “Elisha went over to Shunem.” The Hebrew verb used here is a very common one having the root meaning “to cross over.” But it is used with a wide variety of meanings in transition situations. Some models from modern versions are “traveled” (Hobbs), “visited” (New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh), and “was passing” (New Revised Standard Version, Anchor Bible). For the whole clause both New Revised Standard Version and Anchor Bible have “Elisha was passing through Shunem.” This is a good model since verse 9 seems to suggest that Elisha often passed through Shunem. Their rendering is based on reading ʿal (“through”) instead of ʾel (to) of the Masoretic Text.

Shunem was a small town located about 40 kilometers (25 miles) to the north of Israel’s capital, Samaria, and about that same distance to the southeast of Mount Carmel (see the comments on 1 Kgs 1.3).

A wealthy woman is literally “a great woman” (King James Version), but the expression is not related to physical size; rather, it is used to describe people who have attained a certain status in their society. While such status is often associated with wealth, this is not always the case. But most versions show clearly that the woman’s greatness had to do with either wealth or influence: “a woman of influence” (New American Bible), “a woman of rank” (New Jerusalem Bible), “an important woman” (New Century Version), “a well-to-do woman” (\jmp New International Version (2011 Revision), \jmp Revised English Bible), and “a rich lady” (Moffatt).

Who urged him to eat some food is literally “and she constrained him to eat bread.” But the Hebrew word for “bread” often refers to food in general in the biblical texts. The meaning is somewhat distorted in Revised Standard Version, which almost makes it sound as if Elisha was ill and had no appetite. However, the real meaning is that the woman insisted that he take a meal with her and her family. Some helpful renderings are “who … pressed him to stay and eat there” (New Jerusalem Bible) and “who pressed him to accept hospitality” (\jmp Revised English Bible). The relative clause in Revised Standard Version also complicates the structure of this verse and can easily be made into a separate sentence as Good News Translation has done.

So whenever he passed that way; that is, each time Elisha visited the town of Shunem, he was invited to eat with this family. In the Hebrew text the verbal transition “And it happened” occurs at the beginning of this clause. Both Revised Standard Version and New International Version (2011 Revision) render it with the logical connector So, which fits this context well.

He would turn in there to eat food; that is, he would take a meal with the woman and her husband. New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh translates “he would stop there for a meal,” showing clearly that this became a habit.

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 .