He said to her, “Give me your son.”: In languages where masculine and feminine pronouns are the same, it will be especially important to make clear in translation the fact that Elijah is here speaking to the woman. Also, it will be more natural in certain languages to make the prophet’s request into an indirect quotation, saying something like “Elijah asked the woman to give the boy to him” or “the prophet asked the widow to let him hold the boy.” Some languages may have to express your son differently at this point in the story since he was no longer alive; for example, “the body of your son” or “the corpse.”

From her bosom: See the comments on bosom in 1 Kgs 1.2. While New American Bible and New Jerusalem Bible understand this to mean “from her lap” in this context, most modern versions take it to mean “from her arms” (Moffatt, New International Version, Contemporary English Version, New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh). In some cases it may be better to say simply “from her” (New Century Version).

The Hebrew word rendered upper chamber also occurs in verse 23 and 2 Kgs 1.2; 4.10, 11; 23.12. Houses of two stories were used in the Old Testament period. This is translated simply as “upper room” in New American Bible and New Jerusalem Bible. Whether this upper room was simply a flat roof without walls, which is most likely, or whether it had walls and a roof is unknown. Archaeologists have not yet recovered houses with roofs still existing, but numerous houses have been found with mud-brick staircases, which are usually on the outside of the house.

Laid him upon his own bed: The pronoun him refers to the widow’s son and his own bed refers to the bed in which Elijah slept. In some languages it may be best to translate “laid the boy on the bed in that room.”

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 .