And renders the Hebrew verbal transition that is sometimes translated “And it happened.” Like Good News Translation, most modern versions do not render it explicitly in this case since it would interrupt the flow of the dramatic narrative at this point.
Midday: As indicated above, this translates the same Hebrew word rendered “noon” in verses 26 and 27.
They raved on: Raved on translates the Hebrew verb that is often translated “prophesied” (so La Bible Pléiade here in this verse). The activity of the prophets here is not that of foretelling the future or of speaking out with judgments on behalf of God. The same verb is used of Saul in 1 Sam 18.10, where Revised Standard Version renders it “raved.” Here in verse 29, the prophets are engaging in ecstatic behavior that consists of dancing and shouting. See also the comments on this verb in 1 Kgs 22.10, where Revised Standard Version has “were prophesying.”
Until the time of the offering of the oblation: The Hebrew noun rendered oblation sometimes refers to secular gifts or presents. Revised Standard Version translates it “tribute” in 1 Kgs 4.21 (5.1 in the Masoretic Text) and “present” in 1 Kgs 10.25. In the context of worship and sacrifices, this Hebrew noun always refers to a gift of grain and Revised Standard Version often translates it as “cereal offering” (see the comments on 1 Kgs 8.64). According to Lev 6.20, half of the cereal offering was to be offered to God in the morning and the other half in the evening. Here in verse 29, the reference to the time of the cereal offering is simply a way of indicating the time of day, which was about three o’clock in the afternoon.
Good News Translation says simply “until the middle of the afternoon.” But translators should try to keep something of the cultural form here along with the correct meaning. New Jerusalem Bible keeps the form with “until the time when the offering is presented.” Similar translations include “till the hour of the regular offering” (Revised English Bible) and “until the time for offering sacrifice” (New American Bible). But most readers today will not know what time of day the offering was presented. A better solution may be “until the time of the evening sacrifice” (La Bible du Semeur) or “until the evening when the cereal offering was offered to God.”
There was no voice; no one answered: See the comments on these two statements in verse 26. It will be noted, however, that in this verse an additional statement is made: no one heeded. This has the same basic meaning as the other two statements, but it serves to make them even stronger. If synonymous expressions are available in the receptor language, and if it is not unnatural to do so, three different statements should be made here. The third expression in this context is translated in 2 Kgs 4.31 as “there was no … sign of life.”
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 .