Why will you go to him today?: Obviously the woman did not tell her husband that their son was dead. And he apparently did not suspect that there was any connection between his son’s earlier headache and the proposed visit to Elisha. In some languages the question will be better put as “Why do you want to go to him today?”
It is neither new moon nor sabbath: These two popular times of religious celebration are mentioned together in several of the prophets (Isa 1.13; 66.23; Hos 2.11; Amos 8.5; see also Exo 16.23; 20.9-11; Lev 23.3). As indicated in the footnote of Good News Translation, these two holy days were thought to be the most appropriate times for consulting a prophet. The woman’s husband is therefore surprised that she wants to go to see Elisha at a time that has no particular religious significance. Both Good News Translation and Contemporary English Version reverse the order of these two festivals in the response of the husband. This is perhaps because the Sabbath is better known to most readers than the New Moon Festival, which was celebrated on the day of each new moon.
The Hebrew noun rendered sabbath comes from the Hebrew word meaning “to rest” or “to stop working.” Most modern translations use the traditional word sabbath or “Sabbath.” Some translations, however, say “day of rest” (1995 edition of Reina-Valera revisada), and this may be a more meaningful rendering. If translators transliterate the word sabbath, a footnote and a note in the glossary should be included.
It will be well is literally “Peace.” This word is frequently used as a greeting when meeting someone (Jdg 19.20; 1 Sam 25.6) and sometimes as a way of saying goodbye (Jdg 18.6). But in such cases the word is usually accompanied by a pronoun. The basic meaning of the term involves welfare and security. In this context it is taken to mean “everything will be all right,” indicating to the woman’s husband that there was nothing to worry about in spite of the fact that she was going to the prophet at an unusual time. In 2 Sam 18.28 and 2 Kgs 5.22, the same term is translated “All is well.” The Good News Translation rendering “Never mind” may sound impolite if translated into other languages, and that does not seem to be the intended sense of the Hebrew word here. A translation such as “Don’t worry” (Bible en français courant, Parole de Vie) expresses the meaning better.
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 .