Be pleased to accept two talents: Naaman responds by offering twice the amount that Gehazi had asked for. This was no doubt to express his gratitude to Elisha for the healing Elisha had performed, and it would have permitted him to give a talent each to the two men that Naaman mistakenly thought had arrived to visit the prophet. The Hebrew actually has two imperative forms in succession here, saying “Be pleased, accept two talents.” This is a polite way of asking Gehazi to take more than what he had requested. Revised English Bible renders this “By all means; take two talents.” Moffatt has “Allow me to give you….” Translators should try to determine how a person in their own language would respond in a situation where he or she wanted desperately to show appreciation for a very kind deed.

And he urged him: These words are not in the Septuagint. The Hebrew verb here (parats) is often translated “to break through.” But in this context the Hebrew verb parats is probably to be read as patsar and translated “to urge” or “to force.” Some other renderings for this clause are “He pressed him to take them” (Revised English Bible) and “He insisted on it” (Good News Translation; similarly most French translations).

Tied up two talents of silver in two bags: The Hebrew noun rendered bags comes from a root meaning “to strip bark.” Such bags were apparently made of tree bark originally. The Septuagint translates this noun with a word that refers to a bag usually made of leather. The same Hebrew noun appears in Isa 3.22, where it is rendered “handbags” in Revised Standard Version and seems to refer to an item made of cloth.

Laid them upon two of his servants: The pronoun them in all likelihood refers to both the bags of silver and the two changes of clothing.

Before Gehazi; that is, in front of Gehazi as he started back to the house of Elisha.

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 .