soul (breath / life)

The Hebrew phrase in 1 Kings 17:21 that is translated in English as “this child’s soul” or “this child’s life” is translated into Turkana as eyari (“breath”) which is the same term used in 1 Kings 17:17 (in English: “there was no breath left in him”).

complete verse (1 Kings 17:17)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of 1 Kings 17:17:

  • Kupsabiny: “Then/Later, that lady’s son became sick. The sickness of that boy intensified until he died.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “Some days later the son of the widow, who owned the house, became sick. The disease became more and more severe. Finally that child died.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “Some-time later the child of the woman became-sick. His sickness grew-worse until he died.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • English: “Some time later, the woman’s son became sick. He continued to get worse, and finally he died.” (Source: Translation for Translators)

Translation commentary on 1 Kings 17:17

As noted in the introductory comments on this section, some modern translations begin a new section with verse 17 since the story takes a turn to a new subject. The transition After this is rather vague, but it is likely that the time period was a matter of weeks or months. The Hebrew marks this transition with a form of the verb “to be,” which is actually translated by New Jerusalem Bible in this case as “It happened.” This clearly marks a new episode in the story.

The words the mistress of the house are in apposition to the words the woman. Good News Translation does not attempt to translate these words, but they should be included. The Hebrew noun rendered mistress is the feminine form of the noun meaning “owner.” Revised English Bible says “the woman, the owner of the house.” Compare also New International Version: “the woman who owned the house.”

There was no breath left in him: Good News Translation and New Living Translation state this in simple English terms as “he died.” The Hebrew noun translated breath usually refers to the breath of life when used of human beings and is often synonymous with the Hebrew noun for “soul,” which is used in verse 21. New International Version captures the meaning while retaining something of the form by saying “finally stopped breathing.”

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 .