Elijah

The name that is transliterated as “Elijah” in English is translated in Spanish Sign Language as “whirlwind” (according to 2 Kings 2:11) (Source: John Elwode in The Bible Translator 2008, p. 78ff.)


“Elijah” in Spanish Sign Language, source: Sociedad Bíblica de España

Click or tap here to see how other sign languages are translating “Elijah”

In American Sign Language it is translated with a depiction of being taken up to heaven with a chariot of fire. (Source: ASL Sign Language Directory )


“Elijah” in American Sign Language (source )

Likewise in Estonian Sign Language, but with a different sign (source: Liina Paales in Folklore 47, 2011, p. 43ff.)


“Elijah” in Estonian Sign Language (source )

In Finnish Sign Language it is translated with the sign signifying “fire” (referring to 1 Kings 18:38). (Source: Tarja Sandholm)


“Elijah” in Finnish Sign Language (source )

Following is a Russian Orthodox icon of Elijah from the late 13h century.

 
Orthodox Icons are not drawings or creations of imagination. They are in fact writings of things not of this world. Icons can represent our Lord Jesus Christ, the Virgin Mary, and the Saints. They can also represent the Holy Trinity, Angels, the Heavenly hosts, and even events. Orthodox icons, unlike Western pictures, change the perspective and form of the image so that it is not naturalistic. This is done so that we can look beyond appearances of the world, and instead look to the spiritual truth of the holy person or event. (Source )

See also Moses and Elijah during the Transfiguration.

Translation commentary on 1 Kings 18:17

Just as Obadiah’s question in verse 7 was a rhetorical question, so also is Ahab’s question here. Good News Translation, and similarly New Jerusalem Bible, turns this into an exclamation, which better expresses in English the sense of the rhetorical question.

You troubler of Israel: Troubler renders a Hebrew participle. According to Holladay, the verb root means “to make someone taboo” or “to cut someone off someone (from social life).” Compare New Jerusalem Bible: “you scourge of Israel.” According to the Hebrew lexicon by Brown, Driver and Briggs (BDB), the verb means “to stir up,” “to disturb,” or “to trouble.” New American Bible says “you disturber of Israel.” De Vries translates “you, O Israel’s hex,” while Moffatt says “You the ruin of Israel.” Whichever understanding of the basic meaning is followed, the sense is not greatly different. Ahab refers to Elijah as someone whose behavior causes troubles or problems for the people of Israel.

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 .