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 18:8

Answered: The Hebrew verb here is literally “said,” but Revised Standard Version and Good News Translation correctly translate the meaning in this context.

It is I is literally “I.” But as is often the case in Hebrew, the verb “to be” is understood. In some languages it will be more natural to respond to the question with a simple “Yes” or with “Yes, I’m Elijah” (Good News Translation).

The words your lord refer to King Ahab. They may be translated here as “your master” (New Living Translation).

Behold, Elijah is here is literally “Behold, Elijah.” The Hebrew focusing particle rendered Behold is often omitted in modern translations, but in those languages that have a natural equivalent to call special attention to the presence of a person, it will be good to use it here. The meaning of this whole expression may also be expressed as “I have found Elijah!” (Nouvelle Bible Segond) or “I have seen Elijah.” Since the name Elijah means “Yahweh is my God,” the original readers may also have understood a second meaning in these words, that is, “Go, tell your lord, ‘Behold, Yahweh is my God.’ ” But this should probably be given only in a footnote since it would be difficult to do so in the text itself.

In many languages it may be difficult and unnatural to translate using a quotation within a quotation as in Revised Standard Version. In those cases it will be better to make the embedded quotation an indirect statement as in Good News Translation.

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 .