Elisha

The name that is transliterated as “Elisha” in English is translated in Finnish Sign Language with the sign signifying “help + prophet.” (Source: Tarja Sandholm)


“Elisha” in Finnish Sign Language (source )

In American Sign Language it is translated with the sign for “bald,” referring to 2 Kings 2:23. This is a sign that was adapted from Kenyan Sign Language. (Source: RuthAnna Spooner, Ron Lawer)


“Elisha” in American Sign Language, source: Deaf Harbor

In Spanish Sign Language it is translated with with the sign depicting “putting on mantel” referring to 2 Kings 2:13. (Source: Steve Parkhurst)


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

Following is a Russian Orthodox icon of Elisha from the 18th century (found in the Transfiguration Church, Kizhi Monastery, Karelia, Russia).

 
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 )

Translation commentary on 2 Kings 4:32

The house, with the definite article, clearly refers to the house of the couple in Shunem where the dead child was lying.

He saw the child lying dead on his bed: Immediately following the word house, the Hebrew text has the focusing particle often rendered “behold.” New Living Translation renders it “indeed,” saying “the child was indeed dead, lying there on the prophet’s bed.” Here it introduces information that the reader would have expected although a certain amount of information is left to the imagination of the reader. When Elisha arrived at the house, he would not have seen the dead boy immediately since the boy was still in the upper room lying on the bed of Elisha. For this reason some translators may find it necessary to state that he went up the stairs to the guest room where he could see that the boy was lying on his bed.

Good News Translation includes a detail not found in Revised Standard Version or any other versions, namely, that Elisha went into the room alone. While this information is certainly implied in the following verse, there is no particular reason to introduce it here.

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 .