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.

complete verse (Mark 9:13)

Following are a number of back-translations of Mark 9:13:

  • Uma: “But as for the prophet Elia, I tell you that Elia has already come, but the leaders of our village opposed him according to their desires, like what is written in the Holy Book.’n” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “But I tell you,’ said Isa, ‘Eliyas has already come and the people already did to him whatever they wanted to, as is written in the holy-book about him.'” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “The appearance of Elijah has already been fulfilled. They tormented him according to their desire to do to him for this is the prophesy which we can read in the written word of God.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “But I say also to you that Elias already came, and people did whatever (implies bad) to him, just as God caused-to-be-written about him.'” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “But this which I will say to you really is true, that Elias has already come here, and they did to him all they wanted to do, according to what was said in the writing concerning him.'” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)

formal pronoun: Jesus addressing his disciples and common people

Like many languages (but unlike Greek or Hebrew or English), Tuvan uses a formal vs. informal 2nd person pronoun (a familiar vs. a respectful “you”). Unlike other languages that have this feature, however, the translators of the Tuvan Bible have attempted to be very consistent in using the different forms of address in every case a 2nd person pronoun has to be used in the translation of the biblical text.

As Voinov shows in Pronominal Theology in Translating the Gospels (in: The Bible Translator 2002, p. 210ff.), the choice to use either of the pronouns many times involved theological judgment. While the formal pronoun can signal personal distance or a social/power distance between the speaker and addressee, the informal pronoun can indicate familiarity or social/power equality between speaker and addressee.

Here, Jesus is addressing his disciples, individuals and/or crowds with the formal pronoun, showing respect.

In most Dutch translations, Jesus addresses his disciples and common people with the informal pronoun, whereas they address him with the formal form.

Translation commentary on Mark 9:13

Exegesis:

hoti ‘that’ is recitative, introducing direct speech.

hosa (cf. 3.8) ‘all things,’ ‘as many things (as).’

gegraptai ep’ autōn (cf. previous verse) ‘it is written concerning him.’

Translation:

The impersonal use of they in the expression they did to him is difficult to render in many languages. In general one can translate they by some such expression as ‘the people,’ but in this instance obviously the opposition to John the Baptist was not prompted by the populace in general but by certain persons. This will require ‘some people’ or ‘certain persons.’

As it is written of him is generally equivalent to a paratactically combined clause, ‘that is just the way the Scriptures speak of him’ or ‘that is the way it is told about him in the Writings.’

Quoted with permission from Bratcher, Robert G. and Nida, Eugene A. A Handbook on the Gospel of Mark. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1961. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .