1 Kings 20:23
20:23 Now the advisers 1 of the king of Syria said to him: “Their God is a god of the mountains. That’s why they overpowered us. But if we fight them in the plains, we will certainly overpower them.
1 Kings 20:25
20:25 Muster an army like the one you lost, with the same number of horses and chariots. 2 Then we will fight them in the plains; we will certainly overpower them.” He approved their plan and did as they advised. 3
1 Kings 22:22
22:22 He replied, ‘I will go out and be a lying spirit in the mouths of all his prophets.’ The Lord 4 said, ‘Deceive and overpower him. 5 Go out and do as you have proposed.’
1 tn Or “servants.”
2 tn Heb “And you, you muster an army like the one that fell from you, horse like horse and chariot like chariot.”
3 tn Heb “he listened to their voice and did so.”
4 tn Heb “he”; the referent (the Lord) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
5 tn The Hebrew text has two imperfects connected by וְגַם (vÿgam). These verbs could be translated as specific futures, “you will deceive and also you will prevail,” in which case the Lord is assuring the spirit of success on his mission. However, in a commissioning context (note the following imperatives) such as this, it is more likely that the imperfects are injunctive, in which case one could translate, “Deceive, and also overpower.”