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 ¹  said, ‘Deceive and overpower him. ²  Go out and do as you have proposed.’

Job 1:12

1:12 So the Lord said to Satan, “All right then, ³  everything he has is ⁴  in your power. ⁵  Only do not extend your hand against the man himself!” ⁶  So Satan went out ⁷  from the presence of the Lord. ⁸ 

Job 2:6

2:6 So the Lord said to Satan, “All right, ⁹  he is ¹⁰  in your power; ¹¹  only preserve ¹²  his life.”

Revelation 20:7

Satan’s Final Defeat

20:7 Now ¹³  when the thousand years are finished, Satan will be released from his prison

¹ tn Heb “he”; the referent (the Lord) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

² 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.”

³ tn The particle הִנֵּה (hinneh, “behold”) introduces a foundational clause upon which the following volitional clause is based.

⁴ tn The versions add a verb here: “delivered to” or “abandoned to” the hand of Satan.

⁵ tn Heb “in your hand.” The idiom means that it is now Satan’s to do with as he pleases.

⁶ tn The Hebrew word order emphatically holds out Job’s person as the exception: “only upon him do not stretch forth your hand.”

⁷ tn The Targum to Job adds “with permission” to show that he was granted leave from God’s presence.

⁸ sn So Satan, having received his permission to test Job’s sincerity, goes out from the Lord’s presence. But Satan is bound by the will of the Most High not to touch Job himself. The sentence gives the impression that Satan’s departure is with a certain eagerness and confidence.

⁵ tn The particle הִנּוֹ (hinno) is literally, “here he is!” God presents Job to Satan, with the restriction on preserving Job’s life.

⁶ tn The LXX has “I deliver him up to you.”

⁷ tn Heb “hand.”

⁸ sn The irony of the passage comes through with this choice of words. The verb שָׁמַר (shamar) means “to keep; to guard; to preserve.” The exceptive clause casts Satan in the role of a savior – he cannot destroy this life but must protect it.

⁷ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “now” to indicate the transition to a new topic.