2 Chronicles 18:21

18:21 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.’

2 Chronicles 29:25

29:25 King Hezekiah ³  stationed the Levites in the Lord’s temple with cymbals and stringed instruments, just as David, Gad the king’s prophet, ⁴  and Nathan the prophet had ordered. (The Lord had actually given these orders through his prophets.)

[18:21]  ¹ tn Heb “he”; the referent (the Lord) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[18:21]  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.”

[29:25]  ³ tn Heb “he”; the referent (King Hezekiah) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[29:25]  ⁴ tn Or “seer.”