2 Chronicles 30:2

30:2 The king, his officials, and the entire assembly in Jerusalem decided to observe the Passover in the second month.

2 Chronicles 30:2

30:2 The king, his officials, and the entire assembly in Jerusalem decided to observe the Passover in the second month.

2 Chronicles 18:20

18:20 Then a spirit ¹  stepped forward and stood before the Lord. He said, ‘I will deceive him.’ The Lord asked him, ‘How?’

Proverbs 15:22

15:22 Plans fail ²  when there is no counsel,

but with abundant advisers they are established. ³ 

Proverbs 20:18

20:18 Plans ⁴  are established by counsel,

so ⁵  make war ⁶  with guidance.

Proverbs 24:6

24:6 for with guidance you wage your war,

and with numerous advisers there is victory. ⁷ 

Isaiah 40:13

40:13 Who comprehends ⁸  the mind ⁹  of the Lord,

or gives him instruction as his counselor? ¹⁰ 

Romans 11:34

11:34 For who has known the mind of the Lord,

or who has been his counselor? ¹¹ 

[18:20]  ¹ tn Heb “the spirit.” The significance of the article prefixed to רוּחַ (ruakh) is uncertain, but it could contain a clue as to this spirit’s identity, especially when interpreted in light of verse 23. It is certainly possible, and probably even likely, that the article is used in a generic or dramatic sense and should be translated, “a spirit.” In the latter case it would show that this spirit was vivid and definite in the mind of Micaiah the storyteller. However, if one insists that the article indicates a well-known or universally known spirit, the following context provides a likely referent. Verse 23 tells how Zedekiah slapped Micaiah in the face and then asked sarcastically, “Which way did the spirit from the Lord (רוּחַ־יְהוָה, ruakh-yÿhvah) go when he went from me to speak to you?” When the phrase “the spirit of the Lord” refers to the divine spirit (rather than the divine breath or mind, as in Isa 40:7, 13) elsewhere, the spirit energizes an individual or group for special tasks or moves one to prophesy. This raises the possibility that the deceiving spirit of vv. 20-22 is the same as the divine spirit mentioned by Zedekiah in v. 23. This would explain why the article is used on רוּחַ (ruakh); he can be called “the spirit” because he is the well-known spirit who energizes the prophets.

[15:22]  ² tn Heb “go wrong” (so NRSV, NLT). The verb is the Hiphil infinitive absolute from פָּרַר, parar, which means “to break; to frustrate; to go wrong” (HALOT 975 s.v. I פרר 2). The plans are made ineffectual or are frustrated when there is insufficient counsel.

[15:22]  ³ sn The proverb says essentially the same thing as 11:14, but differently.

[20:18]  ⁴ tn The noun form is plural, but the verb is singular, suggesting either an abstract plural or a collective plural is being used here.

[20:18]  ⁵ tn The clause begins with vav (ו) on “with guidance.” But the clause has an imperative for its main verb. One could take the imperfect tense in the first colon as an imperfect of injunction, and then this clause would be also instructional. But the imperfect tense is a Niphal, and so it is better to take the first colon as the foundational clause and the second colon as the consequence (cf. NAB): If that is true, then you should do this.

[20:18]  ⁶ sn There have been attempts by various commentators to take “war” figuratively to mean life’s struggles, litigation, or evil inclinations. But there is no need and little justification for such interpretations. The proverb simply describes the necessity of taking counsel before going to war.

[24:6]  ⁷ sn The point of the saying is that wise counsel is necessary in war. Victory, strategy, and counsel are more important than mere military strength – many great armies have been destroyed because of their unwise leaders. See on this theme 11:14; 20:18; and 21:22.

[40:13]  ⁸ tn Perhaps the verb is used metonymically here in the sense of “advises” (note the following line).

[40:13]  ⁹ tn In this context רוּחַ (ruakh) likely refers to the Lord’s “mind,” or mental faculties, rather than his personal Spirit (see BDB 925 s.v.).

[40:13]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “or [as] the man of his counsel causes him to know?”

[11:34]  ¹¹ sn A quotation from Isa 40:13.