Ahab said … He said … he said … He answered …: Revised Standard Version follows the form of the Hebrew by expressing the name of the person speaking only at the beginning of this verse. Since Ahab, the prophet, and God all speak in this verse, Good News Translation clearly identifies the speaker each time. The Hebrew verb for “said” occurs four times in this verse. Only in the fourth occurrence does Revised Standard Version translate according to the context, saying answered. Good News Translation translates each occurrence according to the context, that is Ahab “asked” twice, and the prophet “answered” twice.
By whom?: By asking this question, Ahab wants the prophet to tell him by what means it will be possible for the LORD’s promise in the previous verse to be realized. New American Bible fills out the meaning by translating “Through whom will it be delivered up?” But in languages where passive forms are difficult or impossible, translators may prefer to say “Through whom will you deliver it to me?” or “With whose help will I win?” The Good News Translation rendering “Who will lead the attack?” probably does not express the intended sense of the Hebrew. (See the further discussion below on this verse.)
As in the previous verse, the words Thus says the LORD may be translated as a part of the introduction in order to reduce the two-level quotation to one. Translators may wish to say something like “The prophet answered with this message from the LORD….”
The servants of the governors of the districts: The servants is literally “the young men.” These two hundred and thirty-two men may have been young, unmarried men who were specially trained to attack enemy troops. They were most likely professional soldiers, who were being paid (that is, retained) by the district governors. New Jerusalem Bible calls them “guards” and New American Bible says “retainers.” It should be noted, however, that this term usually refers to young men in a general sense; and if a specialized meaning is to be found in the term here, it is provided by the context and not from the Hebrew noun itself.
The governors of the districts may refer to the district governors that Solomon had established (1 Kgs 4.7-19), but this is uncertain. The Hebrew noun rendered districts is the same noun used several times in Esther to refer to the satrapies of the Persian empire (for example, Est 1.1).
Who shall begin the battle?: The Hebrew verb rendered begin comes from a root meaning “to tie” or “to bind.” When it is used with the noun battle, it apparently means “to begin the battle.” Revised English Bible says “Who will launch the attack?” and New Jerusalem Bible has “Who will co-ordinate the attack?” This same verb occurs in 2 Chr 13.3, where Revised Standard Version renders it “went out [to battle],” and the context there clearly shows that the verb is used to indicate the beginning of a battle. Good News Translation understands the Hebrew to mean “Who will finish the attack by leading the main force of troops?” but this rendering is doubtful since the Hebrew idiom seems to mean “to begin the battle.”
However, Gray (like Good News Translation) suggests that the verb here means “to tie or bind the battle,” in the sense of bringing it to a conclusion. Gray, therefore, renders this expression “Who will clinch the fighting?” This interpretation fits well with verse 21, which states that Ahab went out to fight after the servants of the governors of the districts and the army had first gone out.
Either interpretation of the Hebrew verb is possible, although the writers of this Handbook consider the rendering Who shall begin the battle? to be preferable to “Who will finish the battle?”
He answered, “You.”: The personal pronoun You is second person singular and refers to Ahab. Most interpreters understand the contrast in this verse to be between Ahab and the young men of the district governors. That is, should the young men begin the attack or should Ahab himself lead the first attack? This understanding lends support to Gray’s interpretation. But the contrast is more likely between Ahab and Benhadad. That is, should Ahab begin the attack or should he wait for Benhadad to attack?
An alternative model for this whole verse is:
• Ahab asked, “Who will help me win this battle?”
• And the prophet responded, “The young men who guard the district officials.”
• So Ahab asked again, “But who will begin the battle?”
• The prophet answered, “You are the one!”
Quoted with permission from Omanson, Roger L. and Ellington, John E. A Handbook on 1-2 Kings, Volume 1. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2008. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .