A spirit: Hebrew has a definite article with the noun rendered spirit. The sense seems to be “a certain spirit” (New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh). Bible en français courant and Parole de Vie express this as “the spirit that inspires the prophets.” It is also possible to understand this to mean “the spirit of the LORD.” Translators should not impose Christian theology regarding the Trinity by translating this as “the Holy Spirit.”

Stood before: See the comments on this phrase in 1 Kgs 10.8.

I will entice him: See the comments on the verb entice in verse 20. In Hebrew the pronoun I is emphatic here. Anchor Bible uses italic font to show the emphasis, saying “I will entice him.”

Moffatt provides this model for those languages that use direct quotations sparingly: “till one spirit came forward and, standing before the Eternal, offered to delude Ahab.”

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 .