It pleased is literally “The word/thing was good in the eyes of.” English versions usually translate this common Hebrew expression as “It pleased.” But in many cases it is necessary turn the phrase around, making the Lord the subject of the sentence (so Good News Translation).

It will be noted that the word Lord is not all capital letters in this case. This indicates that it is a translation of the Hebrew word ʾadonai and not YHWH. In those languages where these two terms are distinguished, either by using capital letters or by using different terms, translators should ensure that the proper term for ʾadonai is used here. See the discussion on “Translating Lord and LORD” in “Translating 1–2 Kings,” pages 11-12.

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 .