And there came forth a spirit, and stood before the LORD, and said, I will persuade him.

And there came forth a spirit, and stood before the Lord, and said: I will deceive him. And the Lord said to him: By what means?

And the spirit goeth out, and standeth before Jehovah, and saith, I, I do entice him; and Jehovah saith unto him, By what?

Then a spirit came forward and took his place before the Lord and said, I will get him to do it by a trick.

And there came forth the spirit, and stood before the LORD, and said: I will entice him.

But then a spirit went out and stood before the Lord. And he said, 'I will mislead him.' And the Lord said to him, 'By what means?'

A spirit - "The spirit " - which some explain as "the evil spirit" - i. e. Satan; others as simply "the spirit" who should "persuade."

And there came forth a spirit, and (q) stood before the LORD, and said, I will persuade him.
(q) Here we see that though the devil is always ready to bring us to destruction, yet he has no more power than God gives him.

And there came forth a spirit,.... Not from the heavenly host on the right hand or the left, for they are pure and holy spirits, and impeccable, and cannot lie or deceive; but the evil spirit, Satan, the father of lies, the old deceiver, who came forth from his own place and his own company:
and stood before the Lord presented himself before him, as Satan did, Job 1:6,
and said, l will persuade him; or prevail upon him; evil spirits love to be employed in doing harm to men, they go about seeking whom they may devour. This could not be the spirit of Naboth, as the Jews say (q), seeking revenge on Ahab; that was in a state of happiness, could not move from thence, and be capable of sinning.
(q) T. Bab. Sanhedrin, fol. 89. 1. & 102. 2. Targum in 2 Chron. xviii. 20.

A spirit - An evil spirit came, and presented himself before the throne.