1 Kings 20:41

1 Kings 20:41 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And he hasted, and took the ashes away from his face; and the king of Israel discerned him that he was of the prophets.
• New International Version (NIV)Then the prophet quickly removed the headband from his eyes, and the king of Israel recognized him as one of the prophets.
• English Standard Version (ESV)Then he hurried to take the bandage away from his eyes, and the king of Israel recognized him as one of the prophets.
• New King James Version (NKJV)And he hastened to take the bandage away from his eyes; and the king of Israel recognized him as one of the prophets.

Context of 1 Kings 20:41

39When the king came along the road, the prophet shouted to him, ‘Please sir, I went to fight in the middle of the battle. Then someone brought an enemy soldier to me as a prisoner. He said to me, “Keep this prisoner safe. If he escapes for any reason, you will die! To save your life, you will have to pay 3,000 silver coins.” 40But I had other things to do, sir. While I was doing them, the prisoner escaped.’ King Ahab replied, ‘What you have just said shows that you deserve your punishment.’ Then the prophet quickly took away the cloth that covered his eyes. The king recognized that the man was one of the prophets. 42The prophet said to the king, ‘This is what the Lord says to you: “I decided that a man should die, but you have let him go free. So you must pay for his life with your life. Your people will receive the trouble that his people deserved.” ’ 43So King Ahab of Israel went home to his palace in Samaria. He was angry and upset.

1 Kings 20:41 word by word

וַיְמַהֵ֕ר וַיָּ֙סַר֙ אֶת־הָ֣אֲפֵ֔ר מֵעֲלֵ֖י עֵינָ֑יו וַיַּכֵּ֤ר אֹתוֹ֙ מֶ֣לֶךְ יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל כִּ֥י מֵֽהַנְּבִאִ֖ים הֽוּא׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• And he hastedמָהַרmâhar · to hastenH4116
• and took the ashesאֲפֵר'ăphêr · bandageH666
• awayסוּרsûr ώûr · to turn aside: removeH5493
• from his faceעַ֫יִן‛ayin · eyeH5869
• and the kingמֶ֫לֶךְmelek · kingH4428
• of Israelיִשְׂרָאֵלyiώrâ'êl · IsraelH3478
• discernedנָכַרnâkar · to recognizeH5234
• of the prophetsנָבִיאnâbîy' · prophetH5030

Cross-references for 1 Kings 20:41

• 1 Kings 21:4So Ahab went home to his palace. He was angry and upset because of what Naboth had said. He had said, ‘I will not sell you my vineyard that belonged to my ancestors.’ Ahab lay on his bed. He covered his face and he would not eat any food.
• 1 Kings 22:8The king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, ‘There is still one man. We could ask him what the Lord wants us to do. But I do not like him, because he never says that anything good will happen to me. He only says that I will have trouble. He is Imlah's son, Micaiah.’ Jehoshaphat said, ‘The king should not talk like that.’
• Esther 5:13But even all these things do not make me happy. I am angry when I see that Jewish man Mordecai. He is sitting at the king's gate.’
• Esther 6:12After this, Mordecai returned to sit at the king's gate. But Haman hurried back home. He covered his face because he was ashamed and upset.
• Job 5:2Foolish people may be angry and jealous. That is what kills them.
• Proverbs 19:3Some people do silly things and so they destroy themselves. Then they get angry with the Lord.

Commentaries on 1 Kings 20:41

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 41Took the ashes away - He took the bandage from off his eyes: see on 1 Kings 20:38; (note). It was no doubt of thin cloth, through which he could see, while it served for a sufficient disguise.Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 41He was of the prophets - Josephus and others conjecture that this prophet was Micaiah, the son of Imlah (but compare 1 Kings 20:13 note).Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 31-43Verses 31-43 This encouragement sinners have to repent and humble themselves before God; Have we not heard, that the God of Israel is a merciful God? Have we not found him so? That is gospel repentance, which flows from an apprehension of the mercy of God, in Christ; there is forgiveness with him. What a change is here! The most haughty in prosperity often are most abject in adversity; an evil spirit will thus affect a man in both these conditions. There…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 35-43Ahab showed mercy to Ben-hadad, which displeased God. An unnamed prophet used symbolic actions to show this disapproval. God's prophets often used symbols to deliver his messages (Isaiah 20; Jeremiah 27:1–7; Ezekiel 4:1–3, 9–17; 5:1–4). By sparing an untrustworthy enemy, Ahab brought judgment on himself and his people instead of relying more on the Lord.Read the comment

Topics related to 1 Kings 20:41

• Ashes
• Parables
• Self-Condemnation

In the dictionaries

• Israel
• Ahab
• Mark
• Micaiah
• Israel, Kingdom of

Commentaries on 1 Kings 20

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Rashi on Tanakh
• Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
• Darby Translation Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary