1 Kings 20:38

1 Kings 20:38 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)So the prophet departed, and waited for the king by the way, and disguised himself with ashes upon his face.
• New International Version (NIV)Then the prophet went and stood by the road waiting for the king. He disguised himself with his headband down over his eyes.
• New King James Version (NKJV)Then the prophet departed and waited for the king by the road, and disguised himself with a bandage over his eyes.
• New Living Translation (NLT)The prophet placed a bandage over his eyes to disguise himself and then waited beside the road for the king.

Context of 1 Kings 20:38

36Then he said to him, "Because you have not obeyed the voice of the Lord, behold, as soon as you have gone from me, a lion shall strike you down." And as soon as he had departed from him, a lion met him and struck him down. 37Then he found another man and said, "Strike me, please." And the man struck him—struck him and wounded him. So the prophet departed and waited for the king by the way, disguising himself with a bandage over his eyes. 39And as the king passed, he cried to the king and said, "Your servant went out into the midst of the battle, and behold, a soldier turned and brought a man to me and said, 'Guard this man; if by any means he is missing, your life shall be for his life, or else you shall pay a talent of silver.' 40And as your servant was busy here and there, he was gone." The king of Israel said to him, "So shall your judgment be; you yourself have decided it."

1 Kings 20:38 word by word

וַיֵּ֙לֶךְ֙ הַנָּבִ֔יא וַיַּעֲמֹ֥ד לַמֶּ֖לֶךְ עַל־הַדָּ֑רֶךְ וַיִּתְחַפֵּ֥שׂ בָּאֲפֵ֖ר עַל־עֵינָֽיו׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• So the prophetנָבִיאnâbîy' · prophetH5030
• departedיָלַךְyâlak · to walkH3212
• and waitedעָמַד‛âmad · to stand: standH5975
• for the kingמֶ֫לֶךְmelek · kingH4428
• by the wayדֶּ֫רֶךְderek · way: roadH1870
• and disguisedחָפַשׂchâphaώ · to searchH2664
• himself with ashesאֲפֵר'ăphêr · bandageH666
• upon his faceעַ֫יִן‛ayin · eyeH5869

Cross-references for 1 Kings 20:38

• 2 Samuel 12:5Then David's anger was greatly kindled against the man, and he said to Nathan, "As the Lord lives, the man who has done this deserves to die,
• Job 15:6Your own mouth condemns you, and not I; your own lips testify against you.
• Matthew 21:41They said to him, "He will put those wretches to a miserable death and let out the vineyard to other tenants who will give him the fruits in their seasons."
• Matthew 25:24He also who had received the one talent came forward, saying, 'Master, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you did not sow, and gathering where you scattered no seed,
• Luke 19:22He said to him, 'I will condemn you with your own words, you wicked servant! You knew that I was a severe man, taking what I did not deposit and reaping what I did not sow?

Commentaries on 1 Kings 20:38

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 38Disguised himself with ashes upon his face - It does not immediately appear how putting ashes upon his face could disguise him. Instead of אפר apher, dust, Houbigant conjectures that it should be אפד aphad, a fillet or bandage. It is only the corner of the last letter which makes the difference; for the ד daleth and ר resh are nearly the same, only the shoulder of the former is square, the latter round. That bandage, not dust, was the original reading…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 38Ashes - Rather, “a bandage” (and in 1 Kings 20:41). The object of the wound and bandage was double. Partly, it was to prevent Ahab from recognizing the prophet‘s face; partly, to induce him to believe that the man had really been engaged in the recent war.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
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 35-3835-38. Smite me--This prophet is supposed (1Ki 20:8) to have been Micaiah. The refusal of his neighbor to smite the prophet was manifestly wrong, as it was a withholding of necessary aid to a prophet in the discharge of a duty to which he had been called by God, and it was severely punished [1Ki 20:36], as a beacon to warn others (see on 1Ki 13:2-24). The prophet found a willing assistant, and then, waiting for Ahab, leads the king unconsciously, in the…Read the comment

Topics related to 1 Kings 20:38

• Ashes
• Symbols and Similitudes

In the dictionaries

• Ahab
• Mark
• Micaiah
• Israel, Kingdom of
• Prophecy; Prophets

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