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.
• English Standard Version (ESV)So the prophet departed and waited for the king by the way, disguising himself with a bandage 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.

Context of 1 Kings 20:38

36Then said he unto him, Because thou hast not obeyed the voice of Yhwh, behold, as soon as thou art departed from me, a lion shall slay thee. And as soon as he was departed from him, a lion found him, and slew him. 37Then he found another man, and said, Smite me, I pray thee. And the man smote him, so that in smiting he wounded him. So the prophet departed, and waited for the king by the way, and disguised himself with ashes upon his face. 39And as the king passed by, he cried unto the king: and he said, Thy servant went out into the midst of the battle; and, behold, a man turned aside, and brought a man unto me, and said, Keep this man: if by any means he be missing, then shall thy life be for his life, or else thou shalt pay a talent of silver. 40And as thy servant was busy here and there, he was gone. And the king of Israel said unto him, So shall thy judgment be; thyself hast decided it.

1 Kings 20:38 word by word

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

• 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 12:5And David’s anger was greatly kindled against the man; and he said to Nathan, As Yhwh liveth, the man that hath done this thing shall surely die:
• Job 15:6Thine own mouth condemneth thee, and not I: yea, thine own lips testify against thee.
• Matthew 21:41They say unto him, He will miserably destroy those wicked men, and will let out his vineyard unto other husbandmen, which shall render him the fruits in their seasons.
• Matthew 25:24Then he which had received the one talent came and said, Lord, I knew thee that thou art an hard man, reaping where thou hast not sown, and gathering where thou hast not strawed:
• Luke 19:22And he saith unto him, Out of thine own mouth will I judge thee, thou wicked servant. Thou knewest that I was an austere man, taking up that I laid not down, and reaping that 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