and the prophet went and waited on the road for the king, disguising himself with a bandage over his eyes.
Parallel translations
- WEB So the prophet departed, and waited for the king by the way, and disguised himself with his headband over his eyes.
- KJV So the prophet departed, and waited for the king by the way, and disguised himself with ashes upon his face.
- ESV So the prophet departed and waited for the king by the way, disguising himself with a bandage over his eyes.
- NKJV Then the prophet departed and waited for the king by the road, and disguised himself with a bandage over his eyes.
- NASB So the prophet departed and waited for the king by the road, and disguised himself with a bandage over his eyes.
- NLT The prophet placed a bandage over his eyes to disguise himself and then waited beside the road for the king.
Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
The prophet disguises himself with a bandage over his eyes and waits by the road for the king. He prepares an enacted parable to expose Ahab's sin.
Overview
Wounded and posing as a soldier, the prophet hides his identity with a headband and stations himself along the king's route. The disguise will let him draw Ahab into pronouncing judgment on himself, as Nathan once did with David. This prophetic method shows God's wisdom in leading the guilty to condemn their own actions before the verdict is revealed.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 4
- 1 Kgs 14:2and Jeroboam said to his wife, “Now get up, disguise yourself so they will not recognize you as my wife, and go to Shiloh. For Ahijah the prophet is there; it was he who spoke about my kingship over this people.
- Matt 6:16When you fast, do not be somber like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces to show men they are fasting. Truly I tell you, they already have their full reward.
- 2 Sam 14:2So Joab sent to Tekoa to bring a wise woman from there. He told her, “Please pretend to be a mourner; put on clothes for mourning and do not anoint yourself with oil. Act like a woman who has mourned for the dead a long time.
- 1 Kgs 22:30And the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “I will disguise myself and go into battle, but you wear your royal robes.” So the king of Israel disguised himself and went into battle.
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Christ at the center
Solomon's glory, wisdom, and temple where God's presence dwells are a shadow of the greater Son of David — 'one greater than Solomon is here' — and of the true Temple, Christ himself.
How 1 Kings 20:38 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
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