1 Kings 20:38 Study Bible: So the prophet departed, and waited for the king by the way, and disguised himself with his headband over his eyes.

◄ 1 Kings 20:38 ►

and the prophet went and waited on the road for the king, disguising himself with a bandage over his eyes.

and the prophet went and waited on the road for the king
This phrase indicates the deliberate action of the prophet, who is often seen as a messenger of God. Prophets in the Old Testament frequently delivered messages directly from God to kings and leaders, often involving judgment or instruction. The road signifies a place of encounter, a common setting for divine messages to be delivered, as seen in other biblical narratives such as the encounter between Samuel and Saul. The king in this context is Ahab, a ruler known for his idolatry and disobedience to God, setting the stage for a confrontation that would reveal divine judgment.

disguising himself with a bandage over his eyes
The act of disguise is significant in biblical narratives, often used to convey a deeper message or to fulfill a divine purpose. In this instance, the prophet's disguise with a bandage over his eyes serves as a symbolic act. It reflects the spiritual blindness of King Ahab, who fails to see and understand God's will. Disguises are used elsewhere in Scripture, such as when Saul disguises himself to visit the witch of Endor, highlighting themes of deception and the consequences of straying from God's commands. The bandage may also symbolize the impending judgment and the need for Ahab to see the truth of his actions.

Persons / Places / Events

1. The Prophet
A man of God who delivers messages from the Lord. In this context, he is acting under divine instruction to convey a message to King Ahab.

2. King Ahab
The king of Israel, known for his disobedience to God and his marriage to Jezebel, which led Israel into idolatry.

3. The Road
The setting where the prophet positions himself to encounter King Ahab. It symbolizes a place of confrontation and revelation.

4. Disguise with a Bandage
The prophet uses a bandage to cover his eyes, symbolizing deception and the need to reveal a deeper truth to Ahab.

5. The Event
This is part of a larger account where the prophet uses a parable to confront King Ahab about his failure to execute God’s judgment on Ben-Hadad, the king of Aram.

Teaching Points

The Power of Parables
Parables are a powerful tool for revealing truth and prompting self-reflection. They allow individuals to see their actions from a different perspective.

God’s Sovereignty in Judgment
God’s instructions are to be followed completely. Ahab’s failure to execute God’s judgment on Ben-Hadad shows the importance of obedience to divine commands.

The Role of Prophets
Prophets often use unconventional methods to deliver God’s messages. This highlights the need for discernment and openness to God’s ways, which may not always align with human expectations.

The Consequences of Disobedience
Ahab’s account is a reminder that disobedience to God’s commands can lead to severe consequences, not just for the individual but for the nation.

Spiritual Blindness
The bandage over the prophet’s eyes symbolizes spiritual blindness. It serves as a reminder to seek God’s truth and avoid being blinded by our own desires or misconceptions.

Bible Study Questions

1. How does the use of a parable in 1 Kings 20:38 compare to other instances in the Bible where parables are used to convey truth?

2. What can we learn from the prophet’s method of delivering God’s message to Ahab about the importance of creativity and wisdom in sharing God’s truth today?

3. In what ways does Ahab’s failure to follow God’s command reflect our own struggles with obedience, and how can we overcome these challenges?

4. How does the concept of spiritual blindness manifest in our lives, and what steps can we take to ensure we are seeing clearly through God’s perspective?

5. Reflect on a time when you faced consequences for disobedience. How did that experience shape your understanding of God’s expectations and your relationship with Him?

Connections to Other Scriptures

2 Samuel 12
Nathan confronts King David with a parable, similar to how the prophet confronts Ahab, highlighting the use of parables to reveal truth and convict of sin.

1 Kings 13
Another prophet disguises himself, showing a pattern of God using prophets in disguise to deliver messages.

Matthew 13
Jesus uses parables to reveal truths to those willing to hear, illustrating the power of accounttelling in divine revelation.

Sermons

Resisted Mercy	J. Urquhart	1 Kings 20:22-43
False Mercy	J.A. Macdonald	1 Kings 20:30-43

People

Ahab, Aram, Ben, Benhadad, Ben-hadad, Hadad, Israelites, Syrians

Places

Aphek, Damascus, Samaria, Syria

Topics

Ashes, Bandage, Covered, Departed, Disguised, Disguiseth, Disguising, Face, Headband, Head-band, Prophet, Pulling, Road, Sash, Standeth, Stood, Waited, Waiting

Dictionary of Bible Themes

1 Kings 20:38

     5184   standing
     5505   roads
     5977   waiting

4938 fate, final destiny

1 Kings 20:37-43

5920 pretence

Library

The Lost Opportunity
TEXT: "And 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 20:40. There is a very striking incident connected with this text. The great battle is raging, a certain important prisoner has been taken, and if you read between the lines you seem to know that upon him depend many of the issues of war. His skill in leading the enemy had been marvelous, his courage in the thick of the fight striking; …
J. Wilbur Chapman—And Judas Iscariot

Putting on the Armour
And the king of Israel answered and said. Tell him. Let not him that girdeth on his harness boast himself as he that putteth it off.'--1 KINGS xx. 11. For the Young. Ahab, King of Israel, was but a poor creature, and, like most weak characters, he turned out a wicked one, because he found that there were more temptations to do wrong than inducements to do right. Like other weak people, too, he was torn asunder by the influence of stronger wills. On the one side he had a termagant of a wife, stirring …
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture

The Section Chap. I. -iii.
The question which here above all engages our attention, and requires to be answered, is this: Whether that which is reported in these chapters did, or did not, actually and outwardly take place. The history of the inquiries connected with this question is found most fully in Marckius's "Diatribe de uxore fornicationum," Leyden, 1696, reprinted in the Commentary on the Minor Prophets by the same author. The various views may be divided into three classes. 1. It is maintained by very many interpreters, …
Ernst Wilhelm Hengstenberg—Christology of the Old Testament

The Letter of the Synod to the Emperor and Empress.
(Labbe and Cossart, Concilia, Tom. VII., col. 577.) To our most religious and most serene princes, Constantine and Irene his mother. Tarasius, the unworthy bishop of your God-protected royal city, new Rome, and all the holy Council which met at the good pleasure of God and upon the command of your Christ-loving majesty in the renowned metropolis of Nice, the second council to assemble in this city. Christ our God (who is the head of the Church) was glorified, most noble princes, when your heart, …
Philip Schaff—The Seven Ecumenical Councils

Nature of the Renderings
From the text we now turn to the renderings, and to the general principles that were followed, both in the Old and in the New Testament. The revision of the English text was in each case subject to the same general rule, viz. "To introduce as few alterations as possible into the Text of the Authorised Version consistently with faithfulness"; but, owing to the great difference between the two languages, the Hebrew and the Greek, the application of the rule was necessarily different, and the results …
C. J. Ellicott—Addresses on the Revised Version of Holy Scripture

The Practice of Piety in Glorifying God in the Time of Sickness, and when Thou Art Called to Die in the Lord.
As soon as thou perceivest thyself to be visited with any sickness, meditate with thyself: 1. That "misery cometh not forth of the dust; neither doth affliction spring out of the earth." Sickness comes not by hap or chance (as the Philistines supposed that their mice and emrods came, 1 Sam. vi. 9), but from man's wickedness, which, as sparkles, breaketh out. "Man suffereth," saith Jeremiah, "for his sins." "Fools," saith David, "by reason of their transgressions, and because of their iniquities, …
Lewis Bayly—The Practice of Piety

The Twelve Minor Prophets.
1. By the Jewish arrangement, which places together the twelve minor prophets in a single volume, the chronological order of the prophets as a whole is broken up. The three greater prophets, Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel, stand in the true order of time. Daniel began to prophesy before Ezekiel, but continued, many years after him. The Jewish arrangement of the twelve minor prophets is in a sense chronological; that is, they put the earlier prophets at the beginning, and the later at the end of the …
E. P. Barrows—Companion to the Bible

Tiglath-Pileser iii. And the Organisation of the Assyrian Empire from 745 to 722 B. C.
TIGLATH-PILESER III. AND THE ORGANISATION OF THE ASSYRIAN EMPIRE FROM 745 to 722 B.C. FAILURE OF URARTU AND RE-CONQUEST Of SYRIA--EGYPT AGAIN UNITED UNDER ETHIOPIAN AUSPICES--PIONKHI--THE DOWNFALL OF DAMASCUS, OF BABYLON, AND OF ISRAEL. Assyria and its neighbours at the accession of Tiglath-pileser III.: progress of the Aramaeans in the basin of the Middle Tigris--Urartu and its expansion into the north of Syria--Damascus and Israel--Vengeance of Israel on Damascus--Jeroboam II.--Civilisation …
G. Maspero—History Of Egypt, Chaldaea, Syria, Babylonia, and Assyria, V 7

Kings
The book[1] of Kings is strikingly unlike any modern historical narrative. Its comparative brevity, its curious perspective, and-with some brilliant exceptions--its relative monotony, are obvious to the most cursory perusal, and to understand these things is, in large measure, to understand the book. It covers a period of no less than four centuries. Beginning with the death of David and the accession of Solomon (1 Kings i., ii.) it traverses his reign with considerable fulness (1 Kings iii.-xi.), …
John Edgar McFadyen—Introduction to the Old Testament

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