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

Generated Verse: 1 kings 20:38

What does "1 kings 20:38" mean?


This verse from 1 Kings 20:38 is part of a larger story where a prophet of God is trying to subtly rebuke King Ahab for letting Ben-Hadad, the king of Aram, go free after a victory in battle. Here's a breakdown of what the verse means:

"So the prophet departed, and waited for the king by the way..." After receiving God's instructions, the prophet left and positioned himself on the road where King Ahab would be traveling. This was a strategic location to get the king's attention.
"...and disguised himself with his headband over his eyes." This is the key part. The prophet didn't want Ahab to immediately recognize him. Here are some possible reasons for the disguise:

To Gain Ahab's Attention as a Regular Person: By disguising himself, the prophet could approach Ahab as a common person with a problem, rather than being immediately dismissed as just another prophet with a message the king didn't want to hear.
To Create a Scenario: The disguise allowed the prophet to set up a scenario where he could tell Ahab a story without Ahab realizing it was a parable about his own actions.
To Avoid Immediate Rejection: Ahab had previously shown hostility towards prophets. Disguise might have been a way to avoid immediate anger or rejection. The headband would have partially obscured his face, enough to make him less recognizable at first glance.

In essence, the prophet's disguise was a calculated move to get Ahab to listen to a message of rebuke without immediately dismissing it or rejecting the messenger. It allowed the prophet to create a situation where Ahab would judge the story presented to him, and in doing so, unknowingly condemn his own actions.

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