Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of 1 Kings 20:38
So the prophet departed, and waited for the king by the way, and disguised himself with ashes upon his face.
38. waited for the king by the way ] He wished to intercept Ahab just as he was coming from his interview with Ben-hadad. A parallel this to the lion meeting the disobedient prophet as soon as he had departed from his fellow.
and disguised himself ] With this action may be compared the assumed mourning garb of the widow of Tekoah (2Sa 14:2).
with ashes upon his face ] R.V. with his head band over his eyes. The A. V. is the rendering of the Vulg. and Syriac, and is the result of taking in the text as the same which means ‘dust’, ‘ashes’. The LXX. has the true sense in = a bandage, while the Chaldee translates it as ‘a veil’. When the proper meaning is given to the first word, the common rendering ‘eyes’ for the second can be brought in.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Ashes – Rather, a bandage (and in 1Ki 20:41). The object of the wound and bandage was double. Partly, it was to prevent Ahab from recognizing the prophets face; partly, to induce him to believe that the man had really been engaged in the recent war.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Verse 38. Disguised himself with ashes upon his face.] It does not immediately appear how putting ashes upon his face could disguise him. Instead of apher, dust, Houbigant conjectures that it should be aphad, a fillet or bandage. It is only the corner of the last letter which makes the difference; for the daleth and resh are nearly the same, only the shoulder of the former is square, the latter round. That bandage, not dust, was the original reading, seems pretty evident from its remains in two of the oldest versions, the Septuagint and the Chaldee; the former has , “And he bound his eyes with a fillet.” The latter has ukerich bemaaphira einohi; “And he covered his eyes with a cloth.” The MSS. of Kennicott and De Rossi contain no various reading here; but bandage is undoubtedly the true one. However, in the way of mortification, both the Jews and Hindoos put ashes upon their heads and faces, and make themselves sufficiently disgusting.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
That he might sooner gain access to the king, and audience from him. See Poole “1Ki 20:35“.
With ashes; whereby he changed the colour of it. Or, with a veil, or cloth, or band, (as the Hebrew doctors understand the word,) whereby he might seem to have bound up his wound, which probably was in his face; for it was to be made in a very conspicuous place, that it might be visible to Ahab and others.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
So the prophet departed, and waited for the king by the way,…. As he went from Aphek, the place where the battle had been fought, to Samaria, his royal seat:
and disguised himself with ashes upon his face; the Targum is, he covered his eyes with a vail, or piece of cloth, which he wrapped about his head, as men do when they have got a wound or bruise in such a part, which seems very probable; for had he besmeared his face with ashes, clay, or dust, or any such thing, he could not so easily have got it off, as in 1Ki 20:41.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
With these wounds he placed himself in the king’s path, and disguised himself ( as in 1Sa 28:8) by a bandage over his eyes. does not mean ashes (Syr., Vulg., Luth., etc.), but corresponds to the Chaldee , head-band, (lxx).
Fuente: Keil & Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament
(38) Ashes upon his face.It should be a bandage over his head, to cover his face, and to accord with the appearance of a wounded soldier. Unless the wound had some symbolic significance in application to Ahab or Israel, it is difficult to see what purpose it could serve.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
38. With ashes upon his face Rather, with a bandage over his eyes. , a bandage, a fillet or head band. Septuagint, . He disguised himself with this head-covering that the king might not recognize him as one of the prophets, (compare 1Ki 20:41,) and he had procured himself smitten and wounded that his parable (1Ki 20:39) might have the greater semblance of reality.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
1Ki 20:38. With ashes upon his face Houbigant reads, with a bandage;he had his eyes covered with a bandage. Several of the versions render it with a veil. See 1Ki 20:41.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
1Ki 20:38 So the prophet departed, and waited for the king by the way, and disguised himself with ashes upon his face.
Ver. 38. And disguised himself. ] He slurried his face with ashes cast upon blood, that he might not appear to be a prophet; for then guilty Ahab would not have heard him, especially being now puffed up by his great victory.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
ashes, &c. = bandage. inheritance).
Jezreel. In the plain of Esdraelon.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
disguised: 1Ki 14:2, 1Ki 22:30, 2Sa 14:2, Mat 6:16
Reciprocal: 1Ki 18:22 – I only 1Ki 20:22 – the prophet 1Ki 20:35 – of the sons 1Ki 20:41 – the ashes away 2Ch 18:29 – I will disguise Mar 12:12 – knew
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
1Ki 20:38. And disguised himself with ashes upon his face As a man in a very sorrowful condition. Houbigant reads it, He had his eyes covered with a bandage, supposing that the genuine, reading of the text is, not , apher, but , aphed, which signifies a bandage; whence comes the Hebrew word ephod; something bound round. Several of the versions render it, with a veil: and thus the Hebrew doctors understand it. It is probable, it was a cloth or bandage of some kind, wherewith he bound up his wound, which probably was in his face: for it was made in a conspicuous place, that it might be visible to Ahab and others.