1 Kings 20:41

41 At that, the man ripped the bandage off his eyes and the king recognized who he was - one of the prophets!

1 Kings 20:41 Meaning and Commentary

1 Kings 20:41

And he hasted, and took away the ashes from his face
Took off the linen cloth from his eyes, unveiled or unmasked himself:

and the king of Israel discerned him, that he was of the prophets;
he knew him again, having seen him once or twice before; otherwise there could be nothing in his face that could discover him to be a prophet, rather he was to be known by his habit.

1 Kings 20:41 In-Context

39 It wasn't long before the king happened by. The man cried out to the king, "Your servant was in the thick of the battle when a man showed up and turned over a prisoner to me, saying, 'Guard this man with your life; if he turns up missing you'll pay dearly.'
40 But I got busy doing one thing after another and the next time I looked he was gone." The king of Israel said, "You've just pronounced your own verdict."
41 At that, the man ripped the bandage off his eyes and the king recognized who he was - one of the prophets!
42 The man said to the king, "God's word: Because you let a man go who was under sentence by God, it's now your life for his, your people for his."
43 The king of Israel went home in a sulk. He arrived in Samaria in a very bad mood.
Published by permission. Originally published by NavPress in English as THE MESSAGE: The Bible in Contemporary Language copyright 2002 by Eugene Peterson. All rights reserved.