1 Kings 20:38

38 Therefore the prophet went, and met the king in the way; and he changed with a cloth, that is, by (the) wrapping of a cloth, his mouth and eyes. (And so the prophet went, and met the king on the way; and he covered his mouth and his eyes with a cloth, that is, he disguised his face by wrapping it in a cloth.)

1 Kings 20:38 Meaning and Commentary

1 Kings 20:38

So the prophet departed, and waited for the king by the way,
&c.] 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 ( 1 Kings 20:41 ) .

1 Kings 20:38 In-Context

36 To whom the prophet said, For thou wouldest not hear the voice of the Lord, lo! thou shalt go [away] from me, and a lion shall smite thee. And when he had gone a little from him, a lion found him, and slew him.

37 But also the prophet found another man, and he said to that man, Smite thou me. And he smote him, and wounded him.

38 Therefore the prophet went, and met the king in the way; and he changed with a cloth, that is, by (the) wrapping of a cloth, his mouth and eyes. (And so the prophet went, and met the king on the way; and he covered his mouth and his eyes with a cloth, that is, he disguised his face by wrapping it in a cloth.)

39 And when the king had passed (And as the king passed by), he cried to the king, and said, Thy servant went out to fight anon, and when one man had fled, a man brought him to me, and said, Keep thou this man; and if he escapeth, thy life shall be for his life, either thou shalt pay a talent of silver.

40 Soothly while I was troubled, and turned me hither and thither, suddenly he appeared not. And the king of Israel said to him, This is thy doom that thou [thyself] hast deemed. (And while I was troubled, and turned myself here and there, suddenly he was gone. And the king of Israel said to him, This is thy judgement, or thy sentence, that thou thyself hast pronounced, or declared.)