מלכים א, פרק י״ד, פסוק ו׳

An attempt to visit a prophet in secret quickly falls apart when the visitor's true identity is exposed right at the entrance. Despite her efforts to disguise herself, the prophet recognizes her simply by the sound of her footsteps. This makes it clear that his hearing is perfectly sharp, allowing him to identify her while she is still standing at the door [ביאור שטיינזלץ].

He directly challenges her, asking why she is pretending to be someone else. Commentators offer different explanations for her disguise and the prophet's reaction. One approach suggests she thought that if the prophet did not know her identity, he would not prepare a prophecy directed at the royal family. In response, the prophet tells her the disguise is pointless; even without any prior preparation on his part, he already carries a prophecy specifically for her [מלבי״ם]. A different perspective argues that she wore a disguise simply to avoid being recognized by people on the road. According to this view, the prophet assures her that she has no need to hide, as the message he holds is meant only for her and no one else will know about it [מצודת דוד].

The meeting then takes a serious turn as the prophet announces he has been sent to her with a difficult message. The commentators agree that this points to bad news or a harsh vision [רד״ק]. He explains that he is on a severe mission from God [רש״י], tasked with delivering painful words regarding the exact issue that brought her to him in the first place [ביאור שטיינזלץ].