Carl Friedrich Keil and Franz Delitzsch Old Testament Commentary

The disciple of the prophets then asked another to smite him, and he smote him, "smiting and wounding," i.e., so that he not only smote, but also wounded him (vid., Ewald, 280, a.). He wished to be smitten and wounded, not to disguise himself, or that he might be able to appeal loudly to the king for help to obtain his rights, as though he had suffered some wrong (Ewald), nor merely to assume the deceptive appearance of a warrior returning from the battle (Thenius), but to show to Ahab symbolically what he had to expect from Benhadad whom he had released (C. a Lap., Calm., etc.).