John Gill's Bible Commentary Ver. 3. And take with thee ten loaves, and cracknels, and a cruse of honey, and go to him , etc.] It being usual to carry a present to a prophet when he was inquired of on any account, (see 1 Samuel 9:7) and this being a plain present, and of such things as the country afforded, she might be taken for a plain countrywoman, and not for such a personage as she was: the ten loaves could not be large for a woman to carry, most probably made of wheat; the cracknels, according to the Greek version in Drusius, were for the prophet’s children; they very likely were spiced, or were sweetened with honey, and might be somewhat like our simnels; they seem to have their name in Hebrew from having points and pricks in them for the sake of ornament; such as Plautus calls “scribilitae”, because as Turnebus says, they were marked and pricked, and seemed as if they were written: he shall tell thee what shall become of the child ; whether it should live or die, for that was all he wanted to know; he did not desire to know what should be done to the child for its recovery, nor to request the prophet’s prayers for it.
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 1-6 - "At that time," when Jeroboam did evil, his child sickened. When sickness comes into our families, we should inquire whether there ma not be some particular sin harboured in our houses, which the affliction is sent to convince us of, and reclaim us from. It had bee more pious if he had desired to know wherefore God contended with him had begged the prophet's prayers, and cast away his idols from him; but most people would rather be told their fortune, than their faults of their duty. He sent to Ahijah, because he had told him he should be king. Those who by sin disqualify themselves for comfort, yet expec that their ministers, because they are good men, should speak peace an comfort to them, greatly wrong themselves and their ministers. He sen his wife in disguise, that the prophet might only answer her questio concerning her son. Thus some people would limit their ministers to smooth things, and care not for having the whole counsel of God declared to them, lest it should prophesy no good concerning them, but evil. But she shall know, at the first word, what she has to trust to Tidings of a portion with hypocrites will be heavy tidings. God wil judge men according to what they are, not by what they seem to be.
Original Hebrew ולקחת3947 בידך3027 עשׂרה6235 לחם3899 ונקדים5350 ובקבק1228 דבשׁ1706 ובאת935 אליו413 הוא1931 יגיד5046 לך מה4100 יהיה1961 לנער׃5288
