1 Kings 14:3

“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 <090907>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 take with thee ten loaves, and cracknels, and a cruse of honey, and go to him--This was a present in unison with the peasant character she assumed. Cracknels are a kind of sweet seed-cake. The prophet was blind, but having received divine premonition of the pretended countrywoman's coming, he addressed her as the queen the moment she appeared, apprised her of the calamities which, in consequence of the ingratitude of Jeroboam, his apostasy, and outrageous misgovernment of Israel, impended over their house, as well as over the nation which too readily followed his idolatrous innovations.”

“See the marginal reference The presents here were selected for the purpose of deception, being such as a poor country person would have been likely to bring. Jeroboam counted also on Ahijah’s blindness 1 Kings 14:4 as favoring his plan of deception (compare Genesis 27:1, Genesis 27:22). Cracknels - See the margin. The Hebrew word is thought to mean a kind of cake which crumbled easily. return to 'Top of Page'”

“And take - A present, after the manner, but mean, as became an ordinary country woman, which she personated. It had been more pious to enquire, why God contended with him. 3 Kings (1 Kings) 14:6”

“14:3 It was customary to take a gift to a prophet when seeking his counsel (2 Kgs 5:5; 8:8). King Jeroboam’s wife took everyday commodities to supplement her disguise.”

“And take: Kg1 13:7; Sa1 9:7, Sa1 9:8; Kg2 4:42, Kg2 5:5, Kg2 5:15, Kg2 8:7-9 with thee: Heb. in thine hand cracknels: or, cakes, Nikkoodim, spotted, or perforated cakes; either, as some suppose, thin cakes pierced through with holes, the same as is called Jews' bread to the present day, and used by them at the passover; or, as Mr. Harmer imagines, cakes spotted with seeds, as with sesamum, Roman coriander, etc., such as he proves from Rauwolff, Russell, and Hanway, are still used in the East. This was certainly not a present that proclaimed royalty; but it does not appear to have been, in the estimation of the East, a present only fit for a country woman to have made, as Bp. Patrick…”