At that time Abijah, the son of Jeroboam, fell sick. Being smitten of God with some disease, as a punishment of Jeroboam's sin; how long this was after the above things were done cannot be said. read more
And Jeroboam said to his wife ,.... Who she was is not known: arise, I pray thee, and disguise thyself ; put off her royal apparel, and clothe herself like a common person, mimic the dress and language of a country woman: that thou be not known to be the wife of Jeroboam : by any that should see her on the road, or at the city she was to go to, or by the prophet to whom she would be sent: and get thee to Shiloh ; which, according to Bunting F7 Travels, &c.; p. 161. ,... read more
And take with thee ten loaves, and cracknels, and a cruse of honey, and go to him ,.... 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... read more
And Jeroboam's wife did so, and went to Shiloh, and came to the house of Abijah ,.... Disguised herself, and took this long journey, and found the prophet's house; which she did partly in obedience to her husband, and partly from affection to her child: but Abijah could not see; her or anybody else that came into the room to him: for his eyes were set by reason of his age ; or "stood" fixed and immovable, as the eyes of blind men are; or the nerves and muscles of his eyes stood within... read more
And the Lord said unto Abijah ,.... Either in a dream, or by an impulse upon his mind, before Jeroboam's wife came in: behold, the wife of Jeroboam cometh to ask a thing of thee for her son, for he is sick ; to know whether he will recover or not: thus and thus shall thou say unto her ; as after expressed in some following verses: for it shall be, when she cometh in, that she shall feign herself another woman ; to the people that let her in, and introduce her to the prophet, and... read more
Abijah - fell sick - This was but a prelude to the miseries which fell on the house of Jeroboam; but it was another merciful warning, intended to turn him from his idolatry and wickedness. read more
Ten loaves - Probably common or household bread. Cracknels - נקדים nikkuddim , spotted, or perforated bread; thin cakes, pierced through with many holes, the same as is called Jews' bread to the present day, and used by them at the passover. It was customary to give presents to all great personages; and no person consulted a prophet without bringing something in his hand. read more
Feign herself to be another woman - It would have been discreditable to Jeroboam's calves, if it had been known that he had consulted a prophet of Jehovah. read more
EXPOSITION THE DEATH OF JEROBOAM 'S SON .—The protest of the prophet of Judah, the signs which supported it, and above all the solemn visitation, with its strange portents, which straightway followed it, having alike failed to arrest Jeroboam ( 1 Kings 13:33 ) in his high-handed and shameless depravation of the true religion, we now read of the retribution which came upon his family, and which began with the sickness and death of his firstborn. We can hardly regard this as... read more
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Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - 1 Kings 14:1-6
How Jeroboam persisted in his contempt of God and religion we read in the close of the foregoing chapter. Here we are told how God proceeded in his controversy with him; for when God judges he will overcome, and sinners shall either bend or break before him. I. His child fell sick, 1 Kgs. 14:1. It is probable that he was his eldest son, and heir-apparent to the crown; for at his death all the kingdom went into mourning for him, 1 Kgs. 13:1-34 His dignity as a prince, his age as a young prince,... read more