1 Kings 14:3

And take with thee [Heb. in thine hand ] ten loaves [ Ten would seem to have been a usual number ( 1 Samuel 17:18 ). On the subject of gifts or fees to prophets, judges, etc; see on Hebrews 13:7 ], and cracknels [or cakes, as marg. The original word נִקֻּדִּים ( נָקַד pupugit ) means "pricked," or "spotted." It is the word translated "mouldy" in Joshua 9:5 , Joshua 9:12 , where Gesenius would render "crumbs." Mouldy bread would hardly be taken as a present. These cakes, according to the LXX ; Cod. Alex; were for the prophet's children ] and a cruse [ i.e; leather bottle, בַּקְבֻּק Bakbuk, is clearly an onomatopoetic word, suggested by the bubbling noise of liquids in emptying] of honey [Spices and other delicacies were often given as presents, and honey was a special product of the country ( Exodus 3:8 ; Deuteronomy 8:8 ; 2 Samuel 17:29 . The honey sent by Jacob to Joseph was probably "honey of grapes"). The present was purposely a poor one, for the sake of maintaining the deception; i.e; it was a part of the disguise], and go to him: he shall tell thee what shall become of [Heb. be to ] the child . [At first it strikes us as strange that Jeroboam merely asks what the result will be. He does not petition, that is to say, as in 1 Kings 13:6 , for a cure. But we find the same peculiarity, which some would explain by the fatalism of the East, in 2 Kings 1:2 , and 2 Kings 8:9 , In the present instance, however, no such explanation is needed. For