The Meaning of 1 Kings 14:3 Explained

1 Kings 14:3

KJV: And take with thee ten loaves, and cracknels, and a cruse of honey, and go to him: he shall tell thee what shall become of the child.

YLT: and thou hast taken in thy hand ten loaves, and crumbs, and a bottle of honey, and hast gone in unto him; he doth declare to thee what becometh of the youth.'

Darby: And take with thee ten loaves, and cakes, and a cruse of honey, and go to him: he will tell thee what shall become of the lad.

ASV: And take with thee ten loaves, and cakes, and a cruse of honey, and go to him: he will tell thee what shall become of the child.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And take  with thee  ten  loaves,  and cracknels,  and a cruse  of honey,  and go  to him: he shall tell  thee what shall become of the child. 

What does 1 Kings 14:3 Mean?

Context Summary

1 Kings 14:1-16 - The Blind Prophet Sees Jeroboam's Doom
How blind we become when we sin against our conscience! Each act of willful sin puts another shade on the window of the soul. "Their foolish heart was darkened," Romans 1:21. Surely if the prophet were able to predict the issue of this sickness, he would be able to penetrate the mother's disguise, although she brought only the gifts of a poor peasant woman. Jeroboam had devised this ruse, partly, because he did not wish the nation to know that he was consulting a prophet of Jehovah-an act which might invalidate his new temple and the calves, and also because he wanted to get a more favorable answer than that which he anticipated in case the prophet recognized the inquirer. We may disguise ourselves as we will, but we cannot cheat God, and no dissembling can ever turn away the arrow that speeds straight to the guilty heart.
Jewish historians say that the exception was made in Abijah's case, 1 Kings 14:13, because he interceded with his father that all Israelites who wished might be allowed to go to the feasts at Jerusalem, without being penalized. There is always discrimination in the divine judgments. How often God has brought beautiful lives out of foul surroundings, as the pure lily-cup out of a muddy pond! [source]

Chapter Summary: 1 Kings 14

1  Abijah being sick,
2  Jeroboam sends his wife, disguised, with presents to the prophet Ahijah
5  Ahijah forewarned by God, denounces God's judgment
17  Abijah dies, and is buried
19  Nadab succeeds Jeroboam
21  Rehoboam's wicked reign,
25  Shishak raids Jerusalem
29  Abijam succeeds Rehoboam

What do the individual words in 1 Kings 14:3 mean?

And take with you ten loaves and [some] cakes and a jar of honey and go to him he will tell you what will become of the child
וְלָקַ֣חַתְּ בְּ֠יָדֵךְ עֲשָׂרָ֨ה לֶ֧חֶם וְנִקֻּדִ֛ים וּבַקְבֻּ֥ק דְּבַ֖שׁ וּבָ֣את אֵלָ֑יו ה֚וּא יַגִּ֣יד לָ֔ךְ מַה־ יִּֽהְיֶ֖ה לַנָּֽעַר

וְלָקַ֣חַתְּ  And  take 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, second person feminine singular
Root: יָקַח 
Sense: to take, get, fetch, lay hold of, seize, receive, acquire, buy, bring, marry, take a wife, snatch, take away.
בְּ֠יָדֵךְ  with  you 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, feminine singular construct, second person feminine singular
Root: יָד  
Sense: hand.
עֲשָׂרָ֨ה  ten 
Parse: Number, masculine singular
Root: עֶשֶׂר 
Sense: ten.
לֶ֧חֶם  loaves 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: לֶחֶם  
Sense: bread, food, grain.
וְנִקֻּדִ֛ים  and  [some]  cakes 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine plural
Root: נִקֻּדִים  
Sense: crumbled thing, thing easily crumbled, crumbs.
וּבַקְבֻּ֥ק  and  a  jar 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: בַּקְבֻּק  
Sense: flask, bottle.
דְּבַ֖שׁ  of  honey 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: דְּבַשׁ  
Sense: honey.
וּבָ֣את  and  go 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, second person feminine singular
Root: בֹּוא 
Sense: to go in, enter, come, go, come in.
אֵלָ֑יו  to  him 
Parse: Preposition, third person masculine singular
Root: אֶל  
Sense: to, toward, unto (of motion).
יַגִּ֣יד  will  tell 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: נָגַד  
Sense: to be conspicuous, tell, make known.
יִּֽהְיֶ֖ה  will  become 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אֶהְיֶה 
Sense: to be, become, come to pass, exist, happen, fall out.
לַנָּֽעַר  of  the  child 
Parse: Preposition-l, Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: נַעַר  
Sense: a boy, lad, servant, youth, retainer.