6 He looked, and behold, there was at his head a cake baked on the coals, and a jar of water. He ate and drank, and laid down again.
*Minor differences ignored. Grouped by changes, with first version listed as example.
A cake baken on the coals - It is not implied that Elijah found a fire lighted and the cake on it, but only that he found one of the usual baked cakes of the desert, which form the ordinary food of the Arab at the present day.
At his head - The Hebrew word means simply "the place on which the head lies;" hence, the marginal rendering, "bolster."
A cake baken on the coals - All this seems to have been supernaturally provided.
And he looked, and, behold, there was a cake baked on the coals,.... Just took off the coals, quite hot. Bochart (q) thinks it should be rendered, "baked on hot stones"; and such was the way of baking cakes in some of the eastern countries; see Gill on Genesis 18:6, the stones hereabout might be heated by a supernatural power, and the cake baked on them by an angel; these sort of cakes are in Hebrew called "huggoth", as some pronounce the word, and are said to be now common in Bulgaria, where they are called "hugaces" (r):
and a cruse of water at his head; to drink of in eating the cake; which cruse or pot a learned man (s) thinks was Elijah's, not brought by the angel, only water put into it by him; see 1-Samuel 26:11, and he did eat and drink; but not all that was set before him:
and laid him down again; to take some more sleep for his greater refreshment.
(q) Hierozoic. par. 1. l. 2. c. 33. col. 528. (r) Busbequius apud Calmet on the word "Bread". (s) Schacchi Elaeochrism. Myrothec. l. 1. c. 44. col. 224.
*More commentary available at chapter level.