1 Samuel 21:4

And the priest answered David, saying: I have no common bread at hand, but only holy bread, if the young men be clean, especially from women? If the young men be clean, etc... If this cleanness was required of them that were to eat that bread, which was a figure of the bread of life which we receive in the blessed sacrament; how clean ought Christians to be when they approach to our tremendous mysteries. And what reason hath the church of God to admit none to be her ministers to consecrate and daily receive this most pure sacrament, but such as devote themselves to a life of perpetual purity.

Douay-Rheims Bible (Challoner, 1752)

In The King James Version

And the priest answered David, and said, There is no common bread under mine hand, but there is hallowed bread; if the young men have kept themselves at least from women.

In Context

3Now therefore if thou have any thing at hand, though it were but five loaves, give me, or whatsoever thou canst find.

5And David answered the priest, and said to him: Truly, as to what concerneth women, we have refrained ourselves from yesterday and the day before, when we came out, and the vessels of the young men were holy. Now this way is defiled, but it shall also be sanctified this day in the vessels. The vessels... i. e., the bodies, have been holy, that is, have been kept from impurity.-Ibid. Is defiled... Is liable to expose us to dangers of uncleanness.-Ibid. Be sanctified, etc... That is, we shall take care, notwithstanding these dangerous circumstances, to keep our vessels holy, that is, to keep our bodies from every thing that may defile us.

Read all of 1 Samuel 21

Cross References

Exodus 19:15He said to them: Be ready against the third day, and come not near your wives.

Leviticus 15:18The woman, with whom he copulateth, shall be washed with water: and shall be unclean until the evening.

1 Samuel 21:6The priest therefore gave him hallowed bread: for there was no bread there, but only the loaves of proposition, which had been taken away from before the face of the Lord, that hot loaves might be set up.

Matthew 12:3But he said to them: Have you not read what David did when he was hungry, and they that were with him:

Matthew Henry on 1 Samuel 21:2-10

David Obtains the Show-Bread; David Gets the Sword of Goliath. ( b. c. 1057.) 1 Then came David to Nob to Ahimelech the priest: and Ahimelech was afraid at the meeting of David, and said unto him, Why art thou alone, and no man with thee? 2 And David said unto Ahimelech the priest, The king hath commanded me a business, and hath said unto me, Let no man know any thing of the business whereabout I send thee, and what I have commanded thee: and I have appointed my servants to such and such a place. 3 Now therefore… Read the whole commentary →

This Verse In Other Editions

Study 1 Samuel 21:4