1 Samuel 21:4

(21-5) And the priest answered David, and said: 'There is no common bread under my hand, but there is holy bread; if only the young men have kept themselves from women.'

JPS TaNaKH 1917

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

3(21-4) Now therefore what is under thy hand? five loaves of bread? give them in my hand, or whatsoever there is present.'

5(21-6) And David answered the priest, and said unto him: 'Of a truth women have been kept from us about these three days; when I came out, the vessels of the young men were holy, though it was but a common journey; how much more then to-day, when there shall be holy bread in their vessels?'

Read all of 1 Samuel 21

Cross References

Exodus 19:15And he said unto the people: 'Be ready against the third day; come not near a woman.'

Leviticus 15:18The woman also with whom a man shall lie carnally, they shall both bathe themselves in water, and be unclean until the even.

1 Samuel 21:6(21-7) So the priest gave him holy bread; for there was no bread there but the showbread, that was taken from before the LORD, to put hot bread in the day when it was taken away. —

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