1 Samuel 21:4

“There is no common bread on hand,” the priest replied, “but there is some consecrated bread—provided that the young men have kept themselves from women.”

Majority Standard Bible

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 then, what do you have on hand? Give me five loaves of bread, or whatever can be found.”

5David answered, “Women have indeed been kept from us, as is usual when I set out. And the bodies of the young men are holy even on common missions. How much more so today!”

Read all of 1 Samuel 21

Cross References

Exodus 19:15“Be prepared for the third day,” he said to the people. “Do not draw near to a woman.”

Leviticus 15:18If a man lies with a woman and there is an emission of semen, both must bathe with water, and they will remain unclean until evening.

1 Samuel 21:6So the priest gave him the consecrated bread, since there was no bread there but the Bread of the Presence, which had been removed from before the LORD and replaced with hot bread on the day it was taken away.

Matthew 12:3Jesus replied, “Have you not read what David did when he and his companions were hungry?

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