1 Samuel 21:4

The old man said, “I have nothing, no bread, I only have this special bread, that we make to give to God. Only men that do my kind of work can eat it. I’ll let you take it, but only if your men have not slept with women, like men do with their wives.”

Plain English Version

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

3Do you have any food? I need some. Maybe 5 loaves of bread? Or maybe some other kind of food?”

5David said, “Yes, we always do that when we work for the big boss. Today we have a special job to do, so we have to properly follow that rule. We have not slept with any women.”

Read all of 1 Samuel 21

Cross References

1 Samuel 21:6So the old man gave him the special bread that was left from the day before, because the fresh bread was still on God’s table.

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 →

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Study 1 Samuel 21:4