1 Samuel 21:4

The priest answered David and said, “There is no ordinary bread on hand, but there is holy bread—if the young men have kept themselves from women.”

Unlocked Literal 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 is here.”

5David answered the priest, “Surely women have been kept from us for the past three days, as usual when I set out. The things belonging to the men have been set apart even on ordinary missions. How much more today will what they have be set apart!”

Read all of 1 Samuel 21

Cross References

Exodus 19:15He said to the people, “Be ready on the third day; do not go near your wives.”

Leviticus 15:18If a woman and a man sleep together and there is a transfer of semen to her, they must both bathe themselves in water; they will be unclean until evening.

1 Samuel 21:6So the priest gave him the bread that was set apart. For there was no bread there except the bread of the presence, which was removed from before Yahweh, in order to put hot bread in its place on the day it was taken away.

Matthew 12:3But Jesus said to them, “Have you never read what David did, when he was hungry, and the men who 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 →

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Study 1 Samuel 21:4