1 Samuel 21:4

The priest answered David, and said, “I have no common bread, but there is holy bread; if only the young men have kept themselves from women.”

World English 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 therefore what is under your hand? Please give me five loaves of bread in my hand, or whatever is available.”

5David answered the priest, and said to him, “Truly, women have been kept from us as usual these three days. When I came out, the vessels of the young men were holy, though it was only a common journey. How much more then today shall their vessels be holy?”

Read all of 1 Samuel 21

Cross References

Exodus 19:15He said to the people, “Be ready by the third day. Don’t have sexual relations with a woman.”

Leviticus 15:18If a man lies with a woman and there is an emission of semen, they shall both bathe themselves in water, and be unclean until the evening.

1 Samuel 21:6So the priest gave him holy bread; for there was no bread there but the show bread that was taken from before the LORD, to be replaced with hot bread in the day when it was taken away.

Matthew 12:3But he said to them, “Haven’t you read what David did when he was hungry, and those 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