1 Samuel 21:5

1 Samuel 21:5 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And David answered the priest, and said unto him, Of a truth women have been kept from us about these three days, since I came out, and the vessels of the young men are holy, and the bread is in a manner common, yea, though it were sanctified this day in the vessel.
• New International Version (NIV)David replied, “Indeed women have been kept from us, as usual whenever I set out. The men’s bodies are holy even on missions that are not holy. How much more so today!”
• English Standard Version (ESV)And David answered the priest, "Truly women have been kept from us as always when I go on an expedition. The vessels of the young men are holy even when it is an ordinary journey. How much more today will their vessels be holy?"
• New King James Version (NKJV)Then David answered the priest, and said to him, “Truly, women have been kept from us about three days since I came out. And the vessels of the young men are holy, and the bread is in effect common, even though it was consecrated in the vessel this day.”

Context of 1 Samuel 21:5

3Now what [food] do you have on hand? Give me five loaves of bread, or whatever can be found.” 4The priest answered David, “There is no ordinary (unconsecrated) bread on hand, but there is consecrated bread; [you may have it] if only the young men have kept themselves from women.” David answered the priest, “Be assured that women have been kept from us in these three days since I set out, and the bodies of the young men were consecrated (ceremonially clean), although it was an ordinary (unconsecrated) journey; so how much more will their vessels be holy today?” 6So the priest gave him the consecrated bread; for there was no bread there except the bread of the Presence which was removed from before the Lord in order to put hot bread in its place when it was taken away. 7Now one of Saul’s servants was there that day, detained before the Lord; his name was Doeg the Edomite, the chief of Saul’s shepherds.

1 Samuel 21:5 word by word

וַיַּעַן֩ דָּוִ֨ד אֶת־הַכֹּהֵ֜ן וַיֹּ֣אמֶר ל֗וֹ כִּ֣י אִם־אִשָּׁ֤ה עֲצֻֽרָה־לָ֙נוּ֙ כִּתְמ֣וֹל שִׁלְשֹׁ֔ם בְּצֵאתִ֕י וַיִּהְי֥וּ כְלֵֽי־הַנְּעָרִ֖ים קֹ֑דֶשׁ וְהוּא֙ דֶּ֣רֶךְ חֹ֔ל וְאַ֕ף כִּ֥י הַיּ֖וֹם יִקְדַּ֥שׁ בַּכֶּֽלִי׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• And Davidדָּוִדdâvid dâvîyd · DavidH1732
• answeredעוּן‛ânâh · to dwellH6030
• the priestכֹּהֵןkôhên · priestH3548
• and saidאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
• unto him, Of a truthאִם'im · ifH518
• womenאִשָּׁה'ishshâh nâshîym · womanH802
• keptעָצַר‛âtsar · to restrainH6113
• from us about these threeשִׁלְשֹׁםshilshôm shilshôm · three days agoH8032
• daysתְּמוֹלtemôl temôl · yesterdayH8543
• since I came outיָצָאyâtsâ' · to come out: comeH3318
• and the vesselsכְּלִיkelîy · article/utensilH3627
• of the young menנַ֫עַרna‛ar · youthH5288
• are holyקֹ֫דֶשׁqôdesh · holinessH6944
• in a mannerדֶּ֫רֶךְderek · way: journeyH1870
• commonחֹלchôl · commonH2455
• yea, though it were sanctifiedקָדַשׁqâdash · to consecrate: consecateH6942
• this dayיוֹםyôm · dayH3117

Cross-references for 1 Samuel 21:5

• Acts 9:15But the Lord said to him, “Go, for this man is a [deliberately] chosen instrument of Mine, to bear My name before the Gentiles and kings and the sons of Israel;
• 1 Thessalonians 4:3For this is the will of God, that you be sanctified [separated and set apart from sin]: that you abstain and back away from sexual immorality;
• 2 Timothy 2:20Now in a large house there are not only vessels and objects of gold and silver, but also vessels and objects of wood and of earthenware, and some are for honorable (noble, good) use and some for dishonorable (ignoble, common).
• 1 Peter 3:17For it is better that you suffer [unjustly] for doing what is right, if that should be God’s will, than [to suffer justly] for doing wrong.
• Leviticus 24:9The bread of the Presence shall be for Aaron and his sons, and they shall eat it in a sacred place, for it is for Aaron a most holy portion of the offerings by fire to the Lord, his portion forever.”
• Leviticus 8:26and from the basket of unleavened bread that was before the Lord, he took one unleavened cake, a cake of oiled bread, and one wafer and put them on the fat and on the right thigh;

Commentaries on 1 Samuel 21:5

• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 5The vessels of the young men … - i. e., their clothes Deuteronomy 22:5 or wallets (marginal reference), or other articles which might be Levitically unclean and need cleansing (Leviticus 13:58; Exodus 19:10, etc.; Mark 7:4), as well as the person. And the bread … - The meaning is; “Though it is treating it like common bread to give it to me and my young men, there is fresh showbread baked and put on the table in place of what you give us;” the day being…Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 55. these three days--as required by law (Ex 19:15). David and his attendants seem to have been lurking in some of the adjoining caves, to elude pursuit, and to have been, consequently, reduced to great extremities of hunger. the bread is in a manner common--that is, now that it is no longer standing on the Lord's table. It is eaten by the priests, and may also, in our circumstances, be eaten by us. yea, though it were sanctified this day in the…Read the comment

Topics related to 1 Samuel 21:5

• Betrayal
• Confidence
• David
• Tabernacle

In the dictionaries

• David
• Ahimelech
• Bag
• Bread
• Judges, Book of
• Manner
• Quotations
• Require
• Shewbread
• Abiathar

Commentaries on 1 Samuel 21

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Rashi on Tanakh
• Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary