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

3Do you have anything to eat here? Give me five loaves of bread or anything else that you have.’ 4The priest answered David, ‘I do not have any ordinary bread that I can give to you. There is only the special holy bread. You can take it for your men to eat only if they have not had sex with women.’ David replied, ‘We have not been near women since we left our homes. The young men always keep themselves clean, even on ordinary journeys. So for today's important journey, they will certainly be clean.’ 6So the priest gave the holy bread to David because he did not have any other bread. This was the bread which had been on the table in the Lord's tent. The priest would take it from there each day and he would put hot, fresh bread in its place. 7One of Saul's servants was there that day. His name was Doeg. He came from Edom. He was the leader of Saul's shepherds. He was staying in Nob to make offerings to the Lord.

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 Ananias, ‘Go now to Saul! I have chosen him to work for me. He will go to those who are not Jews and to their rulers. He will tell them about me. He will also tell the people of Israel about me.
• 1 Thessalonians 4:3This is how God wants you to live: As his own people, he wants you to be completely good. So you must not have sex in a way that is wrong.
• 2 Timothy 2:20In a big house, there are different kinds of dishes. There are some dishes that people have made from gold or from silver. They see those dishes as valuable things. There are also dishes that people have made from wood or from clay. Those dishes are not special things and they may get dirty.
• 1 Peter 3:17Sometimes God may let you have trouble and pain even when you have done good things. But that is better than if you have trouble and pain because you have done bad things.
• Leviticus 24:9The bread is for Aaron and for his sons. They must eat it in a holy place. It is their holy part of the burnt offering to the Lord.’
• Leviticus 8:26Moses took two flat loaves of bread that they had made without yeast and a biscuit. He took them from the basket that was in front of the Lord. One of the loaves had oil in it. He put them on top of the fat and the leg.

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