1 Samuel 21:6

1 Samuel 21:6 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)So the priest gave him hallowed bread: for there was no bread there but the shewbread, that was taken from before the Lord, to put hot bread in the day when it was taken away.
• New International Version (NIV)So the priest gave him the consecrated bread, since there was no bread there except the bread of the Presence that had been removed from before the Lord and replaced by hot bread on the day it was taken away.
• English Standard Version (ESV)So the priest gave him the holy bread, for there was no bread there but the bread of the Presence, which is removed from before the Lord, to be replaced by hot bread on the day it is taken away.
• New Living Translation (NLT)Since there was no other food available, the priest gave him the holy bread—the Bread of the Presence that was placed before the Lord in the Tabernacle. It had just been replaced that day with fresh bread.

Context of 1 Samuel 21:6

4And the priest answered David and said, “There is no common bread on hand; but there is holy bread, if the young men have at least kept themselves from women.” 5Then 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.” So the priest gave him holy bread; for there was no bread there but the showbread which had been taken from before the Lord, in order to put hot bread in its place on the day when it was taken away. 7Now a certain man of the servants of Saul was there that day, detained before the Lord. And his name was Doeg, an Edomite, the chief of the herdsmen who belonged to Saul. 8And David said to Ahimelech, “Is there not here on hand a spear or a sword? For I have brought neither my sword nor my weapons with me, because the king’s business required haste.”

1 Samuel 21:6 word by word

וַיִּתֶּן־ל֥וֹ הַכֹּהֵ֖ן קֹ֑דֶשׁ כִּי֩ לֹא־הָ֨יָה שָׁ֜ם לֶ֗חֶם כִּֽי־אִם־לֶ֤חֶם הַפָּנִים֙ הַמּֽוּסָרִים֙ מִלִּפְנֵ֣י יְהוָ֔ה לָשׂוּם֙ לֶ֣חֶם חֹ֔ם בְּי֖וֹם הִלָּקְחֽוֹ׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• So the priestכֹּהֵןkôhên · priestH3548
• gaveנָתַןnâthan · to give: giveH5414
• him hallowedקֹ֫דֶשׁqôdesh · holinessH6944
• for there was no breadלֶ֫חֶםlechem · food: breadH3899
• there but the shewbreadפָּנֶהpânîym · faceH6440
• that was takenסוּרsûr ώûr · to turn aside: removeH5493
• from beforeפָּנֶהpânîym · face: beforeH6440
• the Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
• to putשׂוּםώûm ώîym · to set: putH7760
• hotחֹםchôm · heatH2527
• in the dayיוֹםyôm · dayH3117
• when it was taken awayלָקַחlâqach · to take: takeH3947

Cross-references for 1 Samuel 21:6

• Matthew 12:3But He said to them, “Have you not read what David did when he was hungry, he and those who were with him:
• Mark 2:25But He said to them, “Have you never read what David did when he was in need and hungry, he and those with him:
• Luke 6:3But Jesus answering them said, “Have you not even read this, what David did when he was hungry, he and those who were with him:
• Leviticus 24:5“And you shall take fine flour and bake twelve cakes with it. Two-tenths of an ephah shall be in each cake.

Commentaries on 1 Samuel 21:6

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 6So the priest gave him hallowed bread - To this history our Lord alludes, Mark 2:25, in order to show that in cases of absolute necessity a breach of the ritual law was no sin. It was lawful for the priests only to eat the shew-bread; but David and his companions were starving, no other bread could be had at the time, and therefore he and his companions ate of it without sin.Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 6gave him the consecrated bread: Jesus referred to this event to show that helping people is more important than strict obedience to religious rules (see Matthew 12:1–8; Mark 2:23–28; Luke 6:1–5). The Bread of the Presence included twelve loaves, possibly one for each tribe. The priests placed them on a table in the Holy Place. They were replaced every Sabbath (see Exodus 25:30; Leviticus 24:5–9).Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 66. there was no bread there--in the tabernacle. The removal of the old and the substitution of the new bread was done on the Sabbath (Le 24:8), the loaves being kept warm in an oven heated the previous day.Read the comment

Topics related to 1 Samuel 21:6

• Betrayal
• Confidence
• David
• Nob
• Shewbread (Showbread)
• Tabernacle

In the dictionaries

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

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