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 King James Version (NKJV)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.

Context of 1 Samuel 21:6

4“We don’t have any regular bread,” the priest replied. “But there is the holy bread, which you can have if your young men have not slept with any women recently.” 5“Don’t worry,” David replied. “I never allow my men to be with women when we are on a campaign. And since they stay clean even on ordinary trips, how much more on this one!” 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. 7Now Doeg the Edomite, Saul’s chief herdsman, was there that day, having been detained before the Lord. 8David asked Ahimelech, “Do you have a spear or sword? The king’s business was so urgent that I didn’t even have time to grab a weapon!”

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 12:3Jesus said to them, “Haven’t you read in the Scriptures what David did when he and his companions were hungry?
• Mark 2:25Jesus said to them, “Haven’t you ever read in the Scriptures what David did when he and his companions were hungry?
• Luke 6:3Jesus replied, “Haven’t you read in the Scriptures what David did when he and his companions were hungry?
• Leviticus 24:5“You must bake twelve flat loaves of bread from choice flour, using four quarts of flour for each loaf.

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