Tree of Life Version
1 Samuel 21:5
5The kohen answered David saying, “There is no common bread on hand, but there is consecrated bread—so long as the young men have kept themselves from women.”
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
3David said to Ahimelech the kohen, “The king has commissioned me with a matter, and told me: ‘Let no one know anything about the mission on which I am sending you, or with what I have commissioned you.’ So, I have directed the young men to such and such a place. 4So now, what do you have on hand? Give me five loaves of bread or whatever can be found.” The kohen answered David saying, “There is no common bread on hand, but there is consecrated bread—so long as the young men have kept themselves from women.” 6“Of course women have been kept from us, as on previous campaigns,” David answered the kohen. “So the young men’s vessels were holy, though it was an ordinary mission—how much more so will their vessels be holy today!” 7So the kohen gave him consecrated bread, for there was no bread there but the bread of the Presence, which was taken out from the presence of Adonai in order to replace it with hot bread on the day it was taken away.
Read all of 1 Samuel 211 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 he is a choice instrument to carry My name before nations and kings and Bnei-Yisrael.
- 1 Thessalonians 4:3For this is the will of God—your sanctification: to abstain from sexual immorality;
- 2 Timothy 2:20Now in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and silver, but also of wood and clay—some for honor and some for common use.
- 1 Peter 3:17For it is better to suffer for doing good (if it is God’s will) than for doing evil.
- Leviticus 24:9It belongs to Aaron and his sons, and they are to eat it in a holy place, for it is most holy to him among the offerings of Adonai by fire, as a perpetual statute.”
- Leviticus 8:26Then out of the basket of matzah that was before Adonai, he took one matzah cake, one cake of oiled bread and one wafer, and placed 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
In the dictionaries
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
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