And the priest answered David, and said, There is no common bread under mine hand, but there is hallowed bread; if the young men have kept themselves at least from women.
Parallel translations
- WEB The priest answered David, and said, “I have no common bread, but there is holy bread; if only the young men have kept themselves from women.”
- BSB “There is no common bread on hand,” the priest replied, “but there is some consecrated bread—provided that the young men have kept themselves from women.”
- ESV And the priest answered David, “I have no common bread on hand, but there is holy bread—if the young men have kept themselves from women.”
- NKJV And 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.”
- NASB The priest answered David and said, “There is no ordinary bread on hand, but there is consecrated bread, if only the young men have kept themselves from women.”
- NLT “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.”
Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
Ahimelech has only the holy bread, which he offers if the men are ceremonially clean.
Overview
The priest explains that ordinary bread is unavailable, but the consecrated showbread could be given if David's young men have kept themselves ceremonially pure. This sets up a tension between strict ritual law and pressing human need. The exchange shows a faithful priest seeking to help while honoring God's holiness.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 7
- Matt 12:3–4But he said unto them, Have ye not read what David did, when he was an hungred, and they that were with him;
- Exod 19:15And he said unto the people, Be ready against the third day: come not at your wives.
- Exod 25:30And thou shalt set upon the table shewbread before me alway.
- Lev 24:5–9And thou shalt take fine flour, and bake twelve cakes thereof: two tenth deals shall be in one cake.
- 1 Sam 21:6So 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.
- 1 Cor 7:5Defraud ye not one the other, except it be with consent for a time, that ye may give yourselves to fasting and prayer; and come together again, that Satan tempt you not for your incontinency.
- Zech 7:3And to speak unto the priests which were in the house of the LORD of hosts, and to the prophets, saying, Should I weep in the fifth month, separating myself, as I have done these so many years?
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Christ at the center
The rise of the anointed king after Israel's failed first choice points to the true Anointed One (Messiah means 'anointed'), the shepherd-king after God's own heart from Bethlehem.
How 1 Samuel 21:4 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
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