He entered the house of God, and he and his companions ate the consecrated bread, which was not lawful for them to eat, but only for the priests.
Parallel translations
- WEB how he entered into God’s house, and ate the show bread, which was not lawful for him to eat, neither for those who were with him, but only for the priests?
- KJV How he entered into the house of God, and did eat the shewbread, which was not lawful for him to eat, neither for them which were with him, but only for the priests?
- NKJV how he entered the house of God and ate the showbread which was not lawful for him to eat, nor for those who were with him, but only for the priests?
- NASB how he entered the house of God, and they ate the consecrated bread, which was not lawful for him to eat nor for those with him, but for the priests alone?
- NLT He went into the house of God, and he and his companions broke the law by eating the sacred loaves of bread that only the priests are allowed to eat.
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
David ate the consecrated bread reserved for priests when in need. This precedent shows ceremonial rules yield to genuine human necessity.
Overview
The showbread was set apart for the priests alone (Lev. 24:5-9), yet David and his men ate it in their hunger without condemnation. Jesus uses this to argue that mercy and necessity have a higher claim than ritual regulation. The example points toward His authority to interpret the law according to its merciful purpose.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 4
- Lev 24:5–9You are also to take fine flour and bake twelve loaves, using two-tenths of an ephah for each loaf,
- Exod 25:30And place the Bread of the Presence on the table before Me at all times.
- Lev 8:31And Moses said to Aaron and his sons, “Boil the meat at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting and eat it there with the bread that is in the basket of ordination offerings, as I commanded, saying, ‘Aaron and his sons are to eat it.’
- Exod 29:32–33At the entrance to the Tent of Meeting, Aaron and his sons are to eat the meat of the ram and the bread that is in the basket.
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Christ at the center
Matthew presents Jesus as the promised King — son of David, son of Abraham — the new Moses and true Israel in whom every prophecy reaches 'that it might be fulfilled.'
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Original language
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