King James Version:
(The Lord speaking is red text)
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.
Complete Jewish Bible:
So the cohen gave him consecrated bread, because there was no bread there other than the showbread that had been removed from before ADONAI to be replaced by freshly baked bread on the day the old bread was removed.
Berean Standard Bible:
So the priest gave him the consecrated bread, since there was no bread there but the Bread of the Presence, which had been removed from before the LORD and replaced with hot bread on the day it was taken away.
American Standard Version:
So the priest gave him holy bread; for there was no bread there but the showbread, that was taken from before Jehovah, to put hot bread in the day when it was taken away.
KJV with Strong’s Numbers:
So the priest{H3548} gave{H5414} him hallowed{H6944} bread: for there was no bread{H3899} there but the shewbread{H3899}{H6440}, that was taken{H5493} from before{H6440} the LORD{H3068}, to put{H7760} hot{H2527} bread{H3899} in the day{H3117} when it was taken away{H3947}.
Cross-References (KJV):
Luke 6:3
- And Jesus answering them said, Have ye not read so much as this, what David did, when himself was an hungred, and they which were with him;
Luke 6:4
- How he went into the house of God, and did take and eat the shewbread, and gave also to them that were with him; which it is not lawful to eat but for the priests alone?
Matthew 12:3
- But he said unto them, Have ye not read what David did, when he was an hungred, and they that were with him;
Matthew 12:4
- 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?
Leviticus 24:5
- And thou shalt take fine flour, and bake twelve cakes thereof: two tenth deals shall be in one cake.
Leviticus 24:9
- And it shall be Aaron's and his sons'; and they shall eat it in the holy place: for it [is] most holy unto him of the offerings of the LORD made by fire by a perpetual statute.
Mark 2:25
- And he said unto them, Have ye never read what David did, when he had need, and was an hungred, he, and they that were with him?
Explore This Verse Across Other Resources:
Commentary for 1 Samuel 21:6
1 Samuel 21:6 recounts an event in the life of David, who at this point in the biblical narrative is fleeing from King Saul, who seeks to kill him out of jealousy and fear of David's growing popularity and influence. Historically, this event takes place during a time of transition in Israel's leadership, as the prophet Samuel had anointed David to be the future king, though Saul was still reigning.
In this verse, David arrives at Nob, the location of the tabernacle, and approaches Ahimelech the priest, asking for food. The historical context is important: the bread that Ahimelech gives to David is the "shewbread," also known as the "bread of the Presence," which consisted of twelve loaves placed weekly in the sanctuary as a symbol of the twelve tribes of Israel's fellowship with God. This bread was considered sacred, and under normal circumstances, it was to be eaten only by the priests.
The themes present in this verse include divine providence, as God provides for David's needs in a miraculous way through the sacred bread. It also touches on the themes of hunger and sustenance, highlighting the urgency of David's situation and his reliance on God for basic necessities. Furthermore, it illustrates the concept of sacred law and its exceptions, as Ahimelech makes an extraordinary provision for David based on his immediate need, despite the strict dietary and ceremonial regulations of the time.
The verse speaks to the broader theme of God's faithfulness to His anointed one, David, and the lengths to which God will go to protect and sustain His chosen servants, even in the face of human protocol and tradition. It also foreshadows the future establishment of David's dynasty, which will lead to the eventual birth of Jesus Christ, as recorded in the New Testament.
*This commentary is produced by Microsoft/WizardLM-2-8x22B AI model
Strong's Numbers and Definitions:
Note: H = Hebrew (OT), G = Greek (NT)
- Strong's Number: H3548
There are 653 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: כֹּהֵן
Transliteration: kôhên
Pronunciation: ko-hane'
Description: active participle of כָּהַן; literally one officiating, a priest; also (by courtesy) an acting priest (although a layman); chief ruler, [idiom] own, priest, prince, principal officer. - Strong's Number: H5414
There are 1816 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: נָתַן
Transliteration: nâthan
Pronunciation: naw-than'
Description: a primitive root; to give, used with greatest latitude of application (put, make, etc.); add, apply, appoint, ascribe, assign, [idiom] avenge, [idiom] be (healed), bestow, bring (forth, hither), cast, cause, charge, come, commit, consider, count, [phrase] cry, deliver (up), direct, distribute, do, [idiom] doubtless, [idiom] without fail, fasten, frame, [idiom] get, give (forth, over, up), grant, hang (up), [idiom] have, [idiom] indeed, lay (unto charge, up), (give) leave, lend, let (out), [phrase] lie, lift up, make, [phrase] O that, occupy, offer, ordain, pay, perform, place, pour, print, [idiom] pull, put (forth), recompense, render, requite, restore, send (out), set (forth), shew, shoot forth (up), [phrase] sing, [phrase] slander, strike, (sub-) mit, suffer, [idiom] surely, [idiom] take, thrust, trade, turn, utter, [phrase] weep, [phrase] willingly, [phrase] withdraw, [phrase] would (to) God, yield. - Strong's Number: H6944
There are 382 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: קֹדֶשׁ
Transliteration: qôdesh
Pronunciation: ko'-desh
Description: from קָדַשׁ; a sacred place or thing; rarely abstract, sanctity; consecrated (thing), dedicated (thing), hallowed (thing), holiness, ([idiom] most) holy ([idiom] day, portion, thing), saint, sanctuary. - Strong's Number: H3899
There are 277 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: לֶחֶם
Transliteration: lechem
Pronunciation: lekh'-em
Description: from לָחַם; See also בֵּית לְעַפְרָה; food (for man or beast), especially bread, or grain (for making it); (shew-) bread, [idiom] eat, food, fruit, loaf, meat, victuals. - Strong's Number: H6440
There are 1890 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: פָּנִים
Transliteration: pânîym
Pronunciation: paw-neem'
Description: plural (but always as singular) of an unused noun פָּנֶה; from פָּנָה); the face (as the part that turns); used in a great variety of applications (literally and figuratively); also (with prepositional prefix) as a preposition (before, etc.); [phrase] accept, a-(be-) fore(-time), against, anger, [idiom] as (long as), at, [phrase] battle, [phrase] because (of), [phrase] beseech, countenance, edge, [phrase] employ, endure, [phrase] enquire, face, favour, fear of, for, forefront(-part), form(-er time, -ward), from, front, heaviness, [idiom] him(-self), [phrase] honourable, [phrase] impudent, [phrase] in, it, look(-eth) (-s), [idiom] me, [phrase] meet, [idiom] more than, mouth, of, off, (of) old (time), [idiom] on, open, [phrase] out of, over against, the partial, person, [phrase] please, presence, propect, was purposed, by reason of, [phrase] regard, right forth, [phrase] serve, [idiom] shewbread, sight, state, straight, [phrase] street, [idiom] thee, [idiom] them(-selves), through ([phrase] -out), till, time(-s) past, (un-) to(-ward), [phrase] upon, upside ([phrase] down), with(-in, [phrase] -stand), [idiom] ye, [idiom] you. - Strong's Number: H5493
There are 283 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: סוּר
Transliteration: çûwr
Pronunciation: soor
Description: or שׂוּר; (Hosea 9:12), a primitive root; to turn off (literal or figurative); be(-head), bring, call back, decline, depart, eschew, get (you), go (aside), [idiom] grievous, lay away (by), leave undone, be past, pluck away, put (away, down), rebel, remove (to and fro), revolt, [idiom] be sour, take (away, off), turn (aside, away, in), withdraw, be without. - Strong's Number: H3068
There are 5521 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: יְהֹוָה
Transliteration: Yᵉhôvâh
Pronunciation: yeh-ho-vaw'
Description: from הָיָה; (the) self-Existent or Eternal; Jehovah, Jewish national name of God; Jehovah, the Lord. Compare יָהּ, יְהֹוִה. - Strong's Number: H7760
There are 550 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: שׂוּם
Transliteration: sûwm
Pronunciation: soom
Description: or שִׂים; a primitive root; to put (used in a great variety of applications, literal, figurative, inferentially, and elliptically); [idiom] any wise, appoint, bring, call (a name), care, cast in, change, charge, commit, consider, convey, determine, [phrase] disguise, dispose, do, get, give, heap up, hold, impute, lay (down, up), leave, look, make (out), mark, [phrase] name, [idiom] on, ordain, order, [phrase] paint, place, preserve, purpose, put (on), [phrase] regard, rehearse, reward, (cause to) set (on, up), shew, [phrase] stedfastly, take, [idiom] tell, [phrase] tread down, (over-)turn, [idiom] wholly, work. - Strong's Number: H2527
There are 13 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: חֹם
Transliteration: chôm
Pronunciation: khome
Description: from חָמַם; heat; heat, to be hot (warm). - Strong's Number: H3117
There are 1931 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: יוֹם
Transliteration: yôwm
Pronunciation: yome
Description: from an unused root meaning to be hot; a day (as the warm hours), whether literal (from sunrise to sunset, or from one sunset to the next), or figurative (a space of time defined by an associated term), (often used adverb); age, [phrase] always, [phrase] chronicals, continually(-ance), daily, ((birth-), each, to) day, (now a, two) days (agone), [phrase] elder, [idiom] end, [phrase] evening, [phrase] (for) ever(-lasting, -more), [idiom] full, life, as (so) long as (... live), (even) now, [phrase] old, [phrase] outlived, [phrase] perpetually, presently, [phrase] remaineth, [idiom] required, season, [idiom] since, space, then, (process of) time, [phrase] as at other times, [phrase] in trouble, weather, (as) when, (a, the, within a) while (that), [idiom] whole ([phrase] age), (full) year(-ly), [phrase] younger. - Strong's Number: H3947
There are 909 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: לָקַח
Transliteration: lâqach
Pronunciation: law-kakh'
Description: a primitive root; to take (in the widest variety of applications); accept, bring, buy, carry away, drawn, fetch, get, infold, [idiom] many, mingle, place, receive(-ing), reserve, seize, send for, take (away, -ing, up), use, win.