1 Samuel 21:4 — Meaning and Application

And David said unto Ahimelech the priest, The king hath commanded me a business, and hath said unto me, Let no man know any thing of the business whereabout I send thee, and what I have commanded thee: and I have appointed {my} servants to such and such a place.

Now therefore what is under thine hand? give {me} five {loaves of} bread in mine hand, or what there is present. {present: Heb. found}

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.

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. {yea...: or, especially when this day there is other sanctified in the vessel}

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.