1 Samuel 21:5

3 Now then, what do you have on hand? Give me five loaves of bread, or whatever can be found.”

4 “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.”

David answered, “Women have indeed been kept from us, as is usual when I set out. And the equipment of the young men is holy, as it is even on common missions, and all the more at this time.”

6 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.

7 Now one of Saul’s servants was there that day, detained before the LORD. And his name was Doeg the Edomite, the chief shepherd for Saul.

Here the Bible tells a story about someone else. Ask yourself what it can say to us today. Do read the surrounding verses too, because the context often says more than a single verse.

Compare

BSB
David answered, “Women have indeed been kept from us, as is usual when I set out. And the equipment of the young men is holy, as it is even on common missions, and all the more at this time.”
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.
WEB
David answered the priest, and said to him, “Truly, women have been kept from us as usual these three days. When I came out, the vessels of the young men were holy, though it was only a common journey. How much more then today shall their vessels be holy?”
ASV
And David answered the priest, and said unto him, Of a truth women have been kept from us about these three days; when I came out, the vessels of the young men were holy, though it was but a common journey; how much more then to-day shall their vessels be holy?
DARBY
And David answered the priest and said to him, Yes indeed, 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, and the more so, because to-day [new] is hallowed in the vessels.
BLB
And David answered the priest and said to him, “Surely if women [have been] kept from us as yesterday and the day before yesterday when I came out, then the vessels of the young men are holy, and it [is] a common way; and also surely today it was sanctified in the vessel.”
ÅB
David svarte presten og sa til ham: Ja visst, kvinner har vi ikke hatt leilighet til å være sammen med, hverken igår eller iforgårs; da jeg dro ut, var alt det mine menn hadde på seg hellig; og vel er dette en ferd som ikke er hellig, men idag blir den hellig ved det de har på seg.
OTB
David svarte presten og sa til ham: "Ja, kvinner har vært holdt borte fra oss som alltid når jeg drar ut. De unge mennenes kar var hellige, selv om det var en vanlig reise; hvor mye mer da i dag vil deres kar være hellige?"
B1930
David svarte presten og sa til ham: Ja visst, kvinner har vi ikke hatt leilighet til å være sammen med, hverken igår eller iforgårs; da jeg drog ut, var alt det mine menn hadde på sig hellig; og vel er dette en ferd som ikke er hellig, men idag blir den hellig ved det de har på sig.

Study notes (Tyndale)

Original text and word study

Cross references

  • Leviticus 24:9

    It belongs to Aaron and his sons, who are to eat it in a holy place; for it is to him a most holy part of the offerings made by fire to the LORD—his portion forever.”

    Read in context
  • Leviticus 8:26

    And from the basket of unleavened bread that was before the LORD, he took one cake of unleavened bread, one cake of bread made with oil, and one wafer, and he placed them on the fat portions and on the right thigh.

    Read in context
  • Acts 9:15

    “Go!” said the Lord. “This man is My chosen instrument to carry My name before the Gentiles and their kings, and before the people of Israel.

    Read in context
  • 2 Timothy 2:20–21

    A large house contains not only vessels of gold and silver, but also of wood and clay. Some indeed are for honorable use, but others are for common use.

    Read in context
  • 1 Thessalonians 4:3–4

    For it is God’s will that you should be holy: You must abstain from sexual immorality;

    Read in context
  • 1 Peter 3:17

    For it is better, if it is God’s will, to suffer for doing good than for doing evil.

    Read in context