1 Samuel 21:3 - Forerunner Commentary

1 Samuel 21:3

David and the Holy Bread

1 Now David came to Nob, to Ahimelech the priest. And ^aAhimelech was ^bafraid when he met David, and said to him, “Why are you alone, and no one is with you?”

2 So David said to Ahimelech the priest, “The king has ordered me on some business, and said to me, ‘Do not let anyone know anything about the business on which I send you, or what I have commanded you.’ And I have directed my young men to such and such a place.

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

4 And the priest answered David and said, “There is no¹ common bread on hand; but there is ^aholy bread, ^bif the young men have at least kept themselves from women.”

5 Then David answered the priest, and said to him, “Truly, women have been kept from us about three days since I came out. And¹ the ^avessels of the young men are holy, and the bread is in effect common, even though it was consecrated ^bin the vessel this day.”

6 So the priest ^agave him holy bread; for there was no bread there but the showbread ^bwhich had been taken from before the Lord, in order to put hot bread in its place on the day when it was taken away.

7 Now a certain man of the servants of Saul was there that day, detained before the Lord. And his name was ^aDoeg, an Edomite, the chief of the herdsmen who belonged to Saul.

8 And David said to Ahimelech, “Is there not here on hand a spear or a sword? For I have brought neither my sword nor my weapons with me, because the king’s business required haste.”

Verse Comparison: 1 Samuel 21:3

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American Standard Version
Now therefore what is under thy hand? give me five loaves of bread in my hand, or whatsoever there is present.

Amplified® Bible
Now what do you have on hand? Give me five loaves of bread, or whatever you may have.

Contemporary English Version
Do you have any food you can give me? Could you spare five loaves of bread?"

Darby English Version
And now what is under thy hand? give me five loaves in my hand, or what may be found.

Good News Bible
Now, then, what supplies do you have? Give me five loaves of bread or anything else you have."

King James Version
Now therefore what is under thine hand? give me five loaves of bread in mine hand, or what there is present.

New American Standard Bible
"Now therefore, what do you have on hand? Give me five loaves of bread, or whatever can be found."

New International Version
Now then, what do you have on hand? Give me five loaves of bread, or whatever you can find."

New King James Version
Now therefore, what have you on hand? Give me five loaves of bread in my hand, or whatever can be found.”

N.A.S.B. in E-Prime
"Now therefore, what do you have on hand? Give me five loaves of bread, or whatever you can find."

Revised Standard Version
Now then, what have you at hand? Give me five loaves of bread, or whatever is here."

Young's Literal Translation
and now, what is there under thy hand? five loaves give into my hand, or that which is found.'

New English Translation
Now what do you have at your disposal?¹ Give me five loaves of bread, or whatever can be found.”

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