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.
The priest replied to David, 'I don't have any ordinary bread here with me, but I do have sacred bread. I can give it to you if your men have kept themselves pure by not being with women.'
The priest tells David he only has holy bread available, but he's willing to bend the religious rules if David's men have maintained ritual purity.
📚 Historical Context
This occurs when David is fleeing from King Saul and stops at the tabernacle in Nob, desperately needing food. The 'hallowed bread' refers to the showbread (bread of the Presence) that was placed before God in the tabernacle and normally only eaten by priests. The priest's condition about 'keeping from women' refers to the ritual purity laws that required abstaining from sexual relations before approaching holy things.
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