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.
David answered the priest, saying, 'It's true that we haven't been with women for about three days since we started our journey, and my men are ceremonially clean. Even though this bread is holy, we need it for our mission, and it would be considered ordinary bread for our purpose today.'
David is explaining to the priest that he and his men are ceremonially clean and have a legitimate need for the holy bread, even though it's normally reserved for priests.
📚 Historical Context
David was fleeing from King Saul and came to the tabernacle at Nob seeking food for his men. According to Jewish law, the showbread (bread of the Presence) was holy and typically only eaten by priests after being replaced weekly. David is arguing that their ritual purity and desperate circumstances make it acceptable for them to eat this consecrated bread.
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