1 Samuel 21:3

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

Berean Standard Bible

Study note

Setting — David addresses the priest at Nob while fleeing with his young men, requesting immediate provisions after concealing his royal mission.

The words — The phrase מַה יֵּשׁ תַּחַת יָדְךָ (mah yesh taḥat yadḵā) literally asks "what is under your hand," while חֲמִשָּׁה לֶחֶם (ḥămiššāh leḥem) specifies "five loaves of bread."

The thread — The tension between urgent need and available resources echoes in Judges 9:29, 1 Samuel 21:4, and Isaiah 3:6, where scarcity forces pragmatic decisions.

Why it lands — The text demands a direct assessment of available resources before making a request, leaving the resolution of ritual and necessity to the immediate context.

Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.

The Hebrew words

וְעַתָּ֗הve./'a.Tahand/ therefore מַה־mah-what?יֵּ֧שׁyesh[is] there תַּֽחַת־ta.chat-under יָדְךָ֛ya.de./Khahand/ your חֲמִשָּׁה־cha.mi.shah-five לֶ֖חֶםLe.chembread[s]תְּנָ֣הte.Na/hgive/ !בְיָדִ֑יve./ya.D/iin/ hand/ my א֖וֹ'oor הַנִּמְצָֽא׃ha./nim.Tza'that/ [which] may be found

King James Version

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

Cross-references

Judges 9:29 If only this people were under my authority, I would remove Abimelech; I would say to him, ‘Muster your army and come out!’”
1 Samuel 21:4 “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.”
Isaiah 3:6 A man will seize his brother within his father’s house: “You have a cloak—you be our leader! Take charge of this heap of rubble.”