Bible Strands
Mark 2:26
During the high priesthood of Abiathar, he entered the house of God and ate the consecrated bread, which was lawful only for the priests. And he gave some to his companions as well.”
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — Jesus addresses his critics regarding David’s actions when he and his companions were hungry. He uses a past scriptural precedent to respond to the immediate dispute over Sabbath observance.
The words — The text records εἰσῆλθεν (eisēlthen), meaning “he entered,” and ἐπὶ (epi), indicating “in the days of” or “during.” These terms anchor the narrative in a specific historical moment and physical location.
The thread — The event points to 1 Samuel 21:1, where David enters the house of God and eats consecrated bread with his companions. It also echoes Leviticus 24:5, which establishes that such bread was reserved exclusively for priests.
Why it lands — The passage requires a reader to acknowledge that scriptural precedent can override strict ritual boundaries when human need arises. It demands an evaluation of whether religious rules are designed to serve people or merely constrain them.
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 Greek words
King James Version
How he went into the house of God in the days of Abiathar the high priest, and did eat the shewbread, which is not lawful to eat but for the priests, and gave also to them which were with him?
Cross-references
- 2 Samuel 8:17 Zadok son of Ahitub and Ahimelech son of Abiathar were priests; Seraiah was the scribe;
- Leviticus 24:5 You are also to take fine flour and bake twelve loaves, using two-tenths of an ephah for each loaf,
- 1 Samuel 21:1 Then David came to Nob, to Ahimelech the priest. And when Ahimelech met David, he trembled and asked him, “Why are you alone? Why is no one with you?”
- 1 Chronicles 24:6 The scribe, Shemaiah son of Nethanel, a Levite, recorded their names in the presence of the king and of the officers: Zadok the priest, Ahimelech son of Abiathar, and the heads of families of the priests and the Levites—one family being taken from Eleazar, and then one from Ithamar.
- 1 Samuel 22:20 But one of the sons of Ahimelech son of Ahitub escaped. His name was Abiathar, and he fled to David.
- 1 Kings 2:26 Then the king said to Abiathar the priest, “Go back to your fields in Anathoth. Even though you deserve to die, I will not put you to death at this time, since you carried the ark of the Lord GOD before my father David, and you suffered through all that my father suffered.”
- Exodus 29:32 At the entrance to the Tent of Meeting, Aaron and his sons are to eat the meat of the ram and the bread that is in the basket.
- 1 Samuel 23:6 (Now Abiathar son of Ahimelech had brought the ephod with him when he fled to David at Keilah.)
- 1 Samuel 23:9 When David learned that Saul was plotting evil against him, he said to Abiathar the priest, “Bring the ephod.”
- 2 Samuel 15:24 Zadok was also there, and all the Levites with him were carrying the ark of the covenant of God. And they set down the ark of God, and Abiathar offered sacrifices until all the people had passed out of the city.