Shewbread (Showbread)

How Nave’s arranged it

• (Also called THE BREAD OF THE PRESENCE)Hebrews 9:2
• Called HALLOWED BREAD1 Samuel 21:6
• Ordinance concerningLeviticus 24:5–9
• Required to be kept before the Lord continuallyExodus 25:302 Chronicles 2:4
• Provided by a yearly per capita taxNehemiah 10:32Nehemiah 10:33
• Prepared by the Levites1 Chronicles 9:321 Chronicles 23:29
• Unlawfully eaten by David1 Samuel 21:6Matthew 12:3Matthew 12:4Mark 2:25Mark 2:26Luke 6:3Luke 6:4
• Placed on the Table of Shewbread (see TABLE OF, below.)Exodus 40:22Exodus 40:23
• TABLE OFHebrews 9:2
• Ordinances concerningExodus 25:23–28Exodus 37:10–15
• Its position in the tabernacleExodus 26:35Exodus 40:22
• Furniture ofExodus 25:29Exodus 25:30Exodus 37:16Numbers 4:7

The passages, in Bible order (31)

The same references, sorted Genesis to Revelation. The first 16 are quoted in full; the rest are one click beneath them, book by book.

1. Exodus 25:23–28

   You are also to make a table of acacia wood two cubits long, a cubit wide, and a cubit and a half high.

   ›Commentary on Exodus 25:23–282 voices

   “A dividing wall of cedar planks, twenty cubits high, was built in the temple to separate the inner sanctuary, that is, the Holy of Holies, from the forepart of the temple. The innersanctuary was twenty cubits deep, twenty cubits wide and twenty cubits high. The …

   “Thou shalt also make a table of shittim wood,.... As the sanctuary or tabernacle was an house for God to dwell in, he would have the proper furniture of an house, as a table, candlestick, &c.

   Everything gathered on Exodus 25:23–28→

   Verse page →Original language →

2. Exodus 25:29

   You are also to make the plates and dishes, as well as the pitchers and bowls for pouring drink offerings. Make them out of pure gold.

   ›Commentary on Exodus 25:292 voices

   “And thou shall make the dishes thereof,.... On which the shewbread loaves were set.

   “The dishes thereof - קערתיו kearothaiv, probably the deep bowls in which they kneaded the mass out of which they made the shew-bread. And spoons thereof - כפתיו cappothaiu, probably censers, on which they put up the incense; as seems pretty evident from Num 7:14, Num 7:20, Num 7:26, Num 7:32, Num 7:38, Num 7:44, Num 7:50, Num 7:56, Num 7:62, Num 7:68, Num 7:74, Num 7:80, Num 7:86, where the same word is used, and the instrument, whatever it was, is always represented as being filled with incense.

   Everything gathered on Exodus 25:29→

   Verse page →Original language →

3. Exodus 25:30

   And place the Bread of the Presence on the table before Me at all times.

   ›Commentary on Exodus 25:302 voices

   “And thou shall set upon the table shewbread before me always. Which consisted of twelve cakes loaves, set in two rows upon the table, and stood there a whole week, and every sabbath were renewed; and when the old ones were took away, which were eaten by the priests, new ones were set, so that they were always before the Lord; and being continually before him, were called shewbread, or "bread of faces", being always before the face of God.

   “Shew-bread - לחם פנים lechem panim literally, bread of faces; so called, either because they were placed before the presence or face of God in the sanctuary, or because they were made square, as the Jews will have it.

   Everything gathered on Exodus 25:30→

   Verse page →Original language →

4. Exodus 26:35

   And place the table outside the veil on the north side of the tabernacle, and put the lampstand opposite the table, on the south side.

   ›Commentary on Exodus 26:351 voice

   “And thou shalt set the table without the vail,....

   Everything gathered on Exodus 26:35→

   Verse page →Original language →

5. Exodus 30:26

   Use this oil to anoint the Tent of Meeting, the ark of the Testimony,

   ›Commentary on Exodus 30:261 voice

   “And thou shall anoint the tabernacle of the congregation therewith,....

   Everything gathered on Exodus 30:26→

   Verse page →Original language →

6. Exodus 30:27

   the table and all its utensils, the lampstand and its utensils, the altar of incense,

   ›Commentary on Exodus 30:271 voice

   “And the table, and all his vessels,....

   Everything gathered on Exodus 30:27→

   Verse page →Original language →

7. Exodus 30:29

   You are to consecrate them so that they will be most holy. Whatever touches them shall be holy.

   ›Commentary on Exodus 30:291 voice

   “And thou shalt sanctify them, that they may be most holy,....

   Everything gathered on Exodus 30:29→

   Verse page →Original language →

8. Exodus 37:10–15

   He also made the table of acacia wood two cubits long, a cubit wide, and a cubit and a half high.

   Verse page →Original language →

9. Exodus 37:16

   He also made the utensils for the table out of pure gold: its plates and dishes, as well as its bowls and pitchers for pouring drink offerings.

   ›Commentary on Exodus 37:161 voice

   “And we know that in the tabernacle of God not only bowls but also, by the Lord's command, cups were made. By bowls, indeed, abundant teaching is designated; by cups, however, small and limited knowledge. One person, full of the teaching of truth, intoxicates the minds of his hearers. By what he says, therefore, he surely offers a bowl.

   Everything gathered on Exodus 37:16→

   Verse page →Original language →

10. Exodus 40:22

    Moses placed the table in the Tent of Meeting on the north side of the tabernacle, outside the veil.

    ›Commentary on Exodus 40:221 voice

    “And he put the table in the tent of the congregation,.... In the holy place; for there the shewbread table, which is here meant, was put: upon the side of the tabernacle northward, without the vail; on the north side of the tabernacle, at a little distance from the walls, which were the curtains and boards, even in the holy place on the outside of the vail, which divided from the most holy place.

    Everything gathered on Exodus 40:22→

    Verse page →Original language →

11. Exodus 40:23

    He arranged the bread on it before the LORD, just as the LORD had commanded him.

    ›Commentary on Exodus 40:232 voices

    “And he set the bread in order upon it before the Lord,.... The shewbread, the twelve cakes of it, in two rows, six in a row: as the Lord had commanded Moses: Exo 25:30.

    “Moses performed these priestly functions (Exo 28:1 note), before the holy things with which they were performed were anointed. The things had been made expressly for the service of Yahweh, by His command, and in this fact lay their essential sanctity, of which the anointing was only the seal and symbol. Aaron and his sons, on similar ground, having had the divine call, took part in the service of the sanctuary as soon as the work was completed Exo 40:

    Everything gathered on Exodus 40:23→

    Verse page →Original language →

12. Leviticus 24:5–9

    You are also to take fine flour and bake twelve loaves, using two-tenths of an ephah for each loaf,

    ›Commentary on Leviticus 24:5–92 voices

    “The Old Covenant had its loaves of proposition, but they, as belonging to that covenant, have come to an end. The New Covenant has its heavenly bread and cup of salvation to sanctify both body and soul. For as the bread is for the body, the Word suits the soul.

    “And thou shalt take fine flour,....

    Everything gathered on Leviticus 24:5–9→

    Verse page →Original language →

13. Numbers 4:7

    Over the table of the Presence they are to spread a blue cloth and place the plates and cups on it, along with the bowls and pitchers for the drink offering. The regular bread offering is to remain on it.

    ›Commentary on Numbers 4:71 voice

    “And upon the table of shewbread they shall spread a cloth of blue,....

    Everything gathered on Numbers 4:7→

    Verse page →Original language →

14. Numbers 4:15

    When Aaron and his sons have finished covering the holy objects and all their equipment, as soon as the camp is ready to move, the Kohathites shall come and do the carrying. But they must not touch the holy objects, or they will die. These are the transportation duties of the Kohathites regarding the Tent of Meeting.

    ›Commentary on Numbers 4:151 voice

    “And when Aaron and his sons had made an end of covering the sanctuary,.... Not the holy place, nor the most holy place, for these were not covered by them; but "the holy things" in them, as the Septuagint version, the ark, shewbread table, &c. and all "the vessels of the sanctuary"; all appertaining to those holy things, which are before mentioned.

    Everything gathered on Numbers 4:15→

    Verse page →Original language →

15. 1 Samuel 21:6

    So the priest gave him the consecrated bread, since there was no bread there but the Bread of the Presence, which had been removed from before the LORD and replaced with hot bread on the day it was taken away.

    ›Commentary on 1 Samuel 21:62 voices

    “Even if they accuse, yet Christ excuses, and he makes the souls that he wishes, that follow him, similar to David, who ate the loaves of proposition outside of the law—for even then he foresaw in his mind the prophetic mysteries of a new grace.

    “Our Lord put forward the clear example of David, who was not accused either over this, as he was over something else. It was not permissible, he said, for David to eat [the holy bread] since he was not a priest. However, he was a …

    Everything gathered on 1 Samuel 21:6→

    Verse page →Original language →

16. 1 Kings 7:48

    Solomon also made all the furnishings for the house of the LORD: the golden altar; the golden table on which was placed the Bread of the Presence;

    ›Commentary on 1 Kings 7:482 voices

    “The table of gold is the sacred Scripture, rich in the light of spiritual understanding of which the psalmist says to the Lord, "You have prepared a table before me in the presence of those who afflict me." For lest our enemies who afflict us …

    “And Solomon made all the vessels that pertained unto the house of the Lord,....

    Everything gathered on 1 Kings 7:48→

    Verse page →Original language →