· Translation: KJV

Luke 6:4how he entered into the house of God, and took and ate the show bread, and gave also to those who were with him, which is not lawful to eat except for the priests alone?"

The setting

Continuing the grain field confrontation. Jesus references the Tabernacle at Nob where Ahimelech gave David the holy bread normally reserved for priests, in modern Israel...

The emotion here: building toward a powerful conclusion about authority

The original word

prothesis (πρόθεσις) — the showbread, literally 'bread of presence' before God's face

Why it matters

The showbread was replaced weekly and the old loaves eaten by priests — David ate bread that had been in God's presence

Read with care

What most readers miss in Luke 6:4

David didn't just break a rule — he ate bread that had been in the Holy Place before God

Common misconceptionPeople think Jesus is dismissing Old Testament law, but He's showing that mercy was always the higher principle — even David understood this.

Bible Genome reading

Luke 6:4 — Bible Genome reading

SpeakerJesus
Eragospel
Primary emotiondeciding
Literary typenarrative

Emotional genome

Comfort power35%
Quotability55%
Memorability65%
Crisis relevance60%
Standalone30%
Themes:necessitylaw

In context

No verse stands alone.

Read the conversation around it.

Open Luke 6

Luke 6:4 comes from the book of Luke, written during the gospel period. These words are attributed to Jesus. The dominant emotion in this verse is deciding, with a comfort power of 35% and a tone that is reflective. It belongs to the narrative genre of biblical literature. Key themes include necessity, law. Notable phrases: house of God; show bread; not lawful except for priests.

Your reflection

What does Luke 6:4 mean to you, today?

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