The loaves of bread which the officiating priest placed every
sabbath day upon the golden table in the Sanctum, before the
Lord, were twelve in number, representing the twelve tribes
of Israel. The loaves must have been large, since two tenth
deals (about six pints) of flour were used for each, Le 24:3,
6, 7. They were served up hot on the sabbath day in the
Sanctum, when the stale ones, which had been exposed the
whole week, were taken away, and none but the priests were
allowed to eat them. In an extraordinary extremity, David
and his men partook of the shew-bread, (see 1; Sa 21:6,) the
urgent necessity alone justifying the act. The Hebrew
signifies bread of faces, or, of the face.
* See
Ex 25:30 40:23 1Ki 18:31 1Sa 21:4,5 Mt 12:4 Ac 26:7 Jas 1:1
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