25. Had need. Mark adds this to the was an hungered, which is in both Matthew and Luke. The analogy lay in the necessity. The had need is generic; the was hungry is spe- cific, describing the peculiar character of the need.
26. The shewbread (rods dprous tis mpoSécews). Lit., the loaves of proposition, i.e., the loaves which were set Sorth before the Lord. The Jews called them the loaves of the face, i.e., of the presence of God. The bread was made of the finest wheaten flour that had been passed through eleven sieves. There were twelve loaves, or cakes, according to the number of tribes, ranged in two piles of six each. Each cake was made of about five pints of wheat. They were anointed in the middle with oil, in the form of a cross. According to tradition, each cake was five hand-breadths broad and ten long, but turned up at either end, two hand-breadths on each side, to resemble in outline the ark of the covenant. The shewbread was prepared on F’riday, unless that day happened to be a feast-day that required sab- batical rest ; in which case it was prepared on Thursday after- noon. The renewal of the shewbread was the first of the priestly functions on the commencement of the Sabbath. The bread which was taken off was deposited on the golden table in the porch of the sanctuary, and distributed among the outgoing and incoming courses of priests (compare save for the priests). It was eaten during the Sabbath, and in the temple itself, but
174 WORD STUDIES IN THE NEW TESTAMENT. (Cu. ITT.
only by such priests as were Levitically pure. This old bread, removed on the Sabbath morning, was that which David ate.
27. For man (dua). On account of, or for the sake of. This saying is given by Mark only.