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, "Withoutª¹ the vailª of the testimony,ª in the tabernacleª of the congregation,ª shall Aaronª orderª° it from the eveningª¹ unto¹ the morningª beforeª the LORDª continually:ª [it shall be] a statuteª for everª in your generations.ª" {Lev 24:3} + "And thou shalt setª° them in twoª rows,ª sixª on a row,ª upon¹ the pureª tableª beforeª the LORD.ª ... And thou shalt putª° pureª frankincenseª upon¹ [each] row,ª that it may be¹ on the breadª for a memorial,ª [even] an offering made by fireª unto the LORD.ª" {Lev 24:6-7}. 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 note on "So the priestª gaveª° him hallowedª [bread]: for¹ there was¹ no¹ breadª there¹ but¹¹ the shewbread,ªª that was takenª° from beforeª¹ the LORD,ª to putª° hotª breadª in the dayª when it was taken away.ª°" {1Sm 21:6}), the urgent necessity alone justifying the act. The Hebrew signifies bread of faces, or, of the face. "And thou shalt setª° upon¹ the tableª shewbreadª¹ beforeª me alway.ª" {Exd 25:30} + "And he set²¹ the breadª in order²°¹ upon¹ it beforeª the LORD;ª as¹ the LORDª had commandedª°¹ Moses.ª" {Exd 40:23} + "And Elijahª tookª° twelveªª stones,ª according to the numberª of the tribesª of the sonsª of Jacob,ª unto¹ whom¹ the wordª of the LORDª came,¹ saying,ª° Israelª shall be¹ thy name:ª" {1Kg 18:31} + "And the priestª answeredª°¹ David,ª and said,ª° [There is] no¹ commonª breadª under¹¹ mine hand,ª but¹¹ there isª hallowedª bread;ª if¹ the young menª have kept²° themselves¹ at leastª from women.ª¹ ... And Davidª answeredª°¹ the priest,ª and saidª° unto him, Of¹¹ a truth² womenª [have been] keptª° from us about these threeª days,ª since I came out,ª° and the vesselsª of the young menª are holy,ª and [the bread is] in a mannerª common,ª yea,¹ though¹ it were sanctifiedª° this dayª in the vessel.ª" {1Sm 21:4-5} + "Howª he entered¹ intoª²° the¹ houseª of God,ª andª did eatª° the¹ shewbread,ªª whichª wasª° notª lawfulª° for himª to eat,ª° neither¹ for² them¹ which² were with¹ him,ª butª onlyª for the¹ priests?ª" {Mtt 12:4} + "Untoª whichª [promise] ourª twelve tribes,ª instantlyªª servingª° [God] dayª andª night,ª hopeª° to come.ª° Forª whichª hope's¹ sake,² kingª Agrippa,ª I am accusedª° ofª the¹ Jews.ª" {Act 26:7} + "James,ª a servantª of Godª andª of the Lordª Jesusª Christ,ª to the¹ twelveª tribesª which²¹ are scattered abroad,ª¹ greeting.ª°" {Jms 1:1}