Exodus 25:30 - Exposition

Thou shalt set upon the table shew-bread before me alway . Here we have at once the object of the table, and its name, explained. The table was to have set upon it continually twelve loaves, or cakes, of bread (Le Exodus 24:5 ), which were to be renewed weekly on the sabbath-day (Le Exodus 24:8 ), the stale loaves being at the same time consumed by the priests in the holy place. These twelve loaves or cakes were to constitute a continual thank-offering to God from the twelve tribes of Israel in return for the bless-Lugs of life and sustenance which they received from him. The bread was called "bread of face," or "bread of presence," because it was set before the "face" or "presence" of God, which dwelt in the holy of holies. The Septuagint renders the phrase by ἄρτοι ἐνώπιοι "loaves that are face to face"—St. Matthew by ἄρτοι τῆς προθέσεως , "loaves of setting-forth"—whence the Schaubrode of Luther, and our "shew-bread," which is a paraphrase rather than a translation.