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,

Leviticus 24:3,6,7 Without the veil of the testimony, in the tabernacle of the congregation...

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

1 Samuel 21:6 So the priest gave him hallowed bread: for there was no bread there but the show bread, that was taken from before the LORD...

the urgent necessity alone justifying the act. The Hebrew signifies bread of faces, or, of the face.

Exodus 25:30 And you shall set on the table show bread before me always.

Exodus 40:23 And he set the bread in order on it before the LORD; as the LORD had commanded Moses.

1 Kings 18:31 And Elijah took twelve stones, according to the number of the tribes of the sons of Jacob, to whom the word of the LORD came, saying...

1 Samuel 21:4,5 And the priest answered David, and said, There is no common bread under my hand, but there is hallowed bread...

Matthew 12:4 How he entered into the house of God, and did eat the show bread, which was not lawful for him to eat...

Acts 26:7 To which promise our twelve tribes, instantly serving God day and night, hope to come. For which hope's sake, king Agrippa...

James 1:1 James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes which are scattered abroad, greeting.