Matthew 12:4

Peter Pett's Commentary on the Bible - Matthew 12:1-16

Controversy With The Pharisees About The Sabbath. The Son of Man Is Lord Of The Sabbath (12:1-16). In the last passage Matthew has depicted words of Jesus concerning the heavy burden of the Law and the way to finding rest from it. Here we now have two clear illustrations of what He was saying, depicting the heavy yoke of the Law, and the way in which Jesus would make it ‘easier’. It also demonstrates that the Pharisees were on the watch for Him, trying to catch Him out. The opposition is... read more

Peter Pett

Peter Pett's Commentary on the Bible - Matthew 12:3-4

‘But he said to them, “Have you not read what David did, when he was hungry, and those who were with him, how he entered into the house of God, and they ate the showbread, which it was not lawful for him to eat, nor for those who were with him, but only for the priests?” ’ Jesus replied from a well known passage concerning David (1 Samuel 21:1-9). There David and his companions had, ‘because they were hungry’, persuaded the High Priest of the day to let him and his men have the old showbread... read more

Arthur Peake

Arthur Peake's Commentary on the Bible - Matthew 12:1-8

Matthew 12:1-Ruth : . Sabbath Observance ( Mark 2:23-Hosea : *, Luke 6:1-Deuteronomy :).— The incident shows that the disciples were learning their Master’ s teaching. Deuteronomy 23:25 allowed the practice, but the Rabbinical objection to it on the Sabbath was that it was reaping. The variations from Mk. are not important, except the omission of the mistaken reference to Abiathar, and the addition of Matthew 12:5-Judges : as a further and stronger historic exception. Various kinds of Sabbath... read more

Matthew Poole

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible - Matthew 12:3-4

Mark and Luke add little, only Mark specifies the time, in the days of Abiathar the high priest, and saith, when he had need, and was an hungred. We have the history, 1 Samuel 21:1-15. David was upon his flight from Saul, upon the notice of his danger given him by Jonathan, 1 Samuel 20:1-42, and being hungry, he asks of the high priest five loaves of broad; the high priest tells him he had none but hallowed bread, which the high priest gave him, 1 Samuel 21:6. What the shewbread was may be... read more

Joseph Exell

Preacher's Complete Homiletical Commentary - Matthew 12:1-8

CRITICAL NOTESMatthew 12:1. Pluck the ears of corn.—See Deuteronomy 23:25.Matthew 12:3. What David did.—David’s action was not an apparent contravention of the Sabbath-law, but an apparent contravention of the temple or tabernacle-law. But our Lord reasons from equals to equals, or, on the principle of equivalents. The temple and the Sabbath were equivalent or equal in sanctity (Morison).Matthew 12:4. Did eat the shewbread.—The old bread that was removed on the Sabbath morning from the golden... read more

C.I. Scofield

Scofield's Reference Notes - Matthew 12:4

shewbread (See Scofield " :-") . read more

Charles Haddon Spurgeon

Spurgeon's Verse Expositions of the Bible - Matthew 12:3-7

How to Read the Bible by C. H. SPURGEON (1834-1892) "Have ye not read?...Have ye not read?...If ye had known what this meaneth." Matthew 12:3-7 . The Scribes and Pharisees were great readers of the law. They studied the sacred books continually, poring over each word and letter. They made notes of very little importance, but still very curious notes as to which was the middle verse of the entire old Testament, which verse was halfway to the middle, and how many times such a word occurred,... read more

Chuck Smith

Chuck Smith Bible Commentary - Matthew 12:1-50

Shall we turn to the twelfth chapter of the gospel of Matthew?Jesus was not one to follow traditions. He's already pointed out in the Sermon on the Mount, that through their interpretation of the law, they have thoroughly disallowed the law, for the purposes that God intended it. For they were interpreting the law after a physical sense. "Thou shalt not kill," interpreting that as clubbing your enemy to death. But Jesus said, no, really if you have hatred in your heart for your brother, you're... read more

Joseph Sutcliffe

Sutcliffe's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments - Matthew 12:1-50

Matthew 12:2 . Thy disciples do that which is not lawful to do upon the sabbath- day. The pharisees did not find fault with eating a few ears of barley in their hunger, while others enjoyed their feasts, because it was allowed by the law of Moses, provided they put nought of the fruit in their vessel, or their pouch; but they objected on the ground of the sabbath. Now, the appeal which Jesus made to David’s eating the holy bread, which belonged exclusively to the priests, shows that the... read more

Joseph Exell

The Biblical Illustrator - Matthew 12:1-6

Matthew 12:1-6Behold Thy disciples do that which is not lawful to do upon the Sabbath day.1. It is no new thing to see men who are otherwise learned, and are in account for their holiness in the church, to be adversaries unto Christ, and His disciples.2. Christ’s disciples readily shall be misconstrued, do what they please; their plucking ears of corn for their hunger doth not escape censure.3. Hypocrites do urge ceremonies and external observations more than the greater things of the law.4.... read more

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