Matthew 12:7

G. Campbell Morgan's Exposition on the Whole Bible - Matthew 12:1-50

This chapter chronicles direct attacks on Christ. The first was petty and foolish. It is on the question of the Sabbath. The Master gives to His people the true conception of the sanctity of the Sabbath. It is established, and remains, for "the Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath." "How much is a man better than a sheep? Why, then, rescue a sheep and neglect a man? The second attack was characterized by malicious hatred; it was an absolute denial of the sovereignty of God. Satan is cast out by... read more

Peter Pett

Peter Pett's Commentary on the Bible - Matthew 12:1-8

The Incident In The Grainfields (12:1-8). The first incident arises when Jesus and His disciples are walking through some grainfields. Being hungry they pluck some of the grain, and eat it. This is then picked up by the Pharisees who basically claim that by doing so they are reaping and threshing the grain, an activity which was ‘work’, and therefore forbidden on the Sabbath. Analysis. a At that time Jesus went on the sabbath day through the grainfields, and his disciples were hungry and... read more

Peter Pett

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 12:7

“And if you had known what this means, ‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice’, you would not have condemned the guiltless.” Having laid His claim Jesus now appeals to the conscience. Had the Pharisees known the meaning of Hosea 6:6 (compare here Matthew 9:3), they would have recognised that God put compassion before ritual. They would in that case have interpreted the Law compassionately and not harshly, and would have allowed the hungry poor to gather for their own need on the Sabbath. They would... 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 12:7

Neither Mark nor Luke have this argument. Our Lord yet goeth on taxing these great doctors of ignorance. The text he quotes is Hosea 6:6; we met with it before quoted by our Saviour, Matthew 9:13. The meaning is, that God prefers mercy before sacrifice. Where two laws in respect of some circumstance seem to clash one with another, so as we cannot obey both, our obedience is due to that which is the more excellent law. Now, saith our Saviour, the law of mercy is the more excellent law; God... 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

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

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