John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Matthew 12:5
Or have ye not read in the law ,.... Numbers 28:9 by which law the priests were obliged, every sabbath day, to offer up two lambs for a burnt offering; to which were annexed many servile works, as killing the sacrifice, flaying it, cutting it in pieces, and laying it on the altar, cutting of wood, and putting that in order, and kindling the fire: from all which, it might be observed, how that on the sabbath days, the priests in the temple profane the sabbath, and are blameless . There... read more
John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Matthew 12:4
How he entered into the house of God ,.... Not the temple, which was not then built; but the tabernacle, which was then at Nob, the city of the priests, and which probably adjoined to Abimelech's house: and did eat the shewbread ; for that this is meant by the hallowed bread, in 1 Samuel 21:6 is certain; though R. Joseph Kimchi F14 Apud R. David Kimchi in 1 Sam. xxi. 6. thinks it was the bread of the thank offering; to which R. Levi ben Getsom F15 In ib. seems to incline:... read more