Notes on the Law and the Sabbath

In Mathew 12:1 - 8 the Pharisees challenged Jesus because his disciples plucked and ate grain on the sabbath day. This was unlawful in the Judaic tradition. Jesus reminded them of a story of David from 1 Samuel 21:1 - 6 where the priests gave David the holy bread from the Temple. Jesus explained, "That in this place is one greater than the temple," and "For the Son of man is Lord even of the sabbath day." He was telling the Pharisees that he the Messiah is both greater than the Temple for he was the new Temple and that the Man God on earth was greater than the laws.

Samuel Chapter 21 - Full Text

Mathew Chapter 12 - Full Text

References in Scripture

1 Samuel 21:1 - 6

Mathew 12:1 - 8

1 Samuel 21:1 - 6

1 Then came David to Nob to Ahimelech the priest: and Ahimelech was afraid at the meeting of David, and said unto him, Why art thou alone, and no man with thee?

2 And David said unto Ahimelech the priest, The king hath commanded me a business, and hath said unto me, Let no man know any thing of the business whereabout I send thee, and what I have commanded thee: and I have appointed my servants to such and such a place.

3 Now therefore what is under thine hand? give me five loaves of bread in mine hand, or what there is present.

4 And the priest answered David, and said, There is no common bread under mine hand, but there is hallowed bread; if the young men have kept themselves at least from women.

5 And David answered the priest, and said unto him, Of a truth women have been kept from us about these three days, since I came out, and the vessels of the young men are holy, and the bread is in a manner common, yea, though it were sanctified this day in the vessel.

6 So the priest gave him hallowed bread: for there was no bread there but the shewbread, that was taken from before the LORD, to put hot bread in the day when it was taken away.


Mathew 12:1 - 8

1 At that time Jesus went on the sabbath day through the corn; and his disciples were an hungred, and began to pluck the ears of corn and to eat.

2 But when the Pharisees saw it, they said unto him, Behold, thy disciples do that which is not lawful to do upon the sabbath day.

3 But he said unto them, Have ye not read what David did, when he was an hungred, and they that were with him;

4 How he entered into the house of God, and did eat the shewbread, which was not lawful for him to eat, neither for them which were with him, but only for the priests?

5 Or have ye not read in the law, how that on the sabbath days the priests in the temple profane the sabbath, and are blameless?

6 But I say unto you, That in this place is one greater than the temple.

7 But if ye had known what this meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice, ye would not have condemned the guiltless.

8 For the Son of man is Lord even of the sabbath day.


Alphabetical Index to the Bible Notes A Study Bible - Main Index
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
To Understand my faith better I have decided to construct these pages. They are strictly educational, non-commercial and to foster scholarly discussion. All Bible quotes are from the King James Version unless otherwise stated. I use the KJV because while not a perfect translation it is literal and out of Copyright. All mistakes are my own and if you differ from my thoughts I welcome your comments. J. Barry O'Connell Jr.