Matthew 12:4

Matthew 12:4 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)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?
• New International Version (NIV)He entered the house of God, and he and his companions ate the consecrated bread—which was not lawful for them to do, but only for the priests.
• English Standard Version (ESV)how he entered the house of God and ate the bread of the Presence, which it was not lawful for him to eat nor for those who were with him, but only for the priests?
• New King James Version (NKJV)how he entered the house of God and ate the showbread which was not lawful for him to eat, nor for those who were with him, but only for the priests?

Context of Matthew 12:4

2While the disciples were picking the grains, some Pharisees saw them. They said to Jesus, ‘Look at what your disciples are doing! It is against God's Law to do that on our day of rest.’ 3Jesus replied, ‘You have certainly read about what David did one day. He and the men who were with him were hungry. David went into the temple. He ate the special bread that was there. He also gave some of it to his men to eat as well. But it is against God's Law for anyone except the priests to eat that special bread. 5Also, you certainly know what God's Law says about the priests. They work in the temple, even on the day of rest. They have not obeyed the Law about the day of rest. But God's Law tells us that they have not done anything that is wrong. 6But I tell you this. There is someone here now who has greater authority even than the temple.

Matthew 12:4 word by word

πῶς εἰσῆλθεν εἰς τὸν οἶκον τοῦ θεοῦ καὶ τοὺς ἄρτους τῆς προθέσεως ἔφαγον, ὃ οὐκ ἐξὸν ἦν αὐτῷ φαγεῖν οὐδὲ τοῖς μετ᾽ αὐτοῦ εἰ μὴ τοῖς ἱερεῦσιν μόνοις;¶Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Howπῶςpōs · how?!G4459
• he enteredεἰσέρχομαιeiserchomai · to enterG1525
• intoεἰςeis · towardG1519
• the houseὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• the houseοἶκοςoikos · house: homeG3624
• of Godθεόςtheos · GodG2316
• andκαίkai · andG2532
• did eatφαγεῖνphagō · to eatG5315
• the shewbreadἄρτοςartos · breadG740
• the shewbreadπρόθεσιςprothesis · purposeG4286
• whichὅςhos hē ho · whichG3739
• wasεἰμίeimi · to beG1510
• notοὐou · noG3756
• lawfulἔξεστι, ἐξόνexesti · be permittedG1832
• for himαὐτόςautos · it/s/heG846
• neitherοὐδέoude · norG3761
• withμετάmeta · with/afterG3326
• butεἰei · if: notG1487
• ·μήmē · notG3361
• onlyμόνοςmonos · aloneG3441
• for the priestsἱερεύςhiereus · priestG2409

Cross-references for Matthew 12:4

• Exodus 25:30Put the Lord's special bread on this table. The bread must always be there for me.
• Leviticus 24:5The people must bake 12 loaves of bread. They must use the best flour. They must weigh the flour for each loaf. They must use two tenths (2/10) of an ephah (4 litres).
• Exodus 29:32Aaron and his sons must eat this meat and the bread that was in the basket. They must do this at the entrance of the Tent of Meeting.
• Leviticus 8:31Moses said to Aaron and to his sons, ‘Cook the meat at the door of the Tent of Meeting. Eat the meat with the bread in the basket by the door of the Tent of Meeting.
• Leviticus 24:9The bread is for Aaron and for his sons. They must eat it in a holy place. It is their holy part of the burnt offering to the Lord.’

Commentaries on Matthew 12:4

• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 4How he entered into the house of God - That is, the “tabernacle,” the temple not being then built. Have ye not read in the law? - In the law, or in the books of Moses. Profane the Sabbath - He referred them to the conduct of the priests also. On the Sabbath days they were engaged, as well as on other days, in killing beasts for sacrifice, Numbers 28:9-10. Two lambs were killed on the Sabbath, in addition to the daily sacrifice. The priests must be engaged…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 3-4Sometimes it was right to suspend ceremonial laws (1 Samuel 21:1–6).Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 44. How he entered into the house of God, and did eat the showbread, which was not lawful for him to eat, neither for them which were with him, but only for the priests?--No example could be more apposite than this. The man after God's own heart, of whom the Jews ever boasted, when suffering in God's cause and straitened for provisions, asked and obtained from the high priest what, according to the law, it was illegal for anyone save the priests to touch…Read the comment

Topics related to Matthew 12:4

• Accusation, False
• Church
• David
• Ecclesiasticism
• Form
• Jesus, the Christ
• Pharisees
• Priest
• Sabbath
• Shewbread (Showbread)
• Tradition

In the dictionaries

• God
• god, false god, goddess, idol, idolater, idolatrous, idolatry
• House of God
• Adulterous
• Bread
• Condemn
• Desolation
• Idle
• Judgment
• Restore

Commentaries on Matthew 12

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Calvin’s Commentaries
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Catena Aurea
• Illustrated New Testament
• Burkitt’s Expository Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Family Bible Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• John Lightfoot Commentary
• Luther’s Commentary on Selected Bible Passages
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• The People’s New Testament
• Robertson’s Word Pictures
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• The Fourfold Gospel and Commentary on Acts
• Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings