Mark 2:26

Mark 2:26 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)How he went into the house of God in the days of Abiathar the high priest, and did eat the shewbread, which is not lawful to eat but for the priests, and gave also to them which were with him?
• New International Version (NIV)In the days of Abiathar the high priest, he entered the house of God and ate the consecrated bread, which is lawful only for priests to eat. And he also gave some to his companions.”
• English Standard Version (ESV)how he entered the house of God, in the time of Abiathar the high priest, and ate the bread of the Presence, which it is not lawful for any but the priests to eat, and also gave it to those who were with him?"
• New King James Version (NKJV)how he went into the house of God in the days of Abiathar the high priest, and ate the showbread, which is not lawful to eat except for the priests, and also gave some to those who were with him?”

Context of Mark 2:26

24The Pharisees asked him, “Look! Why are your disciples doing something that is not permitted on the day of rest—a holy day?” 25Jesus asked them, “Haven’t you ever read what David did when he and his men were in need and were hungry? Haven’t you ever read how he went into the house of God when Abiathar was chief priest and ate the bread of the presence? He had no right to eat those loaves. Only the priests have that right. Haven’t you ever read how he also gave some of it to his men?” 27Then he added, “The day of rest—a holy day, was made for people, not people for the day of rest. 28For this reason the Son of Man has authority over the day of rest—a holy day.”

Mark 2:26 word by word

πῶς εἰσῆλθεν εἰς τὸν οἶκον τοῦ θεοῦ ἐπὶ Ἀβιαθὰρ ἀρχιερέως καὶ τοὺς ἄρτους τῆς προθέσεως ἔφαγεν οὓς οὐκ ἔξεστιν φαγεῖν εἰ μὴ τοὺς ἱερεῖς, καὶ ἔδωκεν καὶ τοῖς σὺν αὐτῷ οὖσιν;Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Howπῶςpōs · how?!G4459
• he wentεἰσέρχομαιeiserchomai · to enterG1525
• intoεἰςeis · towardG1519
• the houseὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• the houseοἶκοςoikos · house: homeG3624
• of Godθεόςtheos · GodG2316
• in the days ofἐπίepi · upon/to/againstG1909
• AbiatharἈβιαθάρAbiathar · AbiatharG8
• the high priestἀρχιερεύςarchiereus · high-priestG749
• andκαίkai · andG2532
• did eatφαγεῖνphagō · to eatG5315
• the shewbreadἄρτοςartos · breadG740
• the shewbreadπρόθεσιςprothesis · purposeG4286
• whichὅςhos hē ho · whichG3739
• isἔξεστι, ἐξόνexesti · be permittedG1832
• notοὐou · noG3756
• butεἰei · if: notG1487
• butμήmē · notG3361
• for the priestsἱερεύςhiereus · priestG2409
• gaveδίδωμιdidōmi · to giveG1325
• wereεἰμίeimi · to beG1510
• withσύνsun · withG4862
• himαὐτόςautos · it/s/heG846

Cross-references for Mark 2:26

• 2 Samuel 8:17Ahitub’s son Zadok and Abiathar’s son Ahimelech were priests. Seraiah was the royal scribe.
• 1 Chronicles 18:16Ahitub’s son Zadok and Abiathar’s son Abimelech were priests. Shavsha was the royal scribe.
• 1 Kings 2:26The king told the priest Abiathar, “Go to your land in Anathoth. You deserve to die, but I won’t kill you at this time because you carried the ark of the Almighty Lord ahead of my father David and because you shared all my father’s sufferings.”
• 1 Kings 2:27So Solomon removed Abiathar as the Lord’s priest and fulfilled the Lord’s word spoken at Shiloh about Eli’s family.
• 1 Samuel 22:20But Ahimelech, Ahitub’s son, had one son who escaped. His name was Abiathar. He fled to David.
• 1 Samuel 23:6When Ahimelech’s son Abiathar fled to David at Keilah, Abiathar brought a priestly ephod with him.
• 2 Samuel 15:24Zadok and all the Levites with him were carrying the ark of God’s promise. They set down the ark of God beside Abiathar until all the troops had withdrawn from the city.
• 2 Samuel 20:25Sheva was the royal scribe. Zadok and Abiathar were priests.
• 1 Kings 1:7But Adonijah had discussed his actions with Joab (son of Zeruiah) and with the priest Abiathar, so they supported him.
• 1 Kings 2:22King Solomon then said, “Why do you ask that Abishag from Shunem be given to Adonijah? That would be the same as giving him the kingship. After all, he is my older brother. The priest Abiathar and Joab (Zeruiah’s son) are supporting him.”
• 1 Kings 4:4Benaiah, son of Jehoiada, was commander of the army. Zadok and Abiathar were priests.
• Exodus 29:32At the entrance to the tent of meeting, Aaron and his sons will eat the meat of the ram and the bread ⌞left⌟ in the basket.
• Leviticus 24:5“Also take flour and bake twelve rings of bread. Each ring will contain four quarts of flour.

Commentaries on Mark 2:26

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 26The days of Abiathar the high priest - It appears from 1 Samuel 21:1, which is the place referred to here, that Ahimelech was then high priest at Nob: and from 1 Samuel 22:20; 1 Samuel 23:6, and 1 Chronicles 18:16, it appears that Abiathar was the son of Ahimelech. The Persic reads Abimelech instead of Abiathar. Theophylact supposes that Abiathar was the priest, and Ahimelech or Abimelech the high priest, and thus endeavors to reconcile both the sacred…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 23-28Verses 23-28 See Matthew 12:1-8. The cornfields - The fields sown with wheat or barley. The word “corn,” in the Bible, refers only to grain of that kind, and never to “maize” or “Indian corn.” To pluck the ears of corn - They were hungry, Matthew 12:1. They therefore gathered the wheat or barley as they walked and rubbed it in their hands to shell it, and thus to satisfy their appetite. Though our Lord was with them, and though he had all things at his…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 23-28Verses 23-28 The sabbath is a sacred and Divine institution; a privilege and benefit, not a task and drudgery. God never designed it to be a burden to us, therefore we must not make it so to ourselves. The sabbath was instituted for the good of mankind, as living in society, having many wants and troubles, preparing for a state of happiness or misery. Man was not made for the sabbath, as if his keeping it could be of service to God, nor was he commanded…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 25-26Jesus answered by referring to an event in the life of King David (1 Samuel 21). David and his men ate the sacred bread, the twelve loaves in the tabernacle that only priests were allowed to eat (see Leviticus 24:5–9). In that sense, they did what the law did not permit. But Jesus showed that a deeper principle was also at work (Mark 2:27–28).Read the comment

Topics related to Mark 2:26

• Ahimelech
• Jesus, the Christ
• Shewbread (Showbread)

In the dictionaries

• Abiathar
• God
• god, false god, goddess, idol, idolater, idolatrous, idolatry
• High priest
• House of God
• Blaspheme
• Blasphemy
• Press
• Sabbath
• Ahimelech

Commentaries on Mark 2

• 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