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

2But when the Pharisees saw this, they said to Him, “Look, Your disciples do what is not lawful to do on a Sabbath.” 3But He said to them, “Have you not read what David did when he became hungry, he and his companions, how he entered the house of God, and they ate the consecrated bread, which was not lawful for him to eat nor for those with him, but for the priests alone? 5Or have you not read in the Law, that on the Sabbath the priests in the temple break the Sabbath and are innocent? 6But I say to you that something greater than the temple is here.

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

• howπῶςpōs · how?!G4459
• he enteredεἰσέρχομαιeiserchomai · to enterG1525
• the houseοἶκοςoikos · house: homeG3624
• of Godθεόςtheos · GodG2316
• they ateἐσθίωesthiō · to eatG2068
• consecratedπρόθεσιςprothesis · purposeG4286
• breadἄρτοςartos · breadG740
• whichὅςhos hē ho · whichG3739
• was not lawfulἔξεστι, ἐξόνexesti · be permittedG1832
• norοὐδέoude · norG3761
• for thoseὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• with him, but for the priestsἱερεύςhiereus · priestG2409
• aloneμόνοςmonos · aloneG3441

Cross-references for Matthew 12:4

• Exodus 25:30You shall set the bread of the Presence on the table before Me at all times.
• Leviticus 24:5“Then you shall take fine flour and bake twelve cakes with it; two-tenths of an ephah shall be in each cake.
• Exodus 29:32Aaron and his sons shall eat the flesh of the ram and the bread that is in the basket, at the doorway of the tent of meeting.
• Leviticus 8:31Then Moses said to Aaron and to his sons, “Boil the flesh at the doorway of the tent of meeting, and eat it there together with the bread which is in the basket of the ordination offering, just as I commanded, saying, ‘Aaron and his sons shall eat it.’
• Leviticus 24:9It shall be for Aaron and his sons, and they shall eat it in a holy place; for it is most holy to him from the Lord’s offerings by fire, his portion forever.”

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