New English Translation
Matthew 12:4
4how he entered the house of God and they ate the sacred bread, which was against the law for him or his companions to eat, but only for the priests?
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 are doing what is against the law to do on the Sabbath.” 3He said to them, “Haven’t you read what David did when he and his companions were hungry – how he entered the house of God and they ate the sacred bread, which was against the law for him or his companions to eat, but only for the priests? 5Or have you not read in the law that the priests in the temple desecrate the Sabbath and yet are not guilty? 6I tell you that something greater than the temple is here.
Read all of Matthew 12Matthew 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 25:30You are to set the Bread of the Presence on the table before me continually.
- Leviticus 24:5“You must take choice wheat flour and bake twelve loaves; there must be two tenths of an ephah of flour in each loaf,
- Exodus 29:32Aaron and his sons are to eat the meat of the ram and the bread that was in the basket at the entrance of the tent of meeting.
- Leviticus 8:31Then Moses said to Aaron and his sons, “Boil the meat at the entrance of the Meeting Tent, and there you are to eat it and the bread which is in the ordination offering basket, just as I have commanded, saying, ‘Aaron and his sons are to eat it,’
- Leviticus 24:9It will belong to Aaron and his sons, and they must eat it in a holy place because it is most holy to him, a perpetual allotted portion from the gifts of 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
In the dictionaries
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
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