New International Version
Matthew 12:4
4He 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.
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?
- 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?
- New Living Translation (NLT)He went into the house of God, and he and his companions broke the law by eating the sacred loaves of bread that only the priests are allowed to eat.
Context of Matthew 12:4
2When the Pharisees saw this, they said to him, “Look! Your disciples are doing what is unlawful on the Sabbath.” 3He answered, “Haven’t you read what David did when he and his companions were hungry? 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. 5Or haven’t you read in the Law that the priests on Sabbath duty in the temple desecrate the Sabbath and yet are innocent? 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 25:30Put the bread of the Presence on this table to be before me at all times.
- Leviticus 24:5“Take the finest flour and bake twelve loaves of bread, using two-tenths of an ephah for each loaf.
- Exodus 29:32At the entrance to the tent of meeting, Aaron and his sons are to eat the meat of the ram and the bread that is in the basket.
- Leviticus 8:31Moses then said to Aaron and his sons, “Cook the meat at the entrance to the tent of meeting and eat it there with the bread from the basket of ordination offerings, as I was commanded: ‘Aaron and his sons are to eat it.’
- Leviticus 24:9It belongs to Aaron and his sons, who are to eat it in the sanctuary area, because it is a most holy part of their perpetual share of the food offerings presented 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
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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