Showing verses 7–8
7 But if you had known what this means, ‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice,’ you wouldn’t have condemned the guiltless.
8 For the Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath.”
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3 “Haven’t you read what David did when he was hungry, and those who were with him:
4 how he entered into God’s house and ate the show bread, which was not lawful for him to eat, nor for those who were with him, but only for the priests?
5 Or have you not read in the law that on the Sabbath day the priests in the temple profane the Sabbath and are guiltless?
6 But I tell you that one greater than the temple is here.
7 But if you had known what this means, ‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice,’ you wouldn’t have condemned the guiltless.
8 For the Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath.”
MoreShow less actions for Matthew 12:3–8
Old Testament source (1)
Quoted by Jesus · BibleGateway (opens in a new tab)
Background (5)
Historical source · 1897 · selected excerpts
- Bread
Bread was prepared by kneading in wooden bowls or "kneading troughs" (Gen. 18:6; Ex. 12:34; Jer. 7:18). The dough was mixed with leaven and made into thin cakes, round or oval, and then baked.
- Priest
They represented the people before God, and offered the various sacrifices prescribed in the law.
- Show bread
This bread consisted of twelve loaves made of the finest flour. […] They were renewed every Sabbath (Lev. 24:5-9), and those that were removed to give place to the new ones were to be eaten by the priests only in the holy place (see 1 Sam. 21:3-6; comp. Matt. 12:3, 4).
- Sabbath
(Heb. verb shabbath, meaning "to rest from labour"), the day of rest.
- Temple
This word is generally used in Scripture of the sacred house erected on the summit of Mount Moriah for the worship of God.