Mark 2 · Verse 26

Mark 2:26

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?
Mark 2:26, King James Version

Mark 2:26 in other translations

BSBDuring the high priesthood of Abiathar, he entered the house of God and ate the consecrated bread, which was lawful only for the priests. And he gave some to his companions as well.”
WEBHow he entered into God’s house at the time of Abiathar the high priest, and ate the show bread, which is not lawful to eat except for the priests, and gave also to those who were with him?”
ASVHow he entered into the house of God when Abiathar was high priest, and ate the showbread, which it is not lawful to eat save for the priests, and gave also to them that were with him?
YLThow he went into the house of God, (at ‘Abiathar the chief priest,') and the loaves of the presentation did eat, which it is not lawful to eat, except to the priests, and he gave also to those who were with him?'
DARBYhow he entered into the house of God, in the section of Abiathar the high priest, and ate the shew-bread, which it is not lawful unless for the priests to eat, and gave even to those that were with him?
BBEHow he went into the house of God when Abiathar was high priest, and took for food the holy bread, which only the priests may take, and gave it to those who were with him?
WebsterHow he went into the house of God, in the days of Abiathar the high priest, and ate the show-bread, which it is not lawful to eat, but for the priests, and gave also to them who were with him?

What does Mark 2:26 mean?

Barnes' Notes
Verse 26. Abiathar the priest. From 1Sam 21:1, it appears that Ahimelech was high priest at the time here referred to. And from 1Sam 23:6, it appears that Abiathar was the son of Ahimelech. Some difficulty has been felt in reconciling these accounts. The probable reason why Mark says it was in the days of Abiathar, is that Abiathar was better known than Ahimelech. The son of the high priest was regarded as his successor, and was often associated with him in the duties of his office. It was not improper, therefore, to designate him as high priest, even during the life of his father, especially as that was the name by which he was afterwards known. Abiathar, moreover, in the calamitous times when David came to the throne, left the interest of Saul, and fled to David, bringing with him the ephod, one of the peculiar garments of the high priest. For a long time, during David's reign, he was high priest, and it became natural, therefore, to associate his name with that of David; to speak of David as king, and Abiathar the high priest of his time. This will account for the fact that he was spoken of, rather than his father. At the same time this was strictly true, that this was done in the days of Abiathar, who was afterwards high priest, and was familiarly spoken of as such; as we say that General Washington was present at the defeat of Braddock, and saved his army; though the title of general did not belong to him till many years afterwards.

Shewbread. Mt 12:4.

(w) "shewbread" Ex 29:32,33, Lev 24:9

Albert Barnes, 1834 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 26 The days of Abiathar the high priest - It appears from 1Sam 21:1, which is the place referred to here, that Ahimelech was then high priest at Nob: and from 1Sam 22:20; 1Sam 23:6, and 1Chr 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 historians. Others reconcile the accounts thus: Ahimelech was called Ahimelech Abiathar, אב ab, father, understood; and Abiathar was called Abiathar Ahimelech, בן ben, son, understood. Probably they both officiated in the high priesthood; and the name of the office was indifferently applied to either. Shew-bread - See Mat 12:4.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Mark 2:23-28

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…

Read the full comment on Mark 2:23-28 →

Mark 2:26 in the original Greek

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

πῶςpōsHowG4459
εἰσῆλθενeisēlthenhe enteredG1525
εἰςeisintoG1519
τὸνtontheG3588
οἶκονoikonhouseG3624
τοῦtou<the>G3588
θεοῦtheouof GodG2316
ἐπὶepiin [the days of]G1909
ἈβιαθὰρAbiatharAbiatharG8
ἀρχιερέωςarchiereōshigh priestG749
καὶkaiandG2532
τοὺςtoustheG3588
ἄρτουςartousloavesG740
τῆςtēsof theG3588
προθέσεωςprotheseōspresentationG4286
ἔφαγενephagenateG5315
οὓςhouswhichG3739
οὐκouknotG3756
ἔξεστινexestinit is lawfulG1832
φαγεῖνphageinto eatG5315
εἰeionlyG1487
μὴmēexceptG3361
τοὺςtousfor theG3588
ἱερεῖς,hi'ereispriests,G2409
καὶkaiAndG2532
ἔδωκενedōkenhe gaveG1325
καὶkaievenG2532
τοῖςtoisto thoseG3588
σὺνsunwithG4862
αὐτῷautōhimG846
οὖσιν;ousinbeing?G1510

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Mark 2:26

  • 2 Samuel 8:17

    And Zadok the son of Ahitub, and Ahimelech the son of Abiathar, were the priests; and Seraiah was the scribe;

  • Leviticus 24:5-9

    And thou shalt take fine flour, and bake twelve cakes thereof: two tenth deals shall be in one cake. And thou shalt set them in two rows, six on a row, upon the pure table before the Lord. And thou shalt put pure frankincense upon each row, that it may be on the bread for a memorial, even an offering made by fire unto the Lord. Every sabbath he shall set it in order before the Lord continually, being taken from the children of Israel by an everlasting covenant. …

  • 1 Samuel 21:1

    Then came David to Nob to Ahimelech the priest: and Ahimelech was afraid at the meeting of David, and said unto him, Why art thou alone, and no man with thee?

  • 1 Chronicles 24:6

    And Shemaiah the son of Nethaneel the scribe, one of the Levites, wrote them before the king, and the princes, and Zadok the priest, and Ahimelech the son of Abiathar, and before the chief of the fathers of the priests and Levites: one principal household being taken for Eleazar, and one taken for Ithamar.

  • 1 Kings 2:26-27

    And unto Abiathar the priest said the king, Get thee to Anathoth, unto thine own fields; for thou art worthy of death: but I will not at this time put thee to death, because thou barest the ark of the Lord God before David my father, and because thou hast been afflicted in all wherein my father was afflicted. So Solomon thrust out Abiathar from being priest unto the Lord; that he might fulfil the word of the Lord, which he spake concerning the house of Eli in Shiloh.

  • 1 Samuel 22:20-22

    And one of the sons of Ahimelech the son of Ahitub, named Abiathar, escaped, and fled after David. And Abiathar shewed David that Saul had slain the Lord’s priests. And David said unto Abiathar, I knew it that day, when Doeg the Edomite was there, that he would surely tell Saul: I have occasioned the death of all the persons of thy father’s house.

  • Exodus 29:32-33

    And Aaron and his sons shall eat the flesh of the ram, and the bread that is in the basket, by the door of the tabernacle of the congregation. And they shall eat those things wherewith the atonement was made, to consecrate and to sanctify them: but a stranger shall not eat thereof, because they are holy.

  • 1 Samuel 23:9

    And David knew that Saul secretly practised mischief against him; and he said to Abiathar the priest, Bring hither the ephod.

  • 2 Samuel 20:25

    And Sheva was scribe: and Zadok and Abiathar were the priests:

  • 2 Samuel 15:24

    And lo Zadok also, and all the Levites were with him, bearing the ark of the covenant of God: and they set down the ark of God; and Abiathar went up, until all the people had done passing out of the city.

  • 2 Samuel 15:29

    Zadok therefore and Abiathar carried the ark of God again to Jerusalem: and they tarried there.

  • 1 Kings 2:22

    And king Solomon answered and said unto his mother, And why dost thou ask Abishag the Shunammite for Adonijah? ask for him the kingdom also; for he is mine elder brother; even for him, and for Abiathar the priest, and for Joab the son of Zeruiah.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Abiathar.It appears from the passage referred to here, that Ahimelech was then high priest at Nob; and from other passages, that Abiathar was his son. Various conjectures have been formed in order to solve this difficulty; and some, instead of untying, have cut the knot, by pronouncing it an interpolation. The most probable opinion seems to be, that both father and son had two names, the father being also called Abiathar; and this appears almost certain from 2 Sa 8:17; 1 Ch 18:16, where Ahimelech seems evidently termed Abiathar, while Abiathar is called Ahimelech or Abimelech. (Compare 1 Ki 2:26, 27.)
1Sa 22:20-22; 23:6,9; 2Sa 8:17; 15:24,29,35; 20:25; 1Ki 1:7
1Ki 2:22,26,27; 4:4
which is not lawful.
Ex 29:32,33; Le 24:5-9

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • Mark 2:25

    And he said unto them, Have ye never read what David did, when he had need, and was an hungred, he, and they that were with him?

  • Mark 2:26

    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?

  • Mark 2:27

    And he said unto them, The sabbath was made for man, and not man for the sabbath:

Read all of Mark 2

Mark 2:26 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909
Cómo entró en la casa de Dios, siendo Abiathar sumo pontífice, y comió los panes de la proposición, de los cuales no es lícito comer sino á los sacerdotes, y aun dió á los que con él estaban?
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885
comment, au titre “Abiathar, souverain sacrificateur”, il entra dans la maison de Dieu, et mangea les pains de proposition, qu’il n’est pas permis de manger, sinon aux sacrificateurs, et en donna aussi à ceux qui étaient avec lui?
German
Elberfelder 1871
wie er in das Haus Gottes ging unter Abjathar, dem Hohenpriester, und die Schaubrote aß, und auch denen gab, die bei ihm waren?
Latin
Clementine Vulgate
quomodo introivit in domum Dei sub Abiathar principe sacerdotum, et panes propositionis manducavit, quos non licebat manducare, nisi sacerdotibus, et dedit eis qui cum eo erant?