Matthew 12 · Verse 3

Matthew 12:3

But he said unto them, Have ye not read what David did, when he was an hungred, and they that were with him;

Matthew 12:3, King James Version

Matthew 12:3 in other translations

BSB	Jesus replied, “Have you not read what David did when he and his companions were hungry?
WEB	But he said to them, “Haven’t you read what David did when he was hungry, and those who were with him:
ASV	But he said unto them, Have ye not read what David did, when he was hungry, and they that were with him;
YLT	And he said to them, ‘Did ye not read what David did, when he was hungry, himself and those with him--
DARBY	But he said to them, Have ye not read what David did when he was hungry, and they that were with him?
BBE	But he said to them, Have you no knowledge of what David did when he had need of food, and those who were with him?
Webster	But he said to them, Have ye not read what David did when he was hungry, and they that were with him;

What does Matthew 12:3 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown

3. But he said unto them, Have ye not read--or, as Mark (Mr 2:25) has it, "Have ye never read." what David did when he was an hungered, and they that were with him--(1Sa 21:1-6)

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Barnes' Notes

Verse 3. But he said unto them, etc. To vindicate his disciples, he referred them to a similar case, recorded in the Old Testament, and therefore one with which they ought to have been acquainted. This was the case of David. The law commanded that twelve loaves of bread should be laid on the table in the holy place in the tabernacle, to remain a week, and then to be eaten by the priests only. Their place was supplied then by fresh bread. This was called the shew-bread, Lev 24:5-9. David, fleeing before Saul, weary and hungry, had come to Ahimelech the priest; had found only this bread; had asked it of him, and had eaten it, contrary to the letter of the law, 1Sam 21:1-7. David, among the Jews, had high authority. This act had passed uncondemned. It proved that in cases of necessity the laws did not bind a man: a principle which all laws admit. So the necessity of the disciples justified them in doing on the sabbath what would have been otherwise unlawful.

(l) "David did" 1Sam 21:6

Albert Barnes, 1834 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary

Verse 3 Have ye not read what David did - The original history is in 1Sam 21:1-6. When he was an hungered - Here hearken to Kimchi, producing the opinion of the ancients concerning this story in these words: "Our rabbins of blessed memory say, that he gave him the shew-bread, etc. The interpretation also of the clause, Yea, though it were sanctified this day in the vessel, is this: It is a small thing to say, that it is lawful for us to eat These Loaves, taken from before the Lord, when we are hungry; for it would be lawful to eat this very loaf which is now set on, which is also sanctified in the vessel, (for the table sanctifieth), it would be lawful to eat even this, when another loaf is not present with you to give us, and we are so hunger-bitten. And a little after, There is nothing which may hinder taking care of life, beside idolatry, adultery, and murder. That is, a man, according to them, should do any thing but these in order to preserve life." See Lightfoot. He entered into the house of God - Viz. the house of Ahimelech the priest, who dwelt at Nob, with whom the tabernacle then was, in which the Divine presence was manifested. And did eat the shew - bread - Τους αρτους της προθεσεως - in Hebrew, לחם פנים lechem panim - bread of the presence, or faces, because this bread was to be set continually, לפני יהוה lipney Yehovah, before the face of Jehovah. See the notes on Exo 25:23, Exo 25:30. "Since part of the frankincense put in the bread was to be burnt on the altar for a memorial, Lev 24:7, and since Aaron and his sons were to eat it in the holy place, it is evident that this bread typified Christ, first presented as a sacrifice to, or in the presence of, Jehovah, and then becoming spiritual food to such as, in and through him, are spiritual priests to God. See Rev 1:6; Rev 5:10; Rev 20:6; also 1Pet 2:5." Parkhurst.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Matthew 12:1-8

Being in the corn-fields, the disciples began to pluck the ears of corn: the law of God allowed it, De 23:25. This was slender provision for Christ and his disciples; but they were content with it. The Pharisees did not quarrel with them for taking another man's corn, but for doing it on the sabbath day. Christ came to free his followers, not only from the corruptions of the Pharisees, but from their unscriptural…

Read the full comment on Matthew 12:1-8 →

Matthew 12:3 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.

ὉHoHeG3588

δὲdethenG1161

εἶπενeipensaidG2036

αὐτοῖς·autoisto them;G846

οὐκoukSurelyG3756

ἀνέγνωτεanegnōteyou have readG314

τίtiwhatG5101

ἐποίησενepoiēsendidG4160

ΔαυὶδDauidDavidG1138

ὅτεhotewhenG3753

ἐπείνασενepeinasenhe was hungryG3983

καὶkaiandG2532

οἱhoithoseG3588

μετ᾽met᾽withG3326

αὐτοῦ;autouhim?G846

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

Cross references for Matthew 12:3

1 Samuel 21:3-6
Now therefore what is under thine hand? give me five loaves of bread in mine hand, or what there is present. And the priest answered David, and said, There is no common bread under mine hand, but there is hallowed bread; if the young men have kept themselves at least from women. And David answered the priest, and said unto him, Of a truth women have been kept from us about these three days, since I came out, and the vessels of the young men are holy, and the bread is in a manner common, yea, though it were sanctified this day in the vessel. So the priest gave him hallowed bread: for there was no bread there but the shewbread, that was taken from before the Lord, to put hot bread in the day when it was taken away.
Luke 6:3
And Jesus answering them said, Have ye not read so much as this, what David did, when himself was an hungred, and they which were with him;
Mark 2:25-26
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? 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?
Matthew 21:16
And said unto him, Hearest thou what these say? And Jesus saith unto them, Yea; have ye never read, Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings thou hast perfected praise?
Mark 12:10
And have ye not read this scripture; The stone which the builders rejected is become the head of the corner:
Matthew 12:5
Or have ye not read in the law, how that on the sabbath days the priests in the temple profane the sabbath, and are blameless?
Mark 12:26
And as touching the dead, that they rise: have ye not read in the book of Moses, how in the bush God spake unto him, saying, I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob?
Matthew 22:31
But as touching the resurrection of the dead, have ye not read that which was spoken unto you by God, saying,
Matthew 19:4
And he answered and said unto them, Have ye not read, that he which made them at the beginning made them male and female,
Luke 10:26
He said unto him, What is written in the law? how readest thou?

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

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

Have.
5; 19:4; 21:16; 22:31; Mr 12:10,26; Lu 6:3; 10:26
what.
1Sa 21:3-6; Mr 2:25,26

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

Context

Matthew 12:2
But when the Pharisees saw it, they said unto him, Behold, thy disciples do that which is not lawful to do upon the sabbath day.
Matthew 12:3
But he said unto them, Have ye not read what David did, when he was an hungred, and they that were with him;
Matthew 12:4
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?

Read all of Matthew 12

Matthew 12:3 in other languages

Spanish Reina-Valera 1909	Y él les dijo: ¿No habéis leído qué hizo David, teniendo él hambre y los que con él estaban:
French Bible J.N. Darby 1885	Mais il leur dit: N’avez-vous pas lu ce que fit David, quand il eut faim, et ceux qui étaient avec lui;
German Elberfelder 1871	Er aber sprach zu ihnen: Habt ihr nicht gelesen, was David tat, als ihn und die bei ihm waren hungerte?
Latin Clementine Vulgate	At ille dixit eis: Non legistis quid fecerit David, quando esuriit, et qui cum eo erant: