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?
Matthew 12:4 in other translations
| BSB | He entered the house of God, and he and his companions ate the consecrated bread, which was not lawful for them to eat, but only for the priests. |
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| WEB | 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? |
| ASV | how he entered into the house of God, and ate the showbread, which it was not lawful for him to eat, neither for them that were with him, but only for the priests? |
| YLT | how he went into the house of God, and the loaves of the presentation did eat, which it is not lawful to him to eat, nor to those with him, except to the priests alone? |
| DARBY | How he entered into the house of God, and ate the shewbread, which it was not lawful for him to eat, nor for those with him, but for the priests only? |
| BBE | How he went into the house of God and took for food the holy bread which it was not right for him or for those who were with him to take, but only for the priests? |
| Webster | How he entered into the house of God, and ate the show-bread, which it was not lawful for him to eat, neither for them who were with him, but only for the priests? |
What does Matthew 12:4 mean?
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain
Barnes' Notes
In the law. In the law 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, Nu 28:9,10. Two lambs were killed on the sabbath, in addition to the daily sacrifice. The priests must be engaged in slaying them, and making fires to burn them in sacrifice; whereas to kindle a fire was expressly forbidden the Jews on the sabbath, (Ex 35:3) they were obliged to skin them, prepare them for sacrifice, and burn them, They did that which, for other persons to do, would have been profaning the sabbath. Yet they were blameless. They did what was necessary and commanded. This was done in the very temple, too, the place of holiness, where the law should be most strictly observed.
(m) "shewbread" Ex 25:30 (n) "only for priests" Ex 29:32,33
Albert Barnes, 1834 · 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…
Matthew 12:4 in the original Greek
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Cross references for Matthew 12:4
- 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. …
- Exodus 25:30
And thou shalt set upon the table shewbread before me alway.
- 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.
- Leviticus 8:31
And Moses said unto Aaron and to his sons, Boil the flesh at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation: and there eat it with the bread that is in the basket of consecrations, as I commanded, saying, Aaron and his sons shall eat it.
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Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Context
- 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?
- 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?
Matthew 12:4 in other languages
| Spanish Reina-Valera 1909 | Cómo entró en la casa de Dios, y comió los panes de la proposición, que no le era lícito comer, ni á los que estaban con él, sino á solos los sacerdotes? |
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| French Bible J.N. Darby 1885 | comment il entra dans la maison de Dieu et mangea les pains de proposition, qu’il ne lui était pas permis de manger ni à ceux qui étaient avec lui, mais aux sacrificateurs seuls? |
| German Elberfelder 1871 | wie er in das Haus Gottes ging und die Schaubrote aß, welche er nicht essen durfte, noch die bei ihm waren, sondern allein die Priester? |
| Latin Clementine Vulgate | quomodo intravit in domum Dei, et panes propositionis comedit, quos non licebat ei edere, neque his qui cum eo erant, nisi solis sacerdotibus? |