13. § 37. The disciples pluck ears of grain

CH. XII. 1-8.

AT that time Jesus went on the sabbath-day through the corn, and his disciples were a hungered, and began to pluck the ears of corn, and to eat.

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.

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

4 How he entered into the house of God, and did eat the shew-bread, which was not lawful for him to eat, neither for them which were with him, but only for the priests?

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?

6 But I say unto you, that in this place is one greater than the temple.

7 But if ye had known what this meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice, ye would not have condemned the guiltless.

8 For the Son of man is Lord even of the sabbath-day.

a Deut. xxiii. 25.

c 1 Sam. xxi. 1 7.

CH. II. 23-28.

23 And it came to pass, that he went through the corn-fields on the sabbath-day; and his disciples began, as they went, to pluck the ears of corn.

24 And the Pharisees said unto him, Behold, why do they on the sabbath-day that which is not lawful?

25 And he said unto them, Have ye never read what David did, when he had need, and was a hungered, he and they that were with him!

26 How he went into the house of God, in the days of Abiathar the high priest, and did eat the shew-bread, which is not lawful to eat, but for the priests, and gave also to them which were with him!

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

28 Therefore, the Son of man is Lord also of the sabbath.

b Numb. xxviii. 9, 10; xviii. 19.

d Hos. vi. 6.

Matth. xii. 2, to do upon the Sabbath day.] The act of plucking the ears of corn by the hand, in another's field, was expressly permitted, by the law of Moses, Deut. xxiii. 23; but it was considered so far a species of reaping as to be servile work, and therefore not lawful to be done on the Sabbath. CAMPBELL, in loc.

Mark II. 26, Abiathar.] It appears from 1 Sam. xxi. 1, that Abimelech was the sec. 36, 37.]

| and our Lord's subsequent discourse. Jerusalem. | |

| --- | --- |

| LUKE. | JOHN. CH. V. 1-47. 45 Do not think that I will accuse you to the Father: there is one that accuseth you, even Moses, in whom ye trust. 46 For had ye believed Moses, ye would have believed me: for he wrote of me. 47 But if ye believe not his writings, how shall ye believe my words? |

| on the Sabbath. On the way to Galilee? | |

| CH. VI. 1-5. AND it came to pass on the second sabbath after the first, that he went through the corn fields; and his disciples plucked the ears of corn, and did eat, rubbing them in their hands. 2 And certain of the Pharisees said unto them, Why do ye that which is not lawful to do on the sabbath-days? 3 And Jesus, answering them, said, Have ye not read so much as this, what David did, when himself was a hungered, and they which were with him; 4 How he went into the house of God, and did take and eat the shew-bread, and gave also to them that were with him, which it is not lawful to eat but for the priests alone? 5 And he said unto them, That the Son of man is Lord also of the sabbath. | | high priest at the time referred to; but Abiathar his son was the chief priest under him, and probably superintended the tabernacle and its stated concerns. Abimelech was soon after slain; and Abiathar succeeded him in that office, and continued in it about forty years, until after the death of David. This circumstance, and his great eminence, above his father, may account for the use of his name rather than his father's, as illustrating the times of David and Saul. See SCOTT, in loc.

§ 38. The healing of the withered hand

CH. XII. 9-14.

9 And when he was departed thence, he went into their synagogue.

10 And behold, there was a man which had his hand withered. And they asked him, saying, Is it lawful to heal on the sabbath-days? that they might accuse him.

11 And he said unto them, What man shall there be among you, that shall have one sheep, and if it fall into a pit on the sabbath-day, will he not lay hold on it, and lift it out?

12 How much then is a man better than a sheep? wherefore it is lawful to do well on the sabbath-days.

13 Then saith he to the man, Stretch forth thy hand. And he stretched it forth; and it was restored whole, like as the other.

14 Then the Pharisees went out, and held a council against him, how they might destroy him.

CH. III. 1-6.

AND he entered again into the synagogue; and there was a man there which had a withered hand.

2 And they watched him, whether he would heal him on the sabbath-day; that they might accuse him.

3 And he saith unto the man which had the withered hand, Stand forth.

4 And he saith unto them, Is it lawful to do good on the sabbath-days, or to do evil? to save life, or to kill? But they held their peace.

5 And when he had looked round about on them with anger, being grieved for the hardness of their hearts, he saith unto the man, Stretch forth thy hand. And he stretched it out: and his hand was restored whole as the other.

6 And the Pharisees went forth, and straightway took counsel with the Herodians against him, how they might destroy him.