Focused Passage

Matthew 12:1-8

The Lord of the Sabbath, the Servant of the Lord, and the Crisis of Unbelief

Matthew moves from Sabbath controversy in the grainfields, to Sabbath healing in the synagogue, to Isaiah’s Servant fulfillment, to the Beelzebul accusation and Jesus’ warning about blasphemy against the Spirit, to teaching on words and the heart, to the sign of Jonah and judgment against the generation, to the danger of empty reform, and finally to the true family of Jesus.

Berean Standard Bible, Public Domain - Translation notes - Reference sources

1At that time Jesus went through the grainfields on the Sabbath. His disciples were hungry and began to pick the heads of grain and eat them.

2When the Pharisees saw this, they said to Him, “Look, Your disciples are doing what is unlawful on the Sabbath.”

3Jesus replied, “Have you not read what David did when he and his companions were hungry?

4He 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.

5Or haven’t you read in the Law that on the Sabbath the priests in the temple break the Sabbath and yet are innocent?

6But I tell you that One greater than the temple is here.

7If only you had known the meaning of ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice,’ you would not have condemned the innocent.

8For the Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath.”

Study Helps

References and Original Words

Verse 1

Original words

AtἘνG1722PrepositionthatἐκείνῳG1565Demonstrative Pronoun - Dative Masculine Singular-τῷG3588Article - Dative Masculine SingulartimeκαιρῷG2540Noun - Dative Masculine Singular-G3588Article - Nominative Masculine SingularJesusἸησοῦςG2424Noun - Nominative Masculine SingularwentἐπορεύθηG4198Verb - Aorist Indicative Passive - 3rd Person SingularthroughδιὰG1223PrepositiontheτῶνG3588Article - Genitive Neuter PluralgrainfieldsσπορίμωνG4702Adjective - Genitive Neuter Pluralon theτοῖςG3588Article - Dative Neuter PluralSabbathσάββασινG4521Noun - Dative Neuter Plural-δὲG1161ConjunctionHisαὐτοῦG846Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive Masculine 3rd Person Singular-οἱG3588Article - Nominative Masculine PluraldisciplesμαθηταὶG3101Noun - Nominative Masculine Pluralwere hungryἐπείνασανG3983Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person PluralandκαὶG2532ConjunctionbeganἤρξαντοG756Verb - Aorist Indicative Middle - 3rd Person Pluralto pickτίλλεινG5089Verb - Present Infinitive Active[the] heads of grainστάχυαςG4719Noun - Accusative Masculine PluralandκαὶG2532Conjunctioneat [them]ἐσθίεινG2068Verb - Present Infinitive Active
Verse 2

Original words

-οἱG3588Article - Nominative Masculine Plural[When]δὲG1161Conjunction[the] PhariseesΦαρισαῖοιG5330Noun - Nominative Masculine Pluralsaw [this]ἰδόντεςG3708Verb - Aorist Participle Active - Nominative Masculine Pluralthey saidεἶπανG2036Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person Pluralto HimαὐτῷG846Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Dative Masculine 3rd Person SingularLookἸδοὺG2400Verb - Aorist Imperative Active - 2nd Person SingularYourσουG4771Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive 2nd Person Singular-οἱG3588Article - Nominative Masculine PluraldisciplesμαθηταίG3101Noun - Nominative Masculine Pluralare doingποιοῦσινG4160Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person PluralwhatG3739Personal / Relative Pronoun - Accusative Neuter SingularvvvοὐκG3756Adverbis unlawfulἔξεστινG1832Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular. . .ποιεῖνG4160Verb - Present Infinitive ActiveonἐνG1722Preposition[the] SabbathσαββάτῳG4521Noun - Dative Neuter Singular
Verse 3

Original words

-δὲG1161Conjunction-G3588Article - Nominative Masculine Singular[Jesus] repliedεἶπενG2036Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular-αὐτοῖςG846Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Dative Masculine 3rd Person PluralvvvΟὐκG3756AdverbHave you not readἀνέγνωτεG314Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 2nd Person PluralwhatτίG5101Interrogative / Indefinite Pronoun - Accusative Neuter SingularDavidΔαυὶδG1138Noun - Nominative Masculine SingulardidἐποίησενG4160Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person SingularwhenὅτεG3753Adverb{he} andκαὶG2532Conjunctionhis companionsοἱG3588Article - Nominative Masculine Plural. . .μετ’G3326Preposition. . .αὐτοῦG846Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive Masculine 3rd Person Singularwere hungryἐπείνασενG3983Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular
Verse 4

Original words

-πῶςG4459ConjunctionHe enteredεἰσῆλθενG1525Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular. . .εἰςG1519PrepositiontheτὸνG3588Article - Accusative Masculine SingularhouseοἶκονG3624Noun - Accusative Masculine Singular-τοῦG3588Article - Genitive Masculine Singularof GodΘεοῦG2316Noun - Genitive Masculine SingularandκαὶG2532Conjunction[he and his companions] ateἔφαγονG5315Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person PluraltheτοὺςG3588Article - Accusative Masculine Pluralconsecrated breadἄρτουςG740Noun - Accusative Masculine Plural. . .τῆςG3588Article - Genitive Feminine Singular. . .προθέσεωςG4286Noun - Genitive Feminine SingularwhichG3739Personal / Relative Pronoun - Accusative Neuter SingularwasἦνG1510Verb - Imperfect Indicative Active - 3rd Person SingularnotοὐκG3756AdverblawfulἐξὸνG1832Verb - Present Participle Active - Nominative Neuter Singularfor [them]αὐτῷG846Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Dative Masculine 3rd Person Singular. . .οὐδὲG3761Conjunction. . .τοῖςG3588Article - Dative Masculine Plural. . .μετ’G3326Preposition. . .αὐτοῦG846Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive Masculine 3rd Person Singularto eatφαγεῖνG5315Verb - Aorist Infinitive ActivebutεἰG1487Conjunction. . .μὴG3361AdverbonlyμόνοιςG3441Adjective - Dative Masculine Pluralfor theτοῖςG3588Article - Dative Masculine PluralpriestsἱερεῦσινG2409Noun - Dative Masculine Plural

BSB notes

  • Or the Bread of the Presence
Verse 5

Original words

OrG2228ConjunctionvvvοὐκG3756Adverbhaven’t you readἀνέγνωτεG314Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 2nd Person PluralinἐνG1722PrepositiontheτῷG3588Article - Dative Masculine SingularLawνόμῳG3551Noun - Dative Masculine SingularthatὅτιG3754Conjunctionon theτοῖςG3588Article - Dative Neuter PluralSabbathσάββασινG4521Noun - Dative Neuter PluraltheοἱG3588Article - Nominative Masculine PluralpriestsἱερεῖςG2409Noun - Nominative Masculine PluralinἐνG1722PrepositiontheτῷG3588Article - Dative Neuter SingulartempleἱερῷG2411Noun - Dative Neuter SingularbreakβεβηλοῦσινG953Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person PluraltheτὸG3588Article - Accusative Neuter SingularSabbathσάββατονG4521Noun - Accusative Neuter Singularand yetκαὶG2532ConjunctionareεἰσινG1510Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person PluralinnocentἀναίτιοίG338Adjective - Nominative Masculine Plural
Verse 6

Original words

ButδὲG1161ConjunctionI tellλέγωG3004Verb - Present Indicative Active - 1st Person SingularyouὑμῖνG4771Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Dative 2nd Person PluralthatὅτιG3754ConjunctionOne greater thanμεῖζόνG3173Adjective - Nominative Neuter Singular - ComparativetheτοῦG3588Article - Genitive Neuter SingulartempleἱεροῦG2411Noun - Genitive Neuter SingularisἐστινG1510Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person SingularhereὧδεG5602Adverb
Verse 7

Original words

IfΕἰG1487ConjunctiononlyδὲG1161Conjunctionyou had knownἐγνώκειτεG1097Verb - Pluperfect Indicative Active - 2nd Person PluralvvvτίG5101Interrogative / Indefinite Pronoun - Nominative Neuter Singularthe meaning ofἐστινG1510Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person SingularI desireθέλωG2309Verb - Present Indicative Active - 1st Person SingularmercyἜλεοςG1656Noun - Accusative Neuter Singular-καὶG2532ConjunctionnotοὐG3756AdverbsacrificeθυσίανG2378Noun - Accusative Feminine SingularvvvἂνG302ParticlevvvοὐκG3756Adverbyou would not have condemnedκατεδικάσατεG2613Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 2nd Person PluraltheτοὺςG3588Article - Accusative Masculine PluralinnocentἀναιτίουςG338Adjective - Accusative Masculine Plural

BSB notes

  • Hosea 6:6
Verse 8

Original words

ForγάρG1063ConjunctiontheG3588Article - Nominative Masculine SingularSonΥἱὸςG5207Noun - Nominative Masculine SingularofτοῦG3588Article - Genitive Masculine SingularManἀνθρώπουG444Noun - Genitive Masculine SingularisἐστινG1510Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person SingularLordκύριοςG2962Noun - Nominative Masculine Singularof theτοῦG3588Article - Genitive Neuter SingularSabbathσαββάτουG4521Noun - Genitive Neuter Singular

Berean Standard Bible (BSB): CC0 Public Domain Scripture text. Focused passages are drawn from the same reader contract as the full chapter. Reference sources explains external study-link sources.