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

1 At 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.

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

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

4 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.

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

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

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

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

Study Helps

References and Original Words

Verse 1

Original words

At Ἐν G1722 Preposition that ἐκείνῳ G1565 Demonstrative Pronoun - Dative Masculine Singular - τῷ G3588 Article - Dative Masculine Singular time καιρῷ G2540 Noun - Dative Masculine Singular - G3588 Article - Nominative Masculine Singular Jesus Ἰησοῦς G2424 Noun - Nominative Masculine Singular went ἐπορεύθη G4198 Verb - Aorist Indicative Passive - 3rd Person Singular through διὰ G1223 Preposition the τῶν G3588 Article - Genitive Neuter Plural grainfields σπορίμων G4702 Adjective - Genitive Neuter Plural on the τοῖς G3588 Article - Dative Neuter Plural Sabbath σάββασιν G4521 Noun - Dative Neuter Plural - δὲ G1161 Conjunction His αὐτοῦ G846 Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive Masculine 3rd Person Singular - οἱ G3588 Article - Nominative Masculine Plural disciples μαθηταὶ G3101 Noun - Nominative Masculine Plural were hungry ἐπείνασαν G3983 Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person Plural and καὶ G2532 Conjunction began ἤρξαντο G756 Verb - Aorist Indicative Middle - 3rd Person Plural to pick τίλλειν G5089 Verb - Present Infinitive Active [the] heads of grain στάχυας G4719 Noun - Accusative Masculine Plural and καὶ G2532 Conjunction eat [them] ἐσθίειν G2068 Verb - Present Infinitive Active
Verse 2

Original words

- οἱ G3588 Article - Nominative Masculine Plural [When] δὲ G1161 Conjunction [the] Pharisees Φαρισαῖοι G5330 Noun - Nominative Masculine Plural saw [this] ἰδόντες G3708 Verb - Aorist Participle Active - Nominative Masculine Plural they said εἶπαν G2036 Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person Plural to Him αὐτῷ G846 Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Dative Masculine 3rd Person Singular Look Ἰδοὺ G2400 Verb - Aorist Imperative Active - 2nd Person Singular Your σου G4771 Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive 2nd Person Singular - οἱ G3588 Article - Nominative Masculine Plural disciples μαθηταί G3101 Noun - Nominative Masculine Plural are doing ποιοῦσιν G4160 Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person Plural what G3739 Personal / Relative Pronoun - Accusative Neuter Singular vvv οὐκ G3756 Adverb is unlawful ἔξεστιν G1832 Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular . . . ποιεῖν G4160 Verb - Present Infinitive Active on ἐν G1722 Preposition [the] Sabbath σαββάτῳ G4521 Noun - Dative Neuter Singular
Verse 3

Original words

- δὲ G1161 Conjunction - G3588 Article - Nominative Masculine Singular [Jesus] replied εἶπεν G2036 Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular - αὐτοῖς G846 Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Dative Masculine 3rd Person Plural vvv Οὐκ G3756 Adverb Have you not read ἀνέγνωτε G314 Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 2nd Person Plural what τί G5101 Interrogative / Indefinite Pronoun - Accusative Neuter Singular David Δαυὶδ G1138 Noun - Nominative Masculine Singular did ἐποίησεν G4160 Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular when ὅτε G3753 Adverb {he} and καὶ G2532 Conjunction his companions οἱ G3588 Article - Nominative Masculine Plural . . . μετ’ G3326 Preposition . . . αὐτοῦ G846 Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive Masculine 3rd Person Singular were hungry ἐπείνασεν G3983 Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular
Verse 4

Original words

- πῶς G4459 Conjunction He entered εἰσῆλθεν G1525 Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular . . . εἰς G1519 Preposition the τὸν G3588 Article - Accusative Masculine Singular house οἶκον G3624 Noun - Accusative Masculine Singular - τοῦ G3588 Article - Genitive Masculine Singular of God Θεοῦ G2316 Noun - Genitive Masculine Singular and καὶ G2532 Conjunction [he and his companions] ate ἔφαγον G5315 Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person Plural the τοὺς G3588 Article - Accusative Masculine Plural consecrated bread ἄρτους G740 Noun - Accusative Masculine Plural . . . τῆς G3588 Article - Genitive Feminine Singular . . . προθέσεως G4286 Noun - Genitive Feminine Singular which G3739 Personal / Relative Pronoun - Accusative Neuter Singular was ἦν G1510 Verb - Imperfect Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular not οὐκ G3756 Adverb lawful ἐξὸν G1832 Verb - Present Participle Active - Nominative Neuter Singular for [them] αὐτῷ G846 Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Dative Masculine 3rd Person Singular . . . οὐδὲ G3761 Conjunction . . . τοῖς G3588 Article - Dative Masculine Plural . . . μετ’ G3326 Preposition . . . αὐτοῦ G846 Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive Masculine 3rd Person Singular to eat φαγεῖν G5315 Verb - Aorist Infinitive Active but εἰ G1487 Conjunction . . . μὴ G3361 Adverb only μόνοις G3441 Adjective - Dative Masculine Plural for the τοῖς G3588 Article - Dative Masculine Plural priests ἱερεῦσιν G2409 Noun - Dative Masculine Plural

BSB notes

  • Or the Bread of the Presence
Verse 5

Original words

Or G2228 Conjunction vvv οὐκ G3756 Adverb haven’t you read ἀνέγνωτε G314 Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 2nd Person Plural in ἐν G1722 Preposition the τῷ G3588 Article - Dative Masculine Singular Law νόμῳ G3551 Noun - Dative Masculine Singular that ὅτι G3754 Conjunction on the τοῖς G3588 Article - Dative Neuter Plural Sabbath σάββασιν G4521 Noun - Dative Neuter Plural the οἱ G3588 Article - Nominative Masculine Plural priests ἱερεῖς G2409 Noun - Nominative Masculine Plural in ἐν G1722 Preposition the τῷ G3588 Article - Dative Neuter Singular temple ἱερῷ G2411 Noun - Dative Neuter Singular break βεβηλοῦσιν G953 Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person Plural the τὸ G3588 Article - Accusative Neuter Singular Sabbath σάββατον G4521 Noun - Accusative Neuter Singular and yet καὶ G2532 Conjunction are εἰσιν G1510 Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person Plural innocent ἀναίτιοί G338 Adjective - Nominative Masculine Plural
Verse 6

Original words

But δὲ G1161 Conjunction I tell λέγω G3004 Verb - Present Indicative Active - 1st Person Singular you ὑμῖν G4771 Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Dative 2nd Person Plural that ὅτι G3754 Conjunction One greater than μεῖζόν G3173 Adjective - Nominative Neuter Singular - Comparative the τοῦ G3588 Article - Genitive Neuter Singular temple ἱεροῦ G2411 Noun - Genitive Neuter Singular is ἐστιν G1510 Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular here ὧδε G5602 Adverb
Verse 7

Original words

If Εἰ G1487 Conjunction only δὲ G1161 Conjunction you had known ἐγνώκειτε G1097 Verb - Pluperfect Indicative Active - 2nd Person Plural vvv τί G5101 Interrogative / Indefinite Pronoun - Nominative Neuter Singular the meaning of ἐστιν G1510 Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular I desire θέλω G2309 Verb - Present Indicative Active - 1st Person Singular mercy Ἔλεος G1656 Noun - Accusative Neuter Singular - καὶ G2532 Conjunction not οὐ G3756 Adverb sacrifice θυσίαν G2378 Noun - Accusative Feminine Singular vvv ἂν G302 Particle vvv οὐκ G3756 Adverb you would not have condemned κατεδικάσατε G2613 Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 2nd Person Plural the τοὺς G3588 Article - Accusative Masculine Plural innocent ἀναιτίους G338 Adjective - Accusative Masculine Plural

BSB notes

  • Hosea 6:6
Verse 8

Original words

For γάρ G1063 Conjunction the G3588 Article - Nominative Masculine Singular Son Υἱὸς G5207 Noun - Nominative Masculine Singular of τοῦ G3588 Article - Genitive Masculine Singular Man ἀνθρώπου G444 Noun - Genitive Masculine Singular is ἐστιν G1510 Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular Lord κύριος G2962 Noun - Nominative Masculine Singular of the τοῦ G3588 Article - Genitive Neuter Singular Sabbath σαββάτου G4521 Noun - 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.