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?

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Word by word — the Greek

Word	Greek	Strong’s	Meaning
How	πῶς pōs	G4459	an interrogative particle of manner · particle — interrogative
he entered	εἰσῆλθεν eisēlthen	G1525	to enter (literally or figuratively) · verb — second aorist active indicative, 3rd person singular
into	εἰς eis	G1519	to or into (indicating the point reached or entered) · preposition
the house	οἶκον oikon	G3624	a dwelling (more or less extensive · noun — accusative singular masculine
of God	θεοῦ theou	G2316	figuratively · noun — genitive singular masculine, a title
and	καὶ kai	G2532	and · conjunction
did eat	ἔφαγον, ephagon	G5315	to eat (literally or figuratively) · verb — aorist active indicative, 3rd person plural
the	ἄρτους artous	G740	bread (as raised) or a loaf · noun — accusative plural masculine
shew	προθέσεως protheseōs	G4286	a setting forth · noun — genitive singular feminine
bread	ἄρτος ártos	G740	bread (as raised) or a loaf
which	ὃ ho	G3739	the relatively (sometimes demonstrative) pronoun · relative pronoun — accusative singular neuter
was	ἦν ēn	G2258	I (thou
not	οὐκ ouk	G3756	the absolute negative (compare G3361 (μή)) adverb · particle — negative
lawful	ἐξὸν exon	G1832	so also neuter present participle of the same (with or… · verb — present active participle, nominative singular neuter
for him	αὐτῷ autō	G846	the reflexive pronoun self · personal pronoun — dative singular masculine
to eat	φαγεῖν phagein	G5315	to eat (literally or figuratively) · verb — aorist active infinitive
neither	οὐδὲ oude	G3761	not however · conjunction — negative
for them which were	τὸν ton	G3588	the (sometimes to be supplied · article — accusative singular masculine
with	μετ᾽ met᾽	G3326	properly · preposition
him	αὐτοῦ autou	G846	the reflexive pronoun self · personal pronoun — genitive singular masculine
but	εἰ ei	G1487	if · conditional particle
only	μόνοις;¶ monois	G3441	remaining · adjective — dative plural masculine
for the priests	ἱερεῦσιν hi'ereusin	G2409	a priest (literally or figuratively) · noun — dative plural masculine

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance (James Strong, 1890/1894), public domain; digitized by Open Scriptures (CC BY-SA). KJV word tagging: eBible.org (public domain). Original-language text, parsing and brief lexicon: STEPBible.org data from Tyndale House, Cambridge (CC BY 4.0).

Cross-references

Leviticus 24:5-9 And thou shalt take fine flour, and bake twelve cakes thereof: two tenth deals shall be in one cake.
Exodus 25:30 And thou shalt set upon the table shewbread before me alway.
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…
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 congregatio…

Cross-references from OpenBible.info (CC BY), in the lineage of the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (public domain).

Commentary

Matthew Henry on Matthew 12:1-13

The Jewish teachers had corrupted many of the commandments, by interpreting them more loosely than they were intended; a mistake which Christ discovered and rectified (ch. 5) in his sermon on the mount: but concerning the fourth commandment, they had erred in the other extreme, and interpreted it too strictly. Note, it is common for men of corrupt minds, by their zeal in rituals, and the external services of religion, to think to atone for the looseness of their morals. But they are cursed who add to, as well as they who take fRom. the words of this book, Rev 22:16, Rev 22:19; Pro 30:6. Now that which our Lord Jesus here lays down is, that the works of necessity and mercy are lawful on the s…

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Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Matthew 12:4

How he entered into the house of God, and did eat the showbread, which was not lawful for him to eat, neither for them which were with him, but only for the priests?--No example could be more apposite than this. The man after God's own heart, of whom the Jews ever boasted, when suffering in God's cause and straitened for provisions, asked and obtained from the high priest what, according to the law, it was illegal for anyone save the priests to touch. Mark (Mar 2:26) says this occurred "in the days of Abiathar the high priest." But this means not during his high priesthood--for it was under that of his father Ahimelech--but simply, in his time. Ahimelech was soon succeeded by Abiathar, whose…

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John Gill on Matthew 12:4

How he entered into the house of God,.... Not the temple, which was not then built; but the tabernacle, which was then at Nob, the city of the priests, and which probably adjoined to Abimelech's house: and did eat the shewbread; for that this is meant by the hallowed bread, in 1 Samuel 21:6 is certain; though R. Joseph Kimchi (n) thinks it was the bread of the thank offering; to which R. Levi ben Getsom (o) seems to incline: but the general sense of the Jewish doctors (p) is, that it was the showbread; and which is very clear from that text, and is rightly affirmed by Christ; which was not lawful for him to eat, neither for them which were with him, but only for the priests: see Leviticus…

Dictionary and topics

Bread — Among the Jews was generally made of wheat (Ex. 29:2; Judg. 6:19), though also sometimes of other grains (Gen. 14:18; Judg. 7:13). Parched grain was sometimes used for food without any other…
Pharisees — Separatists (Heb. persahin, from parash, “to separate”). They were probably the successors of the Assideans (i.e., the “pious”), a party that originated in the time of Antiochus Epiphanes in revolt…
Sabbath — (Heb. verb shabbath, meaning “to rest from labour”), the day of rest. It is first mentioned as having been instituted in Paradise, when man was in innocence (Gen. 2:2). “The sabbath was made for…
Shewbread — Ex. 25:30 (R.V. marg., “presence bread”); 1 Chr. 9:32 (marg., “bread of ordering”); Num. 4:7: called “hallowed bread” (R.V., “holy bread”) in 1 Sam. 21:1-6. This bread consisted of twelve loaves made…
Accusation, False · .Against Jesus — .Against Jesus
Church · 1:16; — 1:16;
Ecclesiasticism · Arrogance of — Arrogance of
Form · IRREGULARITIES IN — IRREGULARITIES IN
Pharisees · .The Sabbath — .The Sabbath
Priests · Revenues of: Show-bread after its removal — Revenues of: Show-bread after its removal
Sabbath · 9:13,14;10:31;13:15-22; — 9:13,14;10:31;13:15-22;
Shewbread · Not lawful for any but the priests to eat, except in extreme cases — Not lawful for any but the priests to eat, except in extreme cases

Matthew 12:4

Word by word — the Greek

Cross-references

Commentary

Matthew Henry on Matthew 12:1-13

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Matthew 12:4

John Gill on Matthew 12:4

Dictionary and topics

Matthew 12:4

Word by word — the Greek

Cross-references

Commentary

Matthew Henry on Matthew 12:1-13

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Matthew 12:4

John Gill on Matthew 12:4

Dictionary and topics

John Calvin on Matthew 12:1-8

Tyndale Open Study Notes on Matthew 12:3-7