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.
Parallel translations
- WEB He was going on the Sabbath day through the grain fields, and his disciples began, as they went, to pluck the ears of grain.
- BSB One Sabbath Jesus was passing through the grainfields, and His disciples began to pick the heads of grain as they walked along.
- NKJV Now it happened that He went through the grainfields on the Sabbath; and as they went His disciples began to pluck the heads of grain.
- NASB And it happened that He was passing through the grainfields on the Sabbath, and His disciples began to make their way along while picking the heads of grain.
- NLT One Sabbath day as Jesus was walking through some grainfields, his disciples began breaking off heads of grain to eat.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
On the Sabbath, Jesus' disciples pluck grain as they walk. This act provokes a Sabbath controversy with the Pharisees.
Overview
Picking grain to eat was permitted by the Law (Deuteronomy 23:25), but the Pharisees viewed it as unlawful 'work' on the Sabbath. The scene introduces a key dispute over the true meaning of the Sabbath. It leads to Jesus' authoritative teaching on the Sabbath and His own lordship over it.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 3
- Deut 23:24–25When thou comest into thy neighbour’s vineyard, then thou mayest eat grapes thy fill at thine own pleasure; but thou shalt not put any in thy vessel.
- Matt 12:1–8At that time Jesus went on the sabbath day through the corn; and his disciples were an hungred, and began to pluck the ears of corn, and to eat.
- Luke 6:1–5And 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.
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Christ at the center
Mark drives urgently to the cross, showing Jesus the Son of God as the suffering Servant who 'came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.'
How Mark 2:23 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
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