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.
Parallel translations
- WEB But the Pharisees, when they saw it, said to him, “Behold, your disciples do what is not lawful to do on the Sabbath.”
- BSB When the Pharisees saw this, they said to Him, “Look, Your disciples are doing what is unlawful on the Sabbath.”
- NKJV And when the Pharisees saw it, they said to Him, “Look, Your disciples are doing what is not lawful to do on the Sabbath!”
- NASB Now when the Pharisees saw this, they said to Him, “Look, Your disciples are doing what is not lawful to do on a Sabbath!”
- NLT But some Pharisees saw them do it and protested, “Look, your disciples are breaking the law by harvesting grain on the Sabbath.”
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
The Pharisees accuse the disciples of breaking the Sabbath by harvesting. Their charge rests on man-made traditions rather than God's actual law.
Overview
The Pharisees regarded plucking grain as unlawful 'reaping,' a violation of their detailed Sabbath regulations. Their accusation exposes a legalism that multiplied burdens beyond Scripture. Jesus' coming reply will distinguish God's merciful intent for the Sabbath from the Pharisees' rigid traditions.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 16
- Matt 12:10And, 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.
- John 7:21–24Jesus answered and said unto them, I have done one work, and ye all marvel.
- Luke 14:3And Jesus answering spake unto the lawyers and Pharisees, saying, Is it lawful to heal on the sabbath day?
- Exod 20:9–11Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work:
- Mark 3:2–5And they watched him, whether he would heal him on the sabbath day; that they might accuse him.
- Exod 31:15–17Six days may work be done; but in the seventh is the sabbath of rest, holy to the LORD: whosoever doeth any work in the sabbath day, he shall surely be put to death.
- Luke 13:10–17And he was teaching in one of the synagogues on the sabbath.
- John 5:16–17And therefore did the Jews persecute Jesus, and sought to slay him, because he had done these things on the sabbath day.
- John 9:14–16And it was the sabbath day when Jesus made the clay, and opened his eyes.
- Isa 58:13If thou turn away thy foot from the sabbath, from doing thy pleasure on my holy day; and call the sabbath a delight, the holy of the LORD, honourable; and shalt honour him, not doing thine own ways, nor finding thine own pleasure, nor speaking thine own words:
- Exod 35:2Six days shall work be done, but on the seventh day there shall be to you an holy day, a sabbath of rest to the LORD: whosoever doeth work therein shall be put to death.
- John 5:9–11And immediately the man was made whole, and took up his bed, and walked: and on the same day was the sabbath.
- Luke 6:6–11And it came to pass also on another sabbath, that he entered into the synagogue and taught: and there was a man whose right hand was withered.
- Num 15:32–36And while the children of Israel were in the wilderness, they found a man that gathered sticks upon the sabbath day.
- Exod 23:12Six days thou shalt do thy work, and on the seventh day thou shalt rest: that thine ox and thine ass may rest, and the son of thy handmaid, and the stranger, may be refreshed.
- Luke 23:56And they returned, and prepared spices and ointments; and rested the sabbath day according to the commandment.
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Christ at the center
Matthew presents Jesus as the promised King — son of David, son of Abraham — the new Moses and true Israel in whom every prophecy reaches 'that it might be fulfilled.'
How Matthew 12:2 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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