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For the Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath.”
Matthew 12:8 · New American Standard Bible
Parallel translations
  • WEB For the Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath.”
  • KJV For the Son of man is Lord even of the sabbath day.
  • BSB For the Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath.”
  • NKJV For the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath.”
  • NLT For the Son of Man is Lord, even over 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

Jesus claims authority as Lord of the Sabbath, asserting his divine right to interpret and rule over it.

Overview

The Sabbath was instituted by God at creation, so to call himself its Lord is a striking claim to deity and messianic authority. The day made for man's good finds its true Master in the Son of Man. Christ is the one who gives the rest the Sabbath only foreshadowed (Hebrews 4:9-10).

Cross-references & the web

Cross-references · 9

  • Luke 6:5He said to them, “The Son of Man is lord of the Sabbath.”
  • Mark 2:28Therefore the Son of Man is lord even of the Sabbath.”
  • John 5:17–23But Jesus answered them, “My Father is still working, so I am working, too.”
  • Mark 9:4–7Elijah and Moses appeared to them, and they were talking with Jesus.
  • Matt 9:6But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins...” (then he said to the paralytic), “Get up, and take up your mat, and go to your house.”
  • Matt 8:20Jesus said to him, “The foxes have holes, and the birds of the sky have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.”
  • Rev 1:10I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s day, and I heard behind me a loud voice, like a trumpet
  • 1 Cor 16:2On the first day of the week, let each one of you save, as he may prosper, that no collections be made when I come.
  • 1 Cor 9:21to those who are without law, as without law (not being without law toward God, but under law toward Christ), that I might win those who are without law.

Themes, concepts, people & topics

Topics (4)

Resources, by level

Commentaries & study tools

  • VideoBibleProject — Matthew videosBibleProject · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Free animated overview and word-study videos for this book.

  • VideoWatch teaching on Matthew 12:8YouTube · Lay · Free

    Sermons and teaching on this passage from across YouTube.

  • CommentaryEnduring Word — verse-by-verseDavid Guzik · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Clear, readable, conservative exposition — the best free place to start on any passage.

  • CommentaryClassic commentaries for this verseBibleHub (20+ works) · Pastoral · Free

    Matthew Henry, Barnes, Gill, the Pulpit Commentary, Ellicott, Cambridge, and more — stacked on one page for this exact verse.

  • CommentaryMatthew Henry on MatthewMatthew Henry · Pastoral · Free · evangelical

    The beloved Puritan exposition of this whole book — warm, devotional, and verse by verse (free, CCEL).

  • ReferenceInterlinear, lexicon & Strong'sBlue Letter Bible · Seminary · Free

    Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.

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 12:8 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

Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Greek word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.