Luke 6 1

Luke 6:1 kjv

And 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.

Luke 6:1 nkjv

Now it happened on the second Sabbath after the first that He went through the grainfields. And His disciples plucked the heads of grain and ate them, rubbing them in their hands.

Luke 6:1 niv

One Sabbath Jesus was going through the grainfields, and his disciples began to pick some heads of grain, rub them in their hands and eat the kernels.

Luke 6:1 esv

On a Sabbath, while he was going through the grainfields, his disciples plucked and ate some heads of grain, rubbing them in their hands.

Luke 6:1 nlt

One Sabbath day as Jesus was walking through some grainfields, his disciples broke off heads of grain, rubbed off the husks in their hands, and ate the grain.

Luke 6 verses

Luke 6 1 Meaning

Luke 6:1 recounts an event where Jesus and His disciples were passing through grainfields on a Sabbath. While doing so, the disciples plucked and ate raw heads of grain, rubbing them in their hands. This action, interpreted by the Pharisees as illicit labor, triggered a direct confrontation about the correct observance and authority over the Sabbath day.

Luke 6 1 Context

Luke 6:1 initiates a crucial segment of Luke's Gospel (6:1-11) highlighting Jesus' authority and His reinterpretation of the Sabbath law, leading to increasing opposition from religious leaders. This event immediately follows Jesus' discourse on fasting and the analogy of the old and new wineskins (Lk 5:33-39), establishing a pattern of Jesus challenging established traditions and advocating for a "new way." The conflict here foreshadows greater rejection and emphasizes that the kingdom Jesus brings transcends rigid, human-made interpretations of the Mosaic Law.

Historically, the Jewish people in the 1st century AD adhered to the Torah's commandments, but powerful religious factions like the Pharisees had developed extensive oral traditions (known as Halakha) to interpret and apply these laws. For the Sabbath (Ex 20:8-11; Deut 5:12-15), these traditions categorized specific activities as "work" (melakhah) and were highly meticulous. Plucking grain was seen as "reaping" and rubbing it in one's hands was considered "threshing" or "grinding" – both forbidden forms of labor on the Sabbath according to Pharisaic interpretation, even though Deut 23:25 permitted eating standing grain when passing through a field. This conflict underscores the tension between God's written law and human interpretations, which often overshadowed its intended spirit of rest and mercy.

Luke 6 1 Word analysis

• ἐγένετο (egeneto): "It happened" or "It came to pass." This is a common Septuagintal (Greek Old Testament) and New Testament transitional phrase. It signals a new event or narrative development, often hinting at divine orchestration behind the unfolding events.
• ἐν σαββάτῳ (en sabbatō): "On a Sabbath." The singular form σαββάτῳ could denote "a Sabbath" or "the Sabbath," but sometimes refers to a "week" or "Sabbaths" (plural) when it's not simply indicating one day. The phrase found in some manuscripts and in Mark ("second-first Sabbath" - deutero-protō) specifically referred to the first Sabbath after the Feast of Unleavened Bread, highlighting a particular Sabbath related to the beginning of the grain harvest. The simple phrase "On a Sabbath" universally highlights the day of divine rest, intended for worship and rejuvenation, but transformed by Pharisaic rules into a burdensome obligation.
• διπορεύεσθαι (diaporeuesthai): "To be going through," "passing through." The compound verb dia (through) and poreuomai (to go, travel) indicates that Jesus and His disciples were merely walking along a path within or adjacent to the grainfields, not intentionally entering to harvest.
• σπορίμων (sporimōn): "Grainfields." Literally, "things sown" or "cultivated fields," referring to standing crops like wheat or barley, ready for harvest.
• ἔτιλλον (etillon): "They were plucking," "pulled off." The imperfect tense suggests an ongoing or repeated casual action. This specific action, picking handfuls of grain, was interpreted by the Pharisees as "reaping," a forbidden act of labor on the Sabbath.
• οἱ μαθηταὶ αὐτοῦ (hoi mathētai autou): "His disciples." This emphasizes that their actions were under Jesus' watch and protection, making Him directly accountable for their perceived violation.
• ἤσθιον (esthion): "They were eating." Imperfect tense again, indicating an ongoing or casual action. This was for immediate hunger relief.
• ψώχοντες (psōchontes): "Rubbing." A present participle indicating simultaneous action. The disciples were rubbing the heads of grain between their hands.
• ταῖς χερσίν (tais chersin): "In their hands." This simple action of rubbing to separate the grain from the chaff, or loosen the kernel, was equated by the Pharisees with "threshing" or "grinding," another forbidden labor on the Sabbath according to their elaborate oral law. The lack of tools or harvesting instruments aligns with the Mosaic law (Deut 23:25), but their specific act of processing crossed Pharisaic boundaries.

Words-group by words-group analysis:

• "On a Sabbath, while he was going through the grainfields": Establishes the specific time and setting for the perceived transgression. It frames the incident within the religious framework of Sabbath observance. The "going through" part emphasizes it was a transit, not a pre-planned harvest operation.
• "his disciples plucked and ate some heads of grain": Highlights the simple, immediate act of satisfying hunger. While permissible by Deut 23:25 for someone in need passing by, the "plucking" was classified as "reaping" under oral tradition, creating a conflict.
• "rubbing them in their hands": This specific detail aggravates the perceived offense. It implies processing the grain for consumption (like threshing or grinding), thus transforming a simple act of eating into "work" by Pharisaic standards, setting the stage for their immediate accusation.

Luke 6 1 Bonus section

• The particular detail of the disciples "rubbing them in their hands" (peculiar to Luke's account and Mark's, compared to Matthew which omits it) underlines the exact nature of the Pharisaic objection – it wasn't just about plucking, but the further processing that constituted "work."
• This passage highlights the practical difficulties and hypocrisy inherent in applying human-made traditions with greater rigor than God's revealed law, prioritizing the letter of rigid rules over the spirit of love and necessity.
• Jesus' defense of His disciples (found in the following verses, Luke 6:2-5) connects their act to the precedent of David eating the consecrated bread, arguing that necessity can supersede ceremonial law. This demonstrates His authority and understanding of true piety.

Luke 6 1 Commentary

Luke 6:1 sets the scene for one of several crucial encounters in the Gospels where Jesus directly confronts the prevailing religious legalism concerning Sabbath observance. The disciples' actions, while permitted by the written Law for the hungry (Deut 23:25), were deemed unlawful by the Pharisees' intricate system of oral traditions, which treated "plucking" as "reaping" and "rubbing" as "threshing." This incident immediately frames Jesus not only as a teacher but as one who actively redefines the application of divine law, especially regarding the Sabbath. He challenges the rigidity of tradition that obscures God's original merciful intent for the Sabbath: a day of rest for human well-being and God's glory, not a day of burdensome prohibitions. This verse acts as a catalyst, propelling Jesus into a direct debate with the religious elite, positioning Him as having authority over the Sabbath, signaling a shift from a legalistic understanding to one rooted in grace and mercy.