Luke 6 2

Luke 6:2 kjv

And certain of the Pharisees said unto them, Why do ye that which is not lawful to do on the sabbath days?

Luke 6:2 nkjv

And some of the Pharisees said to them, "Why are you doing what is not lawful to do on the Sabbath?"

Luke 6:2 niv

Some of the Pharisees asked, "Why are you doing what is unlawful on the Sabbath?"

Luke 6:2 esv

But some of the Pharisees said, "Why are you doing what is not lawful to do on the Sabbath?"

Luke 6:2 nlt

But some Pharisees said, "Why are you breaking the law by harvesting grain on the Sabbath?"

Luke 6 2 Cross References

VerseTextReference
Matt 12:2"But when the Pharisees saw it, they said to Him, 'Look... what is not lawful to do on the Sabbath.'"Parallel account; challenges Jesus' action on Sabbath.
Mark 2:24"And the Pharisees said to Him, 'Look, why are they doing what is unlawful on the Sabbath?'"Parallel account; another Gospel's recording of the same challenge.
Ex 20:10"but the seventh day is a sabbath to the Lord... in it you shall not do any work..."Commandment on Sabbath rest.
Deut 5:14"but the seventh day is a sabbath to the Lord... you shall not do any work..."Reinforcement of the Sabbath command.
Jer 17:21"Thus says the Lord: Take care for the sake of your lives... not to carry a burden on the Sabbath day..."Emphasizes holiness and practical restrictions of Sabbath.
Neh 13:17"Then I confronted the officials of Judah and said to them, 'What is this evil thing that you are doing... desecrating the Sabbath day?'"Rebuke for violating Sabbath in practice.
Ex 35:3"You shall kindle no fire in all your dwelling places on the Sabbath day."Example of specific Sabbath prohibition by the Law.
Num 28:9"On the Sabbath day, two male lambs a year old... with two-tenths of an ephah of fine flour for a grain offering..."Sabbath sacrifices required priestly 'work' (shows exceptions within the law).
1 Sam 21:6"So the priest gave him the holy bread... for there was no bread there but the bread of the Presence..."David and his men eating consecrated bread, showing need over ritual.
Matt 12:3"He said to them, 'Have you not read what David did... when he was hungry?'"Jesus referencing David to justify disciples' actions (precedent of necessity).
Mark 2:27"And He said to them, 'The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath.'"Jesus clarifies the purpose of the Sabbath.
Luke 6:5"And He was saying to them, 'The Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath.'"Jesus' authority over the Sabbath declared.
Matt 5:17"Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them."Jesus' relationship to the Law; He fulfills, not destroys.
Matt 15:2"Why do Your disciples break the tradition of the elders? For they do not wash their hands when they eat bread."Pharisees again question disciples' actions regarding traditions.
Matt 15:6"...Thus you nullify the word of God for the sake of your tradition."Jesus condemns Pharisees for valuing tradition over God's command.
Isa 58:13"If you turn back your foot from the Sabbath... call the Sabbath a delight... honor it..."Prophetic call for honoring the Sabbath genuinely, not just outwardly.
Hos 6:6"For I desire steadfast love and not sacrifice, the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings."Emphasizes heart's intent over ritual adherence.
Mic 6:8"He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?"True requirements of God's law.
John 5:18"This was why the Jews were seeking all the more to kill Him... He was breaking the Sabbath..."Pharisees' extreme opposition to Jesus' Sabbath actions.
Gal 3:24"So the Law was our guardian until Christ came, in order that we might be justified by faith..."The Law's role as a guide leading to Christ.
Col 2:16-17"Therefore let no one pass judgment on you in questions of food and drink... or with regard to a Sabbath. These are a shadow of the things to come..."The New Covenant understanding of Sabbath and laws as foreshadowing Christ.
Rom 14:5-6"One person esteems one day as better than another, while another esteems all days alike... Each one must be fully convinced in his own mind."Christian liberty regarding observance of special days.

Luke 6 verses

Luke 6 2 Meaning

Luke 6:2 records a direct challenge from some Pharisees to Jesus and His disciples, questioning their actions of plucking grain on the Sabbath. Their inquiry, "Why are you doing what is not lawful on the Sabbath?" reveals their adherence to traditional interpretations of the Sabbath law, which viewed such actions as a form of harvesting work, thus prohibited. This verse sets the stage for Jesus' teaching on the true purpose and Lordship of the Sabbath.

Luke 6 2 Context

Luke 6:2 occurs immediately following Luke 6:1, which describes Jesus' disciples walking through grainfields on the Sabbath, plucking and eating grain. This action, while permissible on a weekday for immediate hunger according to Deut 23:25, was deemed "work" by the strict Rabbinic interpretations of the Sabbath (threshing and winnowing were considered types of harvesting). This event is one of several instances in the Gospels where Jesus challenges, or is challenged by, the prevailing interpretations of the Sabbath by the Jewish religious leaders, particularly the Pharisees. It serves as an introduction to Jesus' subsequent declaration of His authority over the Sabbath, setting the scene for later conflicts where He heals on the Sabbath, further illustrating His Lordship. Historically, the Pharisees were a prominent Jewish sect known for their rigorous adherence to both the written Law and their extensive oral traditions, which they believed held equal authority. Their challenge in this verse underscores their concern for outward conformity to religious legalities over compassionate understanding or spiritual principles.

Luke 6 2 Word analysis

  • But some of the Pharisees:
    • Pharisees (Φαρισαῖοι, Pharisaioi): A prominent Jewish religious and political party in the Second Temple period. They were known for their strict observance of the Mosaic Law and their extensive oral tradition (Halakhah), which they viewed as divinely revealed alongside the written Torah. Their questioning here highlights their role as guardians and enforcers of religious legality. They sought to distinguish themselves by their strictness and ritual purity.
    • Significance: Represents the religious establishment and their focus on legal interpretation and observance, often to the exclusion of compassion or understanding of divine intent. Their presence indicates official religious scrutiny.
  • said, “Why are you doing (ποιεῖτε, poieite):
    • doing (poieite): A present active indicative verb, implying continuous or repeated action, though here referring to a single instance of their action. It's a direct observation and challenge of their behavior.
    • Significance: The direct accusation and challenge. They are not merely observing but directly confronting.
  • what is not lawful (οὐκ ἔξεστιν, ouk exestin):
    • lawful (exestin): From exesti, meaning "it is permissible," "it is lawful," "it is proper." Here, with ouk (not), it means "it is not lawful/permissible." This refers to what is permissible according to their understanding of the Mosaic Law, amplified by their oral traditions concerning Sabbath regulations. They saw plucking grain as a form of "harvesting," forbidden on the Sabbath.
    • Significance: The core of the legal dispute. It shows the Pharisees judged actions based on their interpretations, rather than necessarily the explicit biblical command, highlighting the tension between rigid legalism and the spirit of the law.
  • on the Sabbath (τοῖς σάββασιν, tois sabbasin):
    • Sabbath (sabbasin): From Hebrew Shabbat, meaning "cessation" or "rest." The seventh day of the week, consecrated for rest and worship as commanded by God in Ex 20:8-11 and Deut 5:12-15. Over time, many traditions (some necessary, many overly strict) accumulated around its observance to define what constituted 'work'.
    • Significance: The arena of contention. For the Pharisees, strict Sabbath observance was a hallmark of their piety and Jewish identity. Jesus' actions, perceived as breaking these traditions, directly challenged their authority and the prevailing religious framework.

Words-group by words-group analysis:

  • "But some of the Pharisees said": This opening phrase highlights the identity of the accusers and their authoritative stance. It frames the disciples' action not as a casual one but as an act under direct scrutiny by powerful religious figures. Their authority derived from their reputation for legal expertise and piety.
  • "Why are you doing what is not lawful": This rhetorical question is an accusation. It asserts that the disciples' actions fall outside the bounds of acceptable religious practice. It points to a conflict of authority: whose interpretation of law (Pharisees' or Jesus' implicit one) is correct? This question often masks a pre-judged conclusion rather than a genuine inquiry.
  • "on the Sabbath?": This phrase emphasizes the critical context. The Sabbath was a foundational institution of Israelite life and identity. The Pharisees viewed violations of its laws, even minor ones like plucking grain, as serious infringements on divine holiness and human piety, especially considering their extensive oral laws prohibiting numerous activities categorized as "work." Their zeal for the Sabbath, though sometimes misplaced, stemmed from its divine origin.

Luke 6 2 Bonus section

The historical development of Sabbath observance involved an immense body of oral tradition, eventually codified into the Mishnah, which meticulously defined 39 principal categories of work (Avot Melachot) prohibited on the Sabbath, with many subdivisions. Plucking grain could fall under "harvesting" (Kotser), "threshing" (Dash), and "winnowing" (Zoreh). The Pharisees' question wasn't about whether the Torah explicitly forbade plucking grain to eat (it didn't), but whether it violated their extensive halakha (Jewish law derived from the Talmud and rabbinic tradition) derived from principles meant to "fence in" the law to prevent any possibility of breaking it. This strict interpretation had a strong polemic aim in Jesus' time: to distinguish faithful Jews from those who might relax religious observance under Hellenistic influence. By challenging the disciples, the Pharisees were also subtly challenging Jesus' leadership and His teaching authority, as His actions and the actions of His followers seemed to undermine their established understanding of piety.

Luke 6 2 Commentary

Luke 6:2 presents a critical moment of confrontation between traditional legalism and Jesus' kingdom ethic. The Pharisees, zealous guardians of the Law and its voluminous interpretations, questioned the disciples' act of gathering grain on the Sabbath. This seemingly trivial act of satisfying hunger became a grave offense in their eyes because their traditions defined "threshing" and "winnowing" as forbidden Sabbath labor, viewing plucking and rubbing grains as these forbidden actions. This encounter reveals the Pharisees' deep commitment to external, detailed adherence to religious rules, sometimes to the point where they lost sight of the underlying merciful and life-giving intent of God's Law. It was not the Mosaic Law itself they upheld, but the specific rabbinic interpretations and traditions built upon it. Jesus' response (in the verses following, Luke 6:3-5) would then expose the rigidity and misdirection of such legalism, pointing instead to principles of necessity, compassion, and His own divine authority as Lord over the Sabbath, implying the Sabbath was for humanity's benefit and not a burden. This moment is not merely a legal debate but a demonstration of conflicting spiritual realities.