Matthew 12 1

Matthew 12:1 kjv

At 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.

Matthew 12:1 nkjv

At that time Jesus went through the grainfields on the Sabbath. And His disciples were hungry, and began to pluck heads of grain and to eat.

Matthew 12:1 niv

At that time Jesus went through the grainfields on the Sabbath. His disciples were hungry and began to pick some heads of grain and eat them.

Matthew 12:1 esv

At that time Jesus went through the grainfields on the Sabbath. His disciples were hungry, and they began to pluck heads of grain and to eat.

Matthew 12:1 nlt

At about that time Jesus was walking through some grainfields on the Sabbath. His disciples were hungry, so they began breaking off some heads of grain and eating them.

Matthew 12 verses

Matthew 12 1 Meaning

At that time, Jesus and His disciples were walking through fields of cultivated grain on a Sabbath day. His disciples, feeling hungry, began to pluck individual heads of grain and rub them in their hands to eat the kernels. This seemingly simple act immediately provoked confrontation from the religious authorities because, in their interpretation, plucking grain on the Sabbath constituted "harvesting" or "reaping" and rubbing it was akin to "threshing" or "winnowing"—actions forbidden on the holy day of rest. This verse sets the stage for a crucial conflict over the true meaning and application of God's Law, particularly the Sabbath command, pitting human need and God's mercy against strict, man-made legalistic interpretations.

Matthew 12 1 Context

Matthew chapter 12 marks a significant turning point in Jesus' Galilean ministry, characterized by an escalating conflict with the religious leaders, particularly the Pharisees. This confrontation is triggered by the disciples' actions on the Sabbath, which the Pharisees considered a breach of their extensive interpretations of the Law. The preceding chapters (especially Matthew 11) highlighted Jesus' identity as the Messiah, His gentle invitation to the weary, and the hardness of heart among those who rejected Him. Against this backdrop, Matthew 12 then dives into a series of controversies related to the Sabbath, culminating in accusations against Jesus for casting out demons by the power of Beelzebul.

Historically and culturally, the Sabbath was the cornerstone of Jewish identity and religious observance, commemorating God's rest after creation and Israel's deliverance from Egyptian bondage. The Mosaic Law stipulated abstaining from "work" on the Sabbath. Over centuries, Jewish tradition, particularly the rabbinic interpretations later codified in the Mishnah, expanded upon these prohibitions, creating numerous specific categories of forbidden "work" (known as melachot). For instance, "reaping" (picking grain) and "threshing" (rubbing the kernels) were among the 39 principal categories. The Pharisees meticulously adhered to these human traditions, often elevating them above the underlying compassionate intent of God's law. This adherence bred a system where strict external conformity often overshadowed the more profound spiritual and merciful aspects of God's commands. Jesus' actions and teachings consistently challenged this legalistic approach, demonstrating a concern for human need and the spirit of the law over rigid, external regulations. The stage is set for a dramatic clash between divine authority rooted in compassion and human tradition rooted in self-righteous legalism.

Matthew 12 1 Word analysis

• At that time (ἐν ἐκείνῳ τῷ καιρῷ - en ekeinō tō kairō): This transitional phrase indicates a chronological and thematic progression in Matthew's narrative, marking a specific juncture in Jesus' ministry. It often introduces an important new episode or a deepening of existing conflicts, rather than an immediate temporal link. Here, it precedes the heightened opposition from Jewish leaders.
• Jesus (ὁ Ἰησοῦς - ho Iēsous): The central figure, whose presence and teachings constantly challenge existing norms.
• went through (ἐπορεύθη - eporeuthē): Simple verb of motion, "traveled" or "walked." It suggests a journey or passage, a typical mode of travel for Jesus and His disciples.
• the grainfields (διὰ σπορίμων - dia sporimōn): Literally, "through cultivated fields" or "through fields of what has been sown." This specifies an agricultural setting where ripe grain was standing. It highlights the context for the disciples' action.
• on the Sabbath (ἐν σαββάτῳ - en sabbatō): This phrase is the critical element triggering the conflict. The Sabbath was the divinely ordained day of rest, consecrated and set apart from all work (Exod 20:8-11). This particular timing is what the Pharisees object to.
• and His disciples (οἱ μαθηταὶ αὐτοῦ - hoi mathētai autou): Important to note it was the disciples who performed the action, not Jesus directly, although He certainly condoned it. This frames the ensuing debate as a challenge to Jesus' leadership and His interpretation of the Law.
• became hungry (ἐπείνασαν - epeinasan): Peinaō meaning "to hunger" or "to be famished." This detail provides the practical, human motivation for the disciples' action. It underscores a fundamental human need that Jesus uses to contextualize His teaching, aligning their situation with past examples of necessity over ritual.
• and began to pick (ἤρξαντο τίλλειν - ērxanto tillein): Tillō means "to pluck," "pull off," or "tear out." This action, even simply plucking with hands, was considered a form of reaping (harvesting) by Pharisaic halakha, one of the prohibited types of work on the Sabbath.
• heads of grain (στάχυας - stachyas): Plural of stachys, referring to the ripe ears or heads of wheat, barley, or other grains.
• and eat them (καὶ ἐσθίειν - kai esthiein): Esphiō meaning "to eat." This indicates the immediate consumption of the kernels. Rubbing the grain in the hands to separate the kernel from the husk was also deemed by the Pharisees as "threshing" or "winnowing," further transgressions of Sabbath law in their view.

Words-group by words-group analysis:

• "At that time Jesus went through the grainfields on the Sabbath": This opening sentence establishes the precise temporal and spatial setting, critically highlighting the Sabbath day, which immediately flags a potential area of contention given the strict Jewish legal traditions. It implies Jesus was undertaking normal travel and activities on a day rigorously controlled by tradition.
• "His disciples became hungry and began to pick heads of grain and eat them": This describes the specific actions of the disciples driven by a basic human need. The plucking and eating of grain was permitted under Deuteronomic law (Deut 23:25) if one were passing through a field and did not use a sickle (indicating a limited quantity for personal hunger, not for commercial harvesting). However, performing these actions on the Sabbath, no matter how small, violated the complex oral traditions (halakha) developed by the Pharisees that forbade "work" such as reaping or threshing. The core issue, therefore, was not the act itself, but the day on which it occurred, challenging the pharisaic definition of permissible Sabbath activities.

Matthew 12 1 Bonus section

• The particular categories of forbidden Sabbath work (melachot) that the Pharisees saw violated here were kotser (reaping/harvesting) and dosh (threshing/rubbing to separate kernels). These rules were part of the 39 principal categories of work explicitly prohibited by Rabbinic Judaism for the Sabbath, not necessarily explicitly stated in the Torah but derived from interpretations.
• The fact that it was Jesus and His disciples travelling together signifies a public statement, a common group activity, implying that Jesus endorsed their actions, making Him directly accountable for their perceived transgression in the eyes of the Pharisees.
• This incident, alongside subsequent Sabbath healing controversies in Matt 12, reveals a deliberate pedagogical approach by Jesus to expose the hollowness of a purely legalistic religion that loses sight of God's heart of mercy and justice.
• The disciples were not stealing; Deuteronomic law (Deut 23:25) specifically permitted someone walking through a field to pluck heads of grain by hand to satisfy immediate hunger, without using a sickle, meaning it was not for commercial harvest. The issue was solely the day on which it occurred.

Matthew 12 1 Commentary

Matthew 12:1 marks a decisive escalation of the conflict between Jesus and the Jewish religious establishment. The seemingly mundane act of Jesus' hungry disciples plucking grain on the Sabbath lays bare a fundamental divergence in understanding God's Law. For the Pharisees, the disciples' actions constituted a direct violation of their meticulously defined rules for Sabbath observance, equating plucking with "reaping" and rubbing with "threshing"—forbidden labor. Their focus was on the letter of the Law as interpreted by their expansive traditions, prioritizing external compliance.

Jesus, however, does not deny the Sabbath's sanctity, but rather challenges its misapplication. By allowing His disciples to satisfy their hunger, Jesus subtly but profoundly reinterprets the Sabbath's true purpose. He later clarifies in the parallel accounts (Mark 2:27-28) that "The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath," and asserts His authority as "Lord of the Sabbath" (Matt 12:8). He brings to light that the Sabbath was intended as a day of rest and human flourishing, a gift from God, not a burdensome set of arbitrary rules that override basic human need or merciful acts. This episode emphasizes Jesus' consistent teaching that divine mercy (referencing Hos 6:6) and practical love take precedence over rigid ritualistic adherence when those rituals have become detached from God's compassionate heart. It is not about abolishing the Law, but about fulfilling it by revealing its deeper, life-giving meaning.