Matthew 12 5

Matthew 12:5 kjv

Or have ye not read in the law, how that on the sabbath days the priests in the temple profane the sabbath, and are blameless?

Matthew 12:5 nkjv

Or have you not read in the law that on the Sabbath the priests in the temple profane the Sabbath, and are blameless?

Matthew 12:5 niv

Or haven't you read in the Law that the priests on Sabbath duty in the temple desecrate the Sabbath and yet are innocent?

Matthew 12:5 esv

Or have you not read in the Law how on the Sabbath the priests in the temple profane the Sabbath and are guiltless?

Matthew 12:5 nlt

And haven't you read in the law of Moses that the priests on duty in the Temple may work on the Sabbath?

Matthew 12 verses

Matthew 12 5 Meaning

Matthew 12:5 reveals a crucial aspect of the Mosaic Law concerning Sabbath observance. Jesus poses a rhetorical question, highlighting that priests ministering in the Jerusalem Temple on the Sabbath perform duties that would otherwise violate the Sabbath's rest, yet they are considered blameless. This illustrates a divinely ordained exception where the performance of sacred, prescribed duties in God's temple takes precedence over the strict letter of the Sabbath law, demonstrating a higher principle at play within the Law itself.

Matthew 12 5 Context

Matthew 12:5 is part of Jesus' teaching on the Sabbath, directly following the account of His disciples plucking grain on a Sabbath, which led to a confrontation with the Pharisees (Matt 12:1-2). The Pharisees accused the disciples of unlawfully breaking the Sabbath, reflecting their strict interpretation of the Oral Law that added detailed regulations to the Mosaic Law. In response, Jesus offers two immediate counter-arguments: first, by referencing David's action of eating the showbread (Matt 12:3-4), which was technically unlawful but justified by necessity; and second, by referring to the Temple service of the priests. The overarching context is Jesus challenging the Pharisees' legalistic and superficial understanding of the Law, arguing that their adherence to human traditions obscured the Law's divine purpose of mercy and life. Jesus' subsequent statements about "something greater than the Temple" (Matt 12:6) and "Lord of the Sabbath" (Matt 12:8) culminate His teaching, positioning Himself as the ultimate authority over the Law and the Sabbath.

Matthew 12 5 Word analysis

• Or: E (ἢ) - A disjunctive particle, initiating a rhetorical question that challenges the listener's presumed knowledge, suggesting an obvious answer that the listener should have known.
• have you not read: Ouk anegnōte (οὐκ ἀνέγνωτε) - "Not did you read?" This is a strong rhetorical device in Greek, implying that the Pharisees, as religious scholars and guardians of the Law, should have been intimately familiar with this aspect of Scripture. The verb anaginōskō (ἀναγινώσκω) means "to read" or "to recognize from reading." Jesus uses their own perceived authority against them.
• in the Law: En tō nomō (ἐν τῷ νόμῳ) - Refers specifically to the Mosaic Law, the Torah, especially the Pentateuch, which outlines the regulations for priestly service and Sabbath observance.
• how: Hoti (ὅτι) - Connects the rhetorical question to the specific content from the Law.
• on the Sabbath: To sabbatō (τῷ σαββάτῳ) - Refers to the Sabbath day itself. It is in the dative case, indicating "on" or "at" the Sabbath. The term implies the specific rules associated with the day of rest.
• the priests: Hoi hiereis (οἱ ἱερεῖς) - Refers to the consecrated descendants of Aaron, authorized to perform rituals and sacrifices in the Temple. Their duties were explicitly commanded by God.
• in the temple: En tō hierō (ἐν τῷ ἱερῷ) - Refers to the Jerusalem Temple, the central place of Israelite worship where divine commands were to be ritually fulfilled.
• profane: Bebēlousin (βεβηλοῦσιν) - From bebēloō (βεβηλόω), meaning "to profane, defile, make common." This is a crucial, paradoxical word. From a purely legalistic viewpoint, priests perform labor (slaughtering, preparing sacrifices, arranging showbread, etc.) that would break the strict prohibition of work on the Sabbath. Thus, in the spirit of Sabbath rest, their activity appears to violate it. However, the next phrase immediately qualifies this.
• the Sabbath: To sabbaton (τὸ σάββατον) - Again, referring to the Sabbath day, here as the direct object of profaning.
• and are blameless: Kai anaitioi eisin (καὶ ἀναίτιοί εἰσιν) - This phrase is the key to Jesus' argument. Anaitios (ἀναίτιος) means "without blame, innocent, not liable to punishment." This state of blamelessness for the priests is explicitly because their actions, though seemingly violating Sabbath strictures, are performed in obedience to God's command for Temple service. These commanded duties constitute sacred work that supersedes ordinary Sabbath rest, as they are essential to maintaining Israel's covenant with God. This reveals a principle: God's command regarding His worship in the Temple overrides a general command regarding rest outside the Temple.

Word-Groups analysis:

• "Or have you not read in the Law": This phrase functions as a sharp rebuke. Jesus appeals to the Pharisees' own scriptures, challenging their supposed mastery and implying they have failed to grasp deeper principles within what they claim to know so well. It highlights their selective interpretation or misapplication of divine revelation.
• "the priests in the temple profane the Sabbath and are blameless": This is the central paradox Jesus presents. It underscores that what might appear as a "profaning" (violating the spirit of Sabbath rest through work) is not considered a sin when done within the specific context of divinely mandated temple worship. It illustrates that higher divine commands (like sacrifices and priestly duties in the Temple) supersede lower or general commands (like strict rest on the Sabbath). This isn't a loophole but a fundamental principle embedded within the Law itself, signifying that ritual purity and sacred service, as commanded by God, took precedence over the strictness of the Sabbath rest when those commands conflicted.

Matthew 12 5 Bonus section

• The rabbinic tradition itself recognized certain categories of "Sabbath work" related to the Temple as permissible, classifying them under the principle "there is no Sabbath in the Temple." This oral tradition actually confirms Jesus' point, showing the Pharisees' inconsistency in their judgment.
• Jesus is not abolishing the Sabbath but reinterpreting its true purpose. He aims to shift the focus from human-made regulations that burden people to the Sabbath's original intent: a day for rest, renewal, worship, and mercy.
• This argument lays the groundwork for understanding Jesus as "Lord of the Sabbath" (Matt 12:8), signifying His supreme authority to interpret and fulfill the Law, moving beyond external rituals to the internal principles of righteousness, mercy, and justice. He is the ultimate Temple, the locus of God's presence, making any act done in His service righteous.

Matthew 12 5 Commentary

In Matthew 12:5, Jesus demonstrates that the very Law the Pharisees claimed to uphold contained inherent exceptions to the general rule of Sabbath observance. By pointing to the Temple priests' required duties, which involve labor on the Sabbath (such as slaughtering animals, preparing sacrifices, and maintaining the Temple services), Jesus reveals that these activities, despite being "work," do not incur guilt. This is because their actions are performed as an act of divinely commanded worship and service, necessary for the continuation of God's covenant with Israel. The principle highlighted is that sacred duty within God's sanctuary transcends the general prohibition against work. This forms the bedrock for Jesus' subsequent argument: if Temple service permits such "work" without blame, then actions associated with something "greater than the temple" (Matt 12:6), namely Jesus Himself and His divine mission, are equally or more justified, especially when driven by human need and divine mercy. This verse subtly critiques the Pharisees' narrow legalism, which prioritizes rigid adherence to external regulations over the true intent and greater principles of the Law, particularly those involving compassion and devotion to God.