Matthew 12:5
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?
Study
Other translations
New International Version
Or haven’t you read in the Law that the priests on Sabbath duty in the temple desecrate the Sabbath and yet are innocent?
New Living Translation
And haven’t you read in the law of Moses that the priests on duty in the Temple may work on the Sabbath?
English Standard Version
Or have you not read in the Law how on the Sabbath the priests in the temple profane the Sabbath and are guiltless?
Berean Study Bible
Or haven’t you read in the Law that on the Sabbath the priests in the temple break the Sabbath and yet are innocent?
Berean Literal Bible
Or have you not read in the law that on the Sabbath the priests in the temple profane the Sabbath, and are guiltless?
New King James Version
Or have you not read in the law that on the Sabbath the priests in the temple profane the Sabbath, and are blameless?
New American Standard Bible
Or have you not read in the Law that on the Sabbath the priests in the temple violate the Sabbath, and yet are innocent?
NASB 1995
NASB 1977
Or have you not read in the Law, that on the Sabbath the priests in the temple break the Sabbath and are innocent?
Amplified Bible
Or have you not read in the Law, that on the Sabbath the priests in the temple break [the sanctity of] the Sabbath and yet are innocent?
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Neither Mark nor Luke have this argument of our Saviour’s.
The meaning is, all acts of servile labour are not unlawful on the sabbath day.
Have ye not read in the law
He does not mean that the words following were to be found in the law, but only that they might read in the law, how the priests were obliged, on the sabbath days, to perform such servile work in the temple as, considered separately from the end of it, would have been a profanation of the sabbath, but really was not so, because it was necessary to the public worship of God, on account of which the sabbath was instituted.
The law
The law, or the books of Moses.
The priests in the temple profane the sabbath.
The work of the priests, was on the Sabbath days, as well as on other days, as described, in Numbers 28:9-10, slaying victims, placing the shewbread.
The priests must be engaged in killing them, and making fires to burn them in sacrifice, whereas to kindle a fire was expressly forbidden the Jews on the Sabbath (Exodus 35:3).
They did that which, for other persons to do, would have been “profaning” the Sabbath. It involved an amount of labour which, in work of any other kind, would have broken the Sabbath rest; yet no one blamed the priests, for they were serving in the Temple of God.
If it be asked what servile work the priests performed on the sabbath, the answer is obvious.
On that day, as well as on other days, they made up the fires, killed, flayed, and dressed the sacrifices, and performed other pieces of manual labour necessary to the religious service which God had established among them.
No, besides the continual burnt offering, the priests were obliged, on the sabbaths, to sacrifice two lambs extraordinary, by which their servile work was that day more of what it was on the other days of the week (See Numbers 28:9).
The priests in the temple
Before, this was in the “tabernacle,” as the temple was not yet being then built then.
And are blameless
Yet they were blameless, for they did what was necessary and commanded.
This was done in the tabernacle, and in the temple, too, the place of holiness, where the law should be most strictly observed.
The double offerings required on the sabbath day (Numbers 28:9) could not be presented, and the new-baked showbread (Leviticus 24:5; 1 Chronicles 9:32) could not be prepared and presented every sabbath morning, without a good deal of servile work on the part of the priests; not to speak of circumcision, which, when the child’s eighth day happened to fall on a sabbath, had to be performed by the priests on that day. (See John 7:22, 23).
The priests, according to the law (Numbers 28:9), offer sacrifices, and do many other acts, such as circumcising, and many other things, which in your sense would be a profanation of the sabbath; yet you do not blame them, neither are they to he blamed, because God permitted and directed them.
If any say, “But how doth this agree to what our Saviour is speaking to?”
Answer him: The disciples of Christ were employed with and by him in going about and preaching the gospel, and what they now did was but in order to fit them for his work, when they had not had such leisure as others beforehand to provide: and this establisheth a second rule, That works of piety, and tending to fit us for acts of piety, that cannot conveniently be done before, are lawful on the sabbath day.
Or have ye not read in the law,…. Numbers 28:9 by which law the priests were obliged, every sabbath day, to offer up two lambs for a burnt offering; to which were annexed many servile works, as killing the sacrifice, flaying it, cutting it in pieces, and laying it on the altar, cutting of wood, and putting that in order, and kindling the fire: from all which, it might be observed,
how that on the sabbath days, the priests in the temple profane the sabbath, and are blameless.
There were many things, which, according to the Jewish canons, the priests might do on the sabbath day; particularly
▪︎ They might slay the sacrific
▪︎ it was a rule with them, , “that slaying drives away the sabbath”.
▪︎ They might also knead, make, and bake the showbread on the sabbath day
▪︎ their general rule was, as R. Akiba says, that what was possible to be done on the evening of the sabbath, did not drive away the sabbath; but what was not possible to be done on the sabbath eve, did drive away the sabbath:
So they might kill the passover, sprinkle its blood, wipe its inwards, and burn the fat on the sabbath day, with many other things.
What exculpated these men was, that what they did was done in the temple, and for the service of it, upon which an emphasis is put; and agrees with their canons, which say, that there is no prohibition in the sanctuary; “that which is forbidden to be done on the sabbath, is lawful to be done in the sanctuary”: and whereas, it might be objected to the disciples of Christ, that they were not priests; and what they did was not in the temple, but in the fields.
Greek
Or ☆ Ἢ (Ē) ☆ Conjunction ☆ Or, than. A primary particle of distinction between two connected terms; disjunctive, or; comparative, than.
Haven’t you read ☆ ἀνέγνωτε (anegnōte) ☆ Verb – Aorist Indicative Active – 2nd Person Plural ☆ To read, know again, know certainly, recognize, discern. From ana and ginosko; to know again, i.e. to read.
In ☆ ἐν (en) ☆ Preposition ☆ In, on, among. A primary preposition denoting position, and instrumentality, i.e. A relation of rest; ‘in, ‘ at, on, by, etc.
The ☆ τῷ (tō) ☆ Article – Dative Masculine Singular ☆ The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.
Law ☆ νόμῳ (nomō) ☆ Noun – Dative Masculine Singular ☆ From a primary nemo; law, genitive case, specially, (including the volume); also of the Gospel), or figuratively.
That ☆ ὅτι (hoti) ☆ Conjunction ☆ Neuter of hostis as conjunction; demonstrative, that; causative, because.
On the ☆ τοῖς (tois) ☆ Article – Dative Neuter Plural ☆ The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.
Sabbath ☆ σάββασιν (sabbasin) ☆ Noun – Dative Neuter Plural ☆ The Sabbath, a week.
The ☆ οἱ (hoi) ☆ Article – Nominative Masculine Plural ☆ The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.
Priests ☆ ἱερεῖς (hiereis) ☆ Noun – Nominative Masculine Plural ☆ A priest, one who offers sacrifice to a god (in Jewish and pagan religions; of Christians only met.). From hieros; a priest.
In ☆ ἐν (en) ☆ Preposition ☆ In, on, among. A primary preposition denoting position, and instrumentality, i.e. A relation of rest; ‘in, ‘ at, on, by, etc.
The ☆ τῷ (tō) ☆ Article – Dative Neuter Singular ☆ The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.
Temple ☆ ἱερῷ (hierō) ☆ Noun – Dative Neuter Singular ☆ Neuter of hieros; a sacred place, i.e. The entire precincts of the Temple.
Break ☆ βεβηλοῦσιν (bebēlousin) ☆ Verb – Present Indicative Active – 3rd Person Plural ☆ To profane, pollute, violate. From bebelos; to desecrate.
The ☆ τὸ (to) ☆ Article – Accusative Neuter Singular ☆ The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.
Sabbath ☆ σάββατον (sabbaton) ☆ Noun – Accusative Neuter Singular ☆ The Sabbath, a week.
And yet ☆ καὶ (kai) ☆ Conjunction ☆ And, even, also, namely.
Are ☆ εἰσιν (eisin) ☆ Verb – Present Indicative Active – 3rd Person Plural ☆ I am, exist. The first person singular present indicative; a prolonged form of a primary and defective verb; I exist.
Innocent ☆ ἀναίτιοί (anaitioi) ☆ Adjective – Nominative Masculine Plural ☆ Guiltless, innocent. Innocent.
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