Albert Barnes Commentary Luke 6

Second sabbath after the first. See Barnes on Matthew 12:1.

This phrase has given great perplexity to commentators. A literal translation would be,

"on the sabbath called second first,"

or second first Sabbath. The word occurs nowhere else. It is therefore exceedingly difficult of interpretation.

The most natural and easy explanation is that proposed by Scaliger.

The second day of the Passover was a great festival, on which the wave-sheaf was offered (Leviticus 23:11). From that day they reckoned seven weeks, or seven Sabbaths, to the day of Pentecost.

The first Sabbath after that second day was called the second first, or the first from the second day of the feast. The second Sabbath was called the second second, or the second Sabbath from the second day of the feast; the third, the third second, etc.

This day, therefore, on which the Savior went through the fields, was the first Sabbath that occurred after the second day of the feast.

Rubbing them in their hands. The word corn here means wheat or barley, and not maize, as in America. They rubbed it in their hands to separate the grain from the chaff. This was common and allowable. Dr. Thomson (The Land and the Book, vol. ii, pp. 510-511) says:

"I have often seen my muleteers, as we passed along the wheat-fields, pluck off ears, rub them in their hands, and eat the grains, unroasted, just as the apostles are said to have done. This also is allowable. The Pharisees did not object to the thing itself, only to the time when it was done. They said it was not lawful to do this on the Sabbath day. It was work forbidden by those who, through their traditions, had made man for the Sabbath, not the Sabbath for man."

So Professor Hackett (Illustrations of Scripture, pp. 176-177) says:

"The incident of plucking the ears of wheat, rubbing out the kernels in their hands, and eating them (Luke 6:1), is one which the traveller sees often at present who is in Palestine at the time of the gathering of the harvest. Dr. Robinson relates the following case: 'Our Arabs were hungry, and, going into the fields, they plucked the ears of corn and did eat, rubbing them in their hands. On being questioned, they said this was an old custom, and no one would speak against it; they were supposed to be hungry, and it was allowed as a charity.' The Pharisees complained of the disciples for violating the Sabbath and not any rights of property."

This refers to Biblical Researches, vol. ii, p. 192.

And it came to pass (Matthew 12:1; Mark 2:23).

But he knew their thoughts. He knew their thoughts—their dark, malicious designs—by the question which they proposed to him, whether it was lawful to heal on the Sabbath days (Matthew). In reply to their question, Jesus asked them whether they would not release a sheep on the Sabbath day if it was fallen into a pit, and also asked them whether it was better to do good than to do evil on that day, implying that to omit to do good was, in fact, doing evil.

Were filled with madness. The reasons were probably as follows:

1. Because he had shown his power to work a miracle.
2. Because he had shown his power to do it contrary to what they thought was right.
3. Because by doing it he had shown that he was from God, and that they were therefore wrong in their views of the Sabbath. And,
4. Because he had shown no respect to their views of what the law of God demanded.

Pride, obstinacy, malice, and disappointed self-confidence were all combined, therefore, in producing madness. Nor were they alone. Men are often enraged because others do good in a way which they do not approve of. God gives success to others; and because he has not accommodated himself to their views of what is right, and done it in the way which they would have prescribed, they are enraged, and filled with envy at men more successful than themselves.

Communed one with another means they spoke together, or laid a plan.

And it came to pass in those days. The designation of the time here is very general. It means about the time when the events occurred that had just been narrated.

He went out into a mountain. Jesus was accustomed to go to such places to hold communion with God (Mark 6:46). He did this because it was secluded, free from interruption, and suited by its impressiveness and grandeur to elevate the thoughts to the God who had formed the high hills and the deep-shaded groves.

And continued all night in prayer to God. There has been a difference of opinion about this passage, whether it means that he spent the night in the act of praying to God, or in a place of prayer.

The Jews had places of prayer, called oratories, built out of their cities or towns, where they could retire from the bustle of a city and hold communion with God. They were built on the banks of rivers , in groves, or on hills. These were simple enclosures, made by building a rough stone wall around a level piece of ground, and capable of accommodating a small number of people who might go there to pray.

But the more probable opinion is that he spent the whole night in supplication, for the following reasons:

1. This is the obvious meaning of the passage.
2. The object for which he went out was to pray.
3. It was an occasion of great importance. He was about to send out his apostles—to lay the foundation of his religion—and he therefore set apart this time especially to seek the divine blessing.
4. It was no unusual thing for Jesus to spend much time in prayer, and we are not to wonder that he passed an entire night in supplication.

If it is asked why Jesus should pray at all if he was divine, it may be replied that he was also a man—a man subject to the same sufferings as others, and, as a man, needing the divine blessing.

There was no more inconsistency in his praying than there was in his eating. Both were means employed for an end, and both were equally consistent with his being divine. But Jesus was also Mediator, and as such it was proper for him to seek the divine direction and blessing. In this case, he has set us an example that we should follow.

In great emergencies, when we have important duties, or are about to encounter special difficulties, we should seek the divine blessing and direction by prayer. We should set apart an unusual portion of time for supplication. Indeed, if we pass the whole night in prayer, it should not be considered enthusiasm. Our Savior did it. People of the world often pass whole nights in plans of gain or in dissipation; should it be considered strange that Christians should spend an equal portion of time in the far more important business of religion?

See Barnes on "Matthew 10:1"; See Barnes on "Matthew 10:2"

See Barnes on "Matthew 10:3"; See Barnes on "Matthew 10:4"