Charles Ellicott Commentary Matthew 12:3

"But he said unto them, Have ye not read what David did, when he was hungry, and they that were with him;" — Matthew 12:3 (ASV)

Have you not read...?—The question was an appeal to the Pharisees on the ground where they thought themselves strongest. For them it was an argument à fortiori. Would they accuse David of sacrilege and Sabbath-breaking because he, in a case of urgent need, set aside the twofold law of ordinances? If they shrank from that, was it not inconsistent to condemn the disciples of Jesus for a far lighter transgression?