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The Pharisees said to him, "Behold, why do they do that which is not lawful on the Sabbath day?"

Verse Takeaways

1

Man-Made Rules, Not God's Law

Commentators stress that the disciples were not breaking God's actual law, as plucking grain to eat was permitted. The Pharisees' accusation was based on their own strict, human traditions which defined plucking as 'reaping' and rubbing the grains as 'threshing'—forms of work they had forbidden on the Sabbath.

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Commentaries

7

Albert Barnes

Albert Barnes

On Mark 2:24

18th Century

Theologian

That which is not lawful. That is, that which they considered to be unlawful on the sabbath day. It was made lawful by Moses, wit…

Charles Ellicott

Charles Ellicott

On Mark 2:23–28

19th Century

Bishop

And it came to pass.—See Notes on Matthew 12:1-8.

As they went . . .—More literally, they began to mak…

Charles Spurgeon

Charles Spurgeon

On Mark 2:24

19th Century

Preacher

According to some Rabbis, you might pick an ear of wheat on the Sabbath day, but if you rubbed it between your hands, they said that was a sort of …

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Expositor's Bible Commentary

Expositor's Bible Commentary

On Mark 2:24

The main point at issue here was not the act of harvesting the heads of grain in fields that did not belong to them. Such activity as Jesus and his…

John Calvin

John Calvin

On Mark 2:24

16th Century

Theologian

Why do they on the Sabbath what is not lawful? The Pharisees did not blame the disciples of Christ for plucking ears of corn from…

John Gill

John Gill

On Mark 2:24

17th Century

Pastor

And the Pharisees said to him
To Christ, the same they said to his disciples, (Luke 6:2) .

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Matthew Henry

Matthew Henry

On Mark 2:23–28

17th Century

Minister

The sabbath is a sacred and Divine institution; a privilege and benefit, not a task and drudgery. God never designed it to be a burden to us, there…