Mark 2:25

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Mark 2:18-28

Christ had been put to justify himself in conversing with publicans and sinners: here he is put to justify his disciples; and in what they do according to his will he will justify them, and bear them out. I. He justifies them in their not fasting, which was turned to their reproach by the Pharisees. Why do the Pharisees and the disciples of John fast? They used to fast, the Pharisees fasted twice in the week (Luke 18:12), and probably the disciples of John did so too; and, it should seem, this... read more

William Barclay

William Barclay's Daily Study Bible - Mark 2:23-28

2:23-28 One Sabbath day Jesus was going through the corn fields. His disciples began to pluck the ears of corn as they made their way along. The Pharisees began to say to him, "Look! Why are they doing what is not allowed on the Sabbath?" "Have you never read," he said, "what David did when he and his friends were in need and hungry? Have you never read how he went into the house of God, when Abiathar was High Priest, and ate the shewbread--which none is allowed to eat except the priests--and... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Mark 2:25

And he said unto them ,.... By way of answer to their question, and which was a full one, and enough to silence them: have ye never read what David did ; referring to the history in 1 Samuel 21:1 . when he had need : of bread, was in great necessity, and in the utmost distress: and was an hungered, he, and they that were with him ? which was a justifiable reason for what he and his company did; as it was for the action of the disciples; being in a like case, and therefore very... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Mark 2:23-28

The sabbath. The grounds upon which the Pharisees and scribes took offense at our Lord and his ministry were various. Some of these—as, e.g. , his claim to pardon sin—were very serious; for in such a case Jesus was either an impostor and blasphemer, or he was the Son of God. Others were very trivial, as, e.g. , his neglect of some unauthorized traditions, or his preference of moral duty to observance of the ceremonial law. In this and in the following incident, the sabbath was the... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Mark 2:23-28

The sabbath made for man. I. The purpose of The sabbath IS TO BE KEPT IN VIEW IN INTERPRETING ITS OBLIGATIONS . II. RULES WHICH DO NOT HAVE REGARD TO THIS MAY VIOLATE WHAT THEY PROFESS TO PRESERVE . 1 . The disciples were within the written permission of the Law. "To pluck and rub with the hand ears from the field of a neighbor was allowed; Moses forbade only the sickle ( Deuteronomy 23:25 ). But the matter belonged to the... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Mark 2:23-28

Love greater than law. I. HUMAN LIFE IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN THE MEANS OF LIVING . All laws, ceremonial or otherwise, may be regarded as means towards ends. What end do we know higher than human weal and bliss? Christ points out that this is the real end of legislation—man, his education, his good, physical and spiritual. II. IT IS A GROSS FALLACY TO PUT THE MEANS BEFORE THE END . This the Pharisees did. They said, "Man for the sabbath." Christ... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Mark 2:23-28

Parallel passages: Matthew 12:1-8 ; Luke 6:1-5 .— Sabbath observance. I. WORSHIP , NOT AMUSEMENT , SUITS THE SABBATH . The common heading of this section in the Gospels is, "The disciples pluck the ears of corn on the sabbath day," On this occasion our Lord and his disciples were out walking on the sabbath; but they were not walking for pleasure or even for health. They were on their way to the house of God, as we learn from the parallel passage in St. Matthew, where we... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Mark 2:25-26

David … and they that were with him . This seems opposed to what we read in 1 Samuel 21:1-15 ., where David is stated to have been alone. But the facts appear to have been these, that David, fleeing from Saul, went alone to Ahimelech the high priest, and sought and obtained five loaves of the "shewbread," which he carried away with him to his companions in flight, and shared with them; for he says ( 1 Samuel 21:2 ), "I have appointed my servants to such and such a place." This incident... read more

Albert Barnes

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible - Mark 2:23-28

See Matthew 12:1-8.The cornfields - The fields sown with wheat or barley. The word “corn,” in the Bible, refers only to grain of that kind, and never to “maize” or “Indian corn.”To pluck the ears of corn - They were hungry, Matthew 12:1. They therefore gathered the wheat or barley as they walked and rubbed it in their hands to shell it, and thus to satisfy their appetite. Though our Lord was with them, and though he had all things at his control, yet he suffered them to resort to this method of... read more

Donald C. Fleming

Bridgeway Bible Commentary - Mark 2:23-28

34. Picking corn on the Sabbath (Matthew 12:1-8; Mark 2:23-28; Luke 6:1-5)When the Pharisees criticized Jesus’ disciples for picking a few pieces of corn to eat on the Sabbath, Jesus defended his disciples by referring to two examples from the Old Testament. First, when David and his men were very hungry and urgently needed food, they were rightly allowed to eat the holy bread of the tabernacle, which normally only priests were allowed to eat (Matthew 12:1-4; cf. 1 Samuel 21:1-6). Second, even... read more

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