“How he entered into the house of God, and did eat the shewbread, which was not lawful for him to eat, neither for them which were with him, but only for the priests?”
The full verse · Matthew 12:4 · KJV
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Asked by
Jesus: the Son of God and promised Messiah, who went through the corn on the sabbath day with His disciples (Matthew 12:1)
Asked to
Pharisees: members of the strict Jewish religious party who told Jesus His disciples were doing "that which is not lawful to do upon the sabbath day" (Matthew 12:2)
The Scene
Answering the Pharisees' complaint that His disciples plucked corn on the sabbath, Jesus finishes the question He began about David (Matthew 12:1-4).
Why It Was Asked
The purpose behind the questionHere Jesus spells out what David did, and the details sharpen His point. The bread was holy, given by law to Aaron and his sons (Leviticus 24:9), yet David and his men ate it. Barnes notes that David's act "had passed uncondemned." So how could they condemn hungry disciples for plucking ordinary grain? Barnes adds that David ate "contrary to the letter of the law," and that the case proved that in cases of necessity the law did not bind a man. The question leaves the accusers with nothing to say.
The Response
What Scripture recordsNo reply from the Pharisees is recorded. Jesus continues with a second "have ye not read," this time about the priests (Matthew 12:5). Then He names what they had missed: "I will have mercy, and not sacrifice," and says that if they had known its meaning, they "would not have condemned the guiltless" (Matthew 12:7, quoting Hosea 6:6).
Historical Context
The world behind the wordsThe shewbread was twelve cakes set in two rows "upon the pure table before the LORD." "Every sabbath" it was set in order, and it was to be "Aaron's and his sons'; and they shall eat it in the holy place" (Leviticus 24:5-9). The Greek phrase is artous tes protheseos, "loaves of the setting forth." Thayer explains them as twelve loaves, matching the tribes of Israel, offered to God every sabbath. The ESV calls it "the bread of the Presence."
"The house of God" here, Barnes says, means "the tabernacle; the temple not being then built." The priest gave David the shewbread "that was taken from before the LORD, to put hot bread in the day when it was taken away" (1 Samuel 21:6). Gill notes that, although 1 Samuel 21:1 says David came alone, men were with him who shared the bread.
The Bigger Picture
Where this fits in God's storyJesus shows that God's own law made room for mercy. Holy bread fed hungry men, and Jesus cites the story to defend His disciples, not to condemn David. Matthew Henry states the principle: "Those labours are lawful on the sabbath day which are necessary." And God had said through Hosea, "I desired mercy, and not sacrifice" (Hosea 6:6).
Jesus goes on to place Himself at the center. The priests in the temple work on the sabbath and are "blameless" (Matthew 12:5), and "in this place is one greater than the temple" (Matthew 12:6). Jesus calls His disciples "the guiltless" (Matthew 12:7).
Look Closer
Who was normally allowed to eat the shewbread?
Carry the question into prayer and conversation.
Father, Your law let holy bread feed hungry men; what need around me are You asking me to meet instead of judge?
A prayer to carry into the day.
- Why do you think it is easier to notice when someone breaks a rule than to notice what they need?
- Tell about a time someone set aside their own preferences to meet your need. What did it show you about God?
For you, a small group, a friend, or the dinner table.
When rules and real need collide, remember what God values: "I will have mercy, and not sacrifice" (Matthew 12:7). Before you judge someone for how they meet a need, ask whether you would have judged David.
This doesn't mean holy things don't matter. Jesus still says the bread "was not lawful" for David (Matthew 12:4). His point is that God's heart for mercy should shape how we read and apply His commands.
Built from the biblical text and checked against trusted commentaries and lexicons. References & Sources
Keep questioning
“Have ye not read what David did, when he was an hungred, and they that were with him”
“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?”
“How he went into the house of God in the days of Abiathar the high priest, and did eat the shewbread, which is not lawful to eat but for the priests, and gave also to them which were with him?”
“How he went into the house of God, and did take and eat the shewbread, and gave also to them that were with him; which it is not lawful to eat but for the priests alone?”