^12:3He⁴ said to them, “Haven’t you read what David did when he and his companions were hungry—^12:4how he entered the house of God and they ate⁵ the sacred bread,⁶ which was against the law⁷ for him or his companions to eat, but only for the priests?⁸

Read in Logos

Footnotes

4 Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
5 The Greek verb ἔφαγεν (ephagen, “he ate”) is found in a majority of witnesses (𝔓70 C D L W Θ f1, 13 33 𝔐 latt sy co) in place of ἔφαγον (ephagon, “they ate”), the wording found in א B . ἔφαγεν is most likely motivated by the parallels in Mark and Luke (both of which have the singular).
6 Grk “the bread of presentation.” The sacred bread refers to the “bread of presentation,” “showbread,” or “bread of the Presence,” twelve loaves prepared weekly for the tabernacle and later, the temple. See Exod 25:30; 35:13; 39:36; Lev 24:5–9. Each loaf was made from 3 quarts (3.5 liters; Heb “two tenths of an ephah”) of fine flour. The loaves were placed on a table in the holy place of the tabernacle, on the north side opposite the lampstand (Exod 26:35). It was the duty of the priest each Sabbath to place fresh bread on the table; the loaves from the previous week were then given to Aaron and his descendants, who ate them in the holy place, because they were considered sacred (Lev 24:9). See also Mark 2:23–28, Luke 6:1–5.
7 Jesus’ response to the charge that what his disciples were doing was against the law is one of analogy: “If David did it for his troops in a time of need, then so can I with my disciples.” Jesus is clear that on the surface there was a violation here. What is not as clear is whether he is arguing a “greater need” makes this permissible or that this was within the intention of the law all along.

Cross references

8 See 1 Sam 21:1–6.

In other versions

ESVEnglish Standard Version

He said to them, “Have you not read what David did when he was hungry, and those who were with him: how he entered the house of God and ate the bread of the Presence, which it was not lawful for him to eat nor for those who were with him, but only for the priests?

NIVNew International Version (2011)

He answered, “Haven’t you read what David did when he and his companions were hungry? He entered the house of God, and he and his companions ate the consecrated bread—which was not lawful for them to do, but only for the priests.

CSBChristian Standard Bible

He said to them, “Haven’t you read what David did when he and those who were with him were hungry: how he entered the house of God, and they ate the bread of the Presence—which is not lawful for him or for those with him to eat, but only for the priests?

NLTNew Living Translation

Jesus said to them, “Haven’t you read in the Scriptures what David did when he and his companions were hungry? He went into the house of God, and he and his companions broke the law by eating the sacred loaves of bread that only the priests are allowed to eat.

LEBThe Lexham English Bible

So he said to them, “Have you not read what David did when he was hungry, and those with him, how he entered into the house of God and ate the bread of the presentation, which it was not permitted for him or for those with him to eat, but only for the priests?

KJV 1900King James Version

But he said unto them, Have ye not read what David did, when he was an hungred, and they that were with him; 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?

Public Domain