121 At that time Jesus went on the sabbath through the cornfields; and his disciples were hungry, and began to pluck the ears and to eat. 2 But the Pharisees, seeing [it], said to him, Behold, thy disciples are doing what is not lawful to do on sabbath. 3 But he said to them, Have ye not read what David did when he was hungry, and they that were with him? 4 How he entered into the house of God, and ate the shewbread, which it was not lawful for him to eat, nor for those with him, but for the priests only? 5 Or have ye not read in the law that on the sabbaths the priests in the temple profane the sabbath, and are blameless? 6 But I say unto you, that there is here what is greater than the temple. 7 But if ye had known what is: I will have mercy and not sacrifice, ye would not have condemned the guiltless. 8 For the Son of man is Lord of the sabbath.
9 And, going away from thence, he came into their synagogue. 10 And behold, there was a man having his hand withered. And they asked him, saying, Is it lawful to heal on the sabbath? that they might accuse him. 11 But he said to them, What man shall there be of you who has one sheep, and if this fall into a pit on the sabbath, will not lay hold of it and raise [it] up? 12 How much better then is a man than a sheep! So that it is lawful to do well on the sabbath. 13 Then he says to the man, Stretch out thy hand. And he stretched [it] out, and it was restored sound as the other.
14 But the Pharisees, having gone out, took counsel against him, how they might destroy him.
15 But Jesus knowing [it], withdrew thence, and great crowds followed him; and he healed them all: 16 and charged them strictly that they should not make him publicly known: 17 that that might be fulfilled which was spoken through Esaias the prophet, saying, 18 Behold my servant, whom I have chosen, my beloved, in whom my soul has found its delight. I will put my Spirit upon him, and he shall shew forth judgment to the nations. 19 He shall not strive or cry out, nor shall any one hear his voice in the streets; 20 a bruised reed shall he not break, and smoking flax shall he not quench, until he bring forth judgment unto victory; 21 and on his name shall [the] nations hope.
31 And he entered again into the synagogue; and there was there a man having his hand dried up. 2 And they watched him if he would heal him on the sabbath, that they might accuse him. 3 And he says to the man who had his hand dried up, Rise up [and come] into the midst. 4 And he says to them, Is it lawful on the sabbath to do good or to do evil, to save life or to kill? But they were silent. 5 And looking round upon them with anger, distressed at the hardening of their heart, he says to the man, Stretch out thy hand. And he stretched [it] out, and his hand was restored. 6 And the Pharisees going out straightway with the Herodians took counsel against him, how they might destroy him.
7 And Jesus withdrew with his disciples to the sea; and a great multitude from Galilee followed him, and from Judaea, 8 and from Jerusalem, and from Idumaea and beyond the Jordan; and they of around Tyre and Sidon, a great multitude, having heard what things he did, came to him. 9 And he spoke to his disciples, in order that a little ship should wait upon him on account of the crowd, that they might not press upon him. 10 For he healed many, so that they beset him that they might touch him, as many as had plagues. 11 And the unclean spirits, when they beheld him, fell down before him, and cried saying, Thou art the Son of God. 12 And he rebuked them much, that they might not make him manifest.
13 And he goes up into the mountain, and calls whom he himself would, and they went to him. 14 And he appointed twelve that they might be with him, and that he might send them to preach, 15 and to have power [to heal diseases, and] to cast out demons. 16 And he gave to Simon the surname of Peter; 17 and James the [son] of Zebedee, and John the brother of James, and he gave them the surname of Boanerges, that is, Sons of thunder; 18 and Andrew, and Philip, and Bartholomew, and Matthew, and Thomas, and James the [son] of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus, and Simon the Cananaean, 19 and Judas Iscariote, who also delivered him up. And they come to [the] house.
20 And again a crowd comes together, so that they cannot even eat bread. 21 And his relatives having heard [of it] went out to lay hold on him, for they said, He is out of his mind.
22 And the scribes who had come down from Jerusalem said, He has Beelzebub, and, By the prince of the demons he casts out demons. 23 And having called them to [him], he said to them in parables, How can Satan cast out Satan? 24 And if a kingdom has become divided against itself, that kingdom cannot subsist. 25 And if a house has become divided against itself, that house cannot subsist. 26 And if Satan rise up against himself, and is divided, he cannot subsist, but has an end. 27 But no one can, having entered into his house, plunder the goods of the strong [man] unless he first bind the strong [man], and then he will plunder his house. 28 Verily I say unto you, that all sins shall be forgiven to the sons of men, and all the injurious speeches [with] which they may speak injuriously; 29 but whosoever shall speak injuriously against the Holy Spirit, to eternity has no forgiveness; but lies under the guilt of an everlasting sin; 30 —because they said, He has an unclean spirit.
31 And his brethren and his mother come, and standing without sent to him calling him. 32 And a crowd sat around him. And they said to him, Behold, thy mother and thy brethren seek thee without. 33 And he answered them, saying, Who is my mother or my brethren? 34 And looking around in a circuit at those that were sitting around him, he says, Behold my mother and my brethren: 35 for whosoever shall do the will of God, he is my brother, and sister, and mother.
61 And it came to pass on [the] second-first sabbath, that he went through cornfields, and his disciples were plucking the ears and eating [them], rubbing [them] in their hands. 2 But some of the Pharisees said to them, Why do ye what is not lawful to do on the sabbath? 3 And Jesus answering said to them, Have ye not read so much as this, what David did when he hungered, he and those who were with him, 4 how he entered into the house of God and took the shewbread and ate, and gave to those also who were with him, which it is not lawful that [any] eat, unless the priests alone? 5 And he said to them, The Son of man is Lord of the sabbath also.
6 And it came to pass on another sabbath also that he entered into the synagogue and taught; and there was a man there, and his right hand was withered. 7 And the scribes and the Pharisees were watching if he would heal on the sabbath, that they might find something of which to accuse him. 8 But he knew their thoughts, and said to the man who had the withered hand, Get up, and stand in the midst. And having risen up he stood [there]. 9 Jesus therefore said to them, I will ask you if it is lawful on the sabbath to do good, or to do evil? to save life, or to destroy [it]? 10 And having looked around on them all, he said to him, Stretch out thy hand. And he did [so] and his hand was restored as the other. 11 But they were filled with madness, and they spoke together among themselves what they should do to Jesus.
12 And it came to pass in those days that he went out into the mountain to pray, and he spent the night in prayer to God. 13 And when it was day he called his disciples, and having chosen out twelve from them, whom also he named apostles: 14 Simon, to whom also he gave the name of Peter, and Andrew his brother, [and] James and John, [and] Philip and Bartholomew, 15 [and] Matthew and Thomas, James the [son] of Alphaeus and Simon who was called Zealot, 16 [and] Judas [brother] of James, and Judas Iscariote, who was also [his] betrayer;
17 and having descended with them, he stood on a level place, and a crowd of his disciples, and a great multitude of the people from all Judaea and Jerusalem, and the sea coast of Tyre and Sidon, who came to hear him, and to be healed of their diseases; 18 and those that were beset by unclean spirits were healed. 19 And all the crowd sought to touch him, for power went out from him and healed all.
20 And he, lifting up his eyes upon his disciples, said, Blessed [are] ye poor, for yours is the kingdom of God. 21 Blessed ye that hunger now, for ye shall be filled. Blessed ye that weep now, for ye shall laugh. 22 Blessed are ye when men shall hate you, and when they shall separate you [from them], and shall reproach [you], and cast out your name as wicked, for the Son of man's sake: 23 rejoice in that day and leap for joy, for behold, your reward is great in the heaven, for after this manner did their fathers act toward the prophets. 24 But woe to you rich, for ye have received your consolation. 25 Woe to you that are filled, for ye shall hunger. Woe to you who laugh now, for ye shall mourn and weep. 26 Woe, when all men speak well of you, for after this manner did their fathers to the false prophets.
27 But to you that hear I say, Love your enemies; do good to those that hate you; 28 bless those that curse you; pray for those who use you despitefully. 29 To him that smites thee on the cheek, offer also the other; and from him that would take away thy garment, forbid not thy body-coat also. 30 To every one that asks of thee, give; and from him that takes away what is thine, ask it not back. 31 And as ye wish that men should do to you, do ye also to them in like manner. 32 And if ye love those that love you, what thank is it to you? for even sinners love those that love them. 33 And if ye do good to those that do good to you, what thank is it to you? for even sinners do the same. 34 And if ye lend to those from whom ye hope to receive, what thank is it to you? [for] even sinners lend to sinners that they may receive the like. 35 But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, hoping for nothing in return, and your reward shall be great, and ye shall be sons of [the] Highest; for he is good to the unthankful and wicked. 36 Be ye therefore merciful, even as your Father also is merciful.
37 And judge not, and ye shall not be judged; condemn not, and ye shall not be condemned. Remit, and it shall be remitted to you. 38 Give, and it shall be given to you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall be given into your bosom: for with the same measure with which ye mete it shall be measured to you again. 39 And he spoke also a parable to them: Can a blind [man] lead a blind [man]? shall not both fall into [the] ditch? 40 The disciple is not above his teacher, but every one that is perfected shall be as his teacher. 41 But why lookest thou on the mote which is in the eye of thy brother, but perceivest not the beam which is in thine own eye? 42 or how canst thou say to thy brother, Brother, allow [me], I will cast out the mote that is in thine eye, thyself not seeing the beam that is in thine eye? Hypocrite, cast out first the beam out of thine eye, and then thou shalt see clear to cast out the mote which is in the eye of thy brother.
43 For there is no good tree which produces corrupt fruit, nor a corrupt tree which produces good fruit; 44 for every tree is known by its own fruit, for figs are not gathered from thorns, nor grapes vintaged from a bramble. 45 The good man, out of the good treasure of his heart, brings forth good; and the wicked [man] out of the wicked, brings forth what is wicked: for out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.
46 And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things that I say? 47 Every one that comes to me, and hears my words and does them, I will shew you to whom he is like. 48 He is like a man building a house, who dug and went deep, and laid a foundation on the rock; but a great rain coming, the stream broke upon that house, and could not shake it, for it had been founded on the rock. 49 And he that has heard and not done, is like a man who has built a house on the ground without [a] foundation, on which the stream broke, and immediately it fell, and the breach of that house was great.
Matthew Henry's Commentary on Matthew 12:1-21
Commentary on Matthew 12:1-8
(Read Matthew 12:1-8)
Being in the corn-fields, the disciples began to pluck the ears of corn: the law of God allowed it, Deuteronomy 5:14. No law must be understood so as to contradict its own end. And as Christ is the Lord of the sabbath, it is fit the day and the work of it should be dedicated to him.
Commentary on Matthew 12:9-13
(Read Matthew 12:9-13)
Christ shows that works of mercy are lawful and proper to be done on the Lord's day. There are more ways of doing well upon sabbath days, than by the duties of worship: attending the sick, relieving the poor, helping those who need speedy relief, teaching the young to care for their souls; these are doing good: and these must be done from love and charity, with humility and self-denial, and shall be accepted, Genesis 4:7. This, like other cures which Christ wrought, had a spiritual meaning. By nature our hands are withered, and we are unable of ourselves to do any thing that is good. Christ only, by the power of his grace, cures us; he heals the withered hand by putting life into the dead soul, works in us both to will and to do: for, with the command, there is a promise of grace given by the word.
Commentary on Matthew 12:14-21
(Read Matthew 12:14-21)
The Pharisees took counsel to find some accusation, that Jesus might be condemned to death. Aware of their design, as his time was not come, he retired from that place. Face does not more exactly answer to face in water, than the character of Christ drawn by the prophet, to his temper and conduct as described by the evangelists. Let us with cheerful confidence commit our souls to so kind and faithful a Friend. Far from breaking, he will strengthen the bruised reed; far from quenching the smoking flax, or wick nearly out, he will rather blow it up into a flame. Let us lay aside contentious and angry debates; let us receive one another as Christ receives us. And while encouraged by the gracious kindness of our Lord, we should pray that his Spirit may rest upon us, and make us able to copy his example.