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Tuesday, June 17th, 2025
the Week of Proper 6 / Ordinary 11
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Read the Bible

Contemporary English Version

Matthew 12:6

I tell you that there is something here greater than the temple.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Accusation, False;   Church;   Ecclesiasticism;   Jesus, the Christ;   Pharisees;   Sabbath;   Tradition;   Thompson Chain Reference - Greatness, God's;  

Dictionaries:

- Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Jesus christ;   Sabbath;   Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Building;   Christ, Christology;   Feasts and Festivals of Israel;   Jesus Christ;   Priest, Christ as;   Sabbath;   Charles Buck Theological Dictionary - Hutchinsonians;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Jesus Christ;   Temple;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Ahimelech;   Harmony of the Gospels;   Matthew, the Gospel of;   Preparation Day;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Law;   Mss;   Text of the New Testament;   Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament - Consciousness;   Discourse;   Dropsy;   Error;   Israel, Israelite;   Law;   Law of God;   Man (2);   Nineveh, Ninevites;   Sabbath ;   Temple (2);   Trial of Jesus;   Trinity (2);   Winter ;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - Chief parables and miracles in the bible;   Smith Bible Dictionary - Phar'isees,;   Sabbath;  

Encyclopedias:

- Condensed Biblical Cyclopedia - Jesus of Nazareth;   International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Law in the New Testament;   Sabbath;   Worship;  

Devotionals:

- Every Day Light - Devotion for November 20;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
I tell you that something greater than the temple is here.
King James Version (1611)
But I saye vnto you, that in this place is one greater then the Temple.
King James Version
But I say unto you, That in this place is one greater than the temple.
English Standard Version
I tell you, something greater than the temple is here.
New American Standard Bible
"But I say to you that something greater than the temple is here.
New Century Version
I tell you that there is something here that is greater than the Temple.
Amplified Bible
"But I tell you that something greater than the temple is here.
Geneva Bible (1587)
But I say vnto you, that here is one greater then the Temple.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
"But I say to you that something greater than the temple is here.
Legacy Standard Bible
But I say to you that something greater than the temple is here.
Berean Standard Bible
But I tell you that something greater than the temple is here.
Complete Jewish Bible
I tell you, there is in this place something greater than the Temple!
Darby Translation
But I say unto you, that there is here what is greater than the temple.
Easy-to-Read Version
I tell you that there is something here that is greater than the Temple.
George Lamsa Translation
But I say to you, that there is one here, who is greater than the temple.
Good News Translation
I tell you that there is something here greater than the Temple.
Lexham English Bible
But I tell you that something greater than the temple is here!
Literal Translation
But I say to you, One greater than the temple is here.
American Standard Version
But I say unto you, that one greater than the temple is here.
Bible in Basic English
But I say to you that a greater thing than the Temple is here.
Hebrew Names Version
But I tell you that one greater than the temple is here.
International Standard Version
But I tell you, something greater than the temple is here!2 Chronicles 6:18; Malachi 3:1;">[xr]
Etheridge Translation
But I say to you, that (one) greater than the temple is here.
Murdock Translation
But I say to you, that a greater than the temple is here.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
But I say vnto you, that in this place is one greater then the temple.
English Revised Version
But I say unto you, that one greater than the temple is here.
World English Bible
But I tell you that one greater than the temple is here.
Wesley's New Testament (1755)
But I say to you, That one greater than the temple is here. And if ye had known what that meaneth,
Weymouth's New Testament
But I tell you that there is here that which is greater than the Temple.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
And Y seie to you, that here is a gretter than the temple.
Update Bible Version
But I say to you, that one greater than the temple is here.
Webster's Bible Translation
But I say to you, that in this place is [one] greater than the temple.
New English Translation
I tell you that something greater than the temple is here.
New King James Version
Yet I say to you that in this place there is One greater than the temple.
New Living Translation
I tell you, there is one here who is even greater than the Temple!
New Life Bible
I tell you that Someone greater than the house of God is here.
New Revised Standard
I tell you, something greater than the temple is here.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
But I say unto you, - Something greater than the Temple, is here!
Douay-Rheims Bible
But I tell you that there is here a greater than the temple.
Revised Standard Version
I tell you, something greater than the temple is here.
Tyndale New Testament (1525)
But I saye vnto you: that here is one greater then ye teple.
Young's Literal Translation
and I say to you, that a greater than the temple is here;
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
But I saye vnto you: yt here is one greater then the temple.
Mace New Testament (1729)
now I tell you, that the work now in hand, is of greater consequence than that of the temple.
THE MESSAGE
"There is far more at stake here than religion. If you had any idea what this Scripture meant—‘I prefer a flexible heart to an inflexible ritual'—you wouldn't be nitpicking like this. The Son of Man is no lackey to the Sabbath; he's in charge."
Simplified Cowboy Version
I'm tellin' you that someone better than a church building is standin' right here.

Contextual Overview

1 One Sabbath, Jesus and his disciples were walking through some wheat fields. His disciples were hungry and began picking and eating grains of wheat. 2 Some Pharisees noticed this and said to Jesus, "Why are your disciples picking grain on the Sabbath? They are not supposed to do that!" 3 Jesus answered: You surely must have read what David did when he and his followers were hungry. 4 He went into the house of God, and then they ate the sacred loaves of bread that only priests are supposed to eat. 5 Haven't you read in the Law of Moses that the priests are allowed to work in the temple on the Sabbath? But no one says that they are guilty of breaking the law of the Sabbath. 6 I tell you that there is something here greater than the temple. 7 Don't you know what the Scriptures mean when they say, "Instead of offering sacrifices to me, I want you to be merciful to others?" If you knew what this means, you would not condemn these innocent disciples of mine. 8 So the Son of Man is Lord over the Sabbath. 9 Jesus left and went into one of the Jewish meeting places, 10 where there was a man whose hand was crippled. Some Pharisees wanted to accuse Jesus of doing something wrong, and they asked him, "Is it right to heal someone on the Sabbath?"

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Matthew 12:41, Matthew 12:42, Matthew 23:17-21, 2 Chronicles 6:18, Haggai 2:7-9, Malachi 3:1, John 2:19-21, Ephesians 2:20-22, Colossians 2:9, 1 Peter 2:4, 1 Peter 2:5

Reciprocal: John 8:53 - thou greater

Cross-References

Genesis 12:18
Finally, the king sent for Abram and said to him, "What have you done to me? Why didn't you tell me Sarai was your wife?
Genesis 12:19
Why did you make me believe she was your sister? Now I've married her. Take her and go! She's your wife."
Genesis 33:18
After leaving northern Syria, Jacob arrived safely at Shechem in Canaan and set up camp outside the city.
Genesis 34:2
She was seen by Hamor's son Shechem, the leader of the Hivites, and he grabbed her and raped her.
Genesis 35:4
So everyone gave Jacob their idols and their earrings, and he buried them under the oak tree near Shechem.
Deuteronomy 11:30
You know that these two mountains are west of the Jordan River in land now controlled by the Canaanites living in the Jordan River valley. The mountains are west of the road near the sacred trees of Moreh on the other side of Gilgal.
Joshua 20:7
The Israelites decided that the following three towns west of the Jordan River would be Safe Towns: Kedesh in Galilee in Naphtali's hill country, Shechem in Ephraim's hill country, and Kiriath-Arba in Judah's hill country. Kiriath-Arba is now called Hebron.
Joshua 24:32
When the people of Israel left Egypt, they brought the bones of Joseph along with them. They took the bones to the town of Shechem and buried them in the field that Jacob had bought for one hundred pieces of silver from Hamor, the founder of Shechem. The town and the field both became part of the land belonging to the descendants of Joseph.
Judges 7:1
Early the next morning, Gideon and his army got up and moved their camp to Fear Spring. The Midianite camp was to the north, in the valley at the foot of Moreh Hill.
Judges 9:1
Abimelech the son of Gideon went to Shechem. While there, he met with his mother's relatives

Gill's Notes on the Bible

But I say unto you,.... Who Christ knew would be ready to object, as above, and therefore prevents them, by saying,

that in this place is one greater than the temple; meaning himself, who was the Lord and Proprietor of the temple, and in his human nature the antitype of it; see John 2:19 and was infinitely more sacred than that. Some copies read μειζον, "something greater"; referring either to the human nature of Christ, in which the Godhead dwells bodily, and so infinitely greater than the temple; or to the health of his disciples, which was in danger, through hunger: or to the ministry of the apostles, which, by satisfying nature, they were more capable of performing; either of which was of more moment than the sacrifices and service of the temple. Christ's argument is, that if the temple, and the service of it, excused the priests from blame, in doing things in it on the sabbath day, which otherwise might not be done; then much more might his presence, who was greater than the temple, excuse his disciples from blame in this action of rubbing and eating the ears of corn; which was done to satisfy hunger, and to render them the more capable of performing their ministerial function; and which was of more importance than the service of the priests.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

One greater than the temple - Here the Saviour refers to himself, and to his own dignity and power. “I have power over the laws; I can grant to my disciples a dispensation from those laws. An act which I command or permit them to do is therefore right.” This proves that he was divine. None but God can authorize people to do a thing contrary to the divine laws. He refers them again Matthew 12:7 to a passage he had before quoted (See the notes at Matthew 9:13), showing that God preferred acts of righteousness, rather than a precise observance of a ceremonial law.

Mark adds Mark 2:27 “the Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath.” That is, the Sabbath was intended for the welfare of man; it was designed to promote his happiness, and not to produce misery by harsh, unfeeling requirements. It is not to be so interpreted as to produce suffering by making the necessary supply of wants unlawful. Man was not made for the Sabbath. Man was created first, and then the Sabbath was appointed for his happiness, Genesis 2:1-3. His necessities, his real comforts and needs, are not to be made to bend to that which was made “for him.” The laws are to be interpreted favorably to his real wants and comforts. This authorizes works only of real necessity, not of imaginary wants, or amusements, or common business and worldly employments.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Matthew 12:6. In this place is one greater than the temple. — Does not our Lord refer here to Malachi 3:1? Compare this with Hebrews 3:3. The Jews esteemed nothing greater than the temple, except that God who was worshipped in it. Christ, by asserting he was greater than the temple, asserts that he was God; and this he does, in still more direct terms, Matthew 12:8, The Son of man is Lord of the Sabbath-is Institutor and Governor of it. Compare this with Genesis 2:3, and see the notes there.


 
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