Matthew 12:5

Mace New Testament

or have ye not observed in the law, what a work the priests made in the temple on the sabbath-day, without being blamed?

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
Or haven’t you read in the law that on Sabbath days the priests in the temple violate the Sabbath and are innocent?

King James Version (1611)
Or haue yee not read in the law, how that on the Sabbath dayes the Priests in the Temple profane the Sabbath, and are blamelesse?

King James Version
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?

English Standard Version
Or have you not read in the Law how on the Sabbath the priests in the temple profane the Sabbath and are guiltless?

New American Standard Bible
"Or have you not read in the Law that on the Sabbath the priests in the temple violate the Sabbath, and yet are innocent?

New Century Version
And have you not read in the law of Moses that on every Sabbath day the priests in the Temple break this law about the Sabbath day? But the priests are not wrong for doing that.

Amplified Bible
"Or have you not read in the Law, that on the Sabbath the priests in the temple break [the sanctity of] the Sabbath and yet are innocent?

Geneva Bible (1587)
Or haue ye not read in the Lawe, how that on the Sabbath dayes the Priestes in the Temple breake the Sabbath, and are blameles?

New American Standard Bible (1995)
"Or have you not read in the Law, that on the Sabbath the priests in the temple break the Sabbath and are innocent?

Legacy Standard Bible
Or have you not read in the Law, that on the Sabbath the priests in the temple break the Sabbath and are innocent?

Berean Standard Bible
Or haven't you read in the Law that on the Sabbath the priests in the temple break the Sabbath and yet are innocent?

Contemporary English Version
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.

Complete Jewish Bible
"Or haven't you read in the Torah that on Shabbat the cohanim profane Shabbat and yet are blameless?

Darby Translation
Or have ye not read in the law that on the sabbaths the priests in the temple profane the sabbath, and are blameless?

Easy-to-Read Version
And you have read in the Law of Moses that on every Sabbath day the priests at the Temple break the law about the Sabbath day. But they are not wrong for doing that.

George Lamsa Translation
Or, have you not read in the book of law, that the priests in the temple disregard the sabbath, and yet are blameless?

Good News Translation
Or have you not read in the Law of Moses that every Sabbath the priests in the Temple actually break the Sabbath law, yet they are not guilty?

Lexham English Bible
Or have you not read in the law that on the Sabbath the priests in the temple violate the sanctity of the Sabbath and are guiltless?

Literal Translation
Or have you not read in the Law that on the sabbaths the priests in the temple profane the sabbath and are guiltless?

American Standard Version
Or have ye not read in the law, that on the sabbath day the priests in the temple profane the sabbath, and are guiltless?

Bible in Basic English
Or is it not said in the law, how the Sabbath is broken by the priests in the Temple and they do no wrong?

Hebrew Names Version
Or have you not read in the law, that on the day of Shabbat, the Kohanim in the temple profane the Shabbat, and are guiltless?

International Standard Version
Or haven't you read in the law that on the Sabbath the priests in the temple violate the Sabbath and yet are innocent?Numbers 28:9; John 7:22;">[xr]

Etheridge Translation
Or have you not read in the law that the priests in the temple profane the sabbath in it, and are without blame ?

Murdock Translation
Or have ye not read in the law, how that in the temple the priests profane the sabbath, and are without fault?

Bishop's Bible (1568)
Or haue ye not read in the lawe, howe that on the Sabbath dayes the priestes in the temple prophane the Sabbath, and are blamelesse?

English Revised Version
Or have ye not read in the law, how that on the sabbath day the priests in the temple profane the sabbath, and are guiltless?

World English Bible
Or have you not read in the law, that on the Sabbath day, the priests in the temple profane the Sabbath, and are guiltless?

Wesley's New Testament (1755)
Or have ye not read in the law, that on the sabbath-days the priests in the temple profane the sabbath and are blameless?

Weymouth's New Testament
And have you not read in the Law how on the Sabbath the priests in the Temple break the Sabbath without incurring guilt?

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Or whether ye han not red in the lawe, that in sabotis prestis in the temple defoulen the sabotis, and thei ben with oute blame?

Update Bible Version
Or have you not read in the law, that on the Sabbath day the priests in the temple profane the Sabbath, and are innocent?

Webster's Bible Translation
Or have ye not read in the law, that on the sabbath the priests in the temple profane the sabbath, and are blameless?

New English Translation
Or have you not read in the law that the priests in the temple desecrate the Sabbath and yet are not guilty?

New King James Version
Or have you not read in the law that on the Sabbath the priests in the temple profane the Sabbath, and are blameless?

New Living Translation
And haven't you read in the law of Moses that the priests on duty in the Temple may work on the Sabbath?

New Life Bible
Have you not read in the Law how the religious leaders do that which is not right to do on the Day of Rest, and yet they are not guilty?

New Revised Standard
Or have you not read in the law that on the sabbath the priests in the temple break the sabbath and yet are guiltless?

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Or have ye not read, in the law, that, on the sabbaths, the priests, in the temple, the sabbath, profane, and are, blameless?

Douay-Rheims Bible
Or have ye not read in the law, that on the sabbath days the priests in the temple break the sabbath, and are without blame?

Revised Standard Version
Or have you not read in the law how on the sabbath the priests in the temple profane the sabbath, and are guiltless?

Tyndale New Testament (1525)
Or have ye not reed in ye lawe how that ye prestes in ye temple breake the saboth daye and yet are blamlesse?

Young's Literal Translation
`Or did ye not read in the Law, that on the sabbaths the priests in the temple do profane the sabbath, and are blameless?

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Or haue ye not red in the lawe how that the prestes in the temple breake the Sabbath, and yet are blamelesse?

Simplified Cowboy Version
When everyone else is supposed to be resting, the priests and preachers are up working and teachin' everyone else, but they are innocent?

Contextual Overview

¹ At that time as Jesus pass'd through the corn on the sabbath day, his disciples being hungry, pluck'd the ears of corn, and fell to eating. ² the Pharisees seeing that, said to him, see, your disciples are doing what is unlawful to do on the sabbath-day. ³ he answer'd them, have ye not read what David and the rest of the company did when they were hungry, ⁴ how he entred into the house of God, and did eat the shewbread, which it was not lawful either for him or his company to eat, but only for the priests? ⁵ or have ye not observed in the law, what a work the priests made in the temple on the sabbath-day, without being blamed? ⁶ now I tell you, that the work now in hand, is of greater consequence than that of the temple. ⁷ if ye had known the meaning of that expression, "I will have mercy and not sacrifice," ye would not have condemned the guiltless. ⁸ for the sabbath is subservient to men. ⁹ At his departure thence, he went into their synagogue. ¹⁰ where they brought a man with a withered hand: and asked him this insnaring question, is it lawful to heal on the sabbath-day?

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

on: Numbers 28:9, Numbers 28:10, John 7:22, John 7:23

profane: Nehemiah 13:17, Ezekiel 24:21

Reciprocal: Matthew 9:13 - go Matthew 12:3 - Have Luke 6:3 - Have John 5:18 - broken

Cross-References

Acts 7:4
thereupon he went out of Chaldea, and dwelt in Charran: from thence, after his father's death, he removed him to this very country where you now dwell.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Or have ye not read in the law,.... Numbers 28:9 by which law the priests were obliged, every sabbath day, to offer up two lambs for a burnt offering; to which were annexed many servile works, as killing the sacrifice, flaying it, cutting it in pieces, and laying it on the altar, cutting of wood, and putting that in order, and kindling the fire: from all which, it might be observed,

how that on the sabbath days, the priests in the temple profane the sabbath, and are blameless. There were many things, which, according to the Jewish canons, the priests might do on the sabbath day; particularly they might slay the sacrifice: it was a rule with them,

דחתה שחוטה את שבת, "that slaying drives away the sabbath" u. They might also knead, make, and bake the showbread on the sabbath day: their general rule was, as R. Akiba says, that what was possible to be done on the evening of the sabbath, did not drive away the sabbath; but what was not possible to be done on the sabbath eve, did drive away the sabbath w: so they might kill the passover, sprinkle its blood, wipe its inwards, and burn the fat on the sabbath day x, with many other things. What exculpated these men was, that what they did was done in the temple, and for the service of it, upon which an emphasis is put; and agrees with their canons, which say, that there is no prohibition in the sanctuary; התר הוא

איסור שבות במקדש, "that which is forbidden to be done on the sabbath, is lawful to be done in the sanctuary" y: and whereas, it might be objected to the disciples of Christ, that they were not priests; and what they did was not in the temple, but in the fields; to this it is replied, in the following words:

u T. Bab. Menachot, fol. 72. 2. w Misn. Menachot, c. 11. sect. 3. x Misn. Pesachim, c. 6. sect. 1. Maimon. Pesach. c. 1. sect. 18. y lb. sect. 16. & Hilchot Sabbat, c. 21. sect. 27.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

How he entered into the house of God - That is, the “tabernacle,” the temple not being then built.

Have ye not read in the law? - In the law, or in the books of Moses.

Profane the Sabbath - He referred them to the conduct of the priests also. On the Sabbath days they were engaged, as well as on other days, in killing beasts for sacrifice, Numbers 28:9-10. Two lambs were killed on the Sabbath, in addition to the daily sacrifice. The priests must be engaged in killing them, and making fires to burn them in sacrifice, whereas to kindle a fire was expressly forbidden the Jews on the Sabbath, Exodus 35:3. They did that which, for other persons to do, would have been “profaning” the Sabbath. Yet they were blameless. They did what was necessary and commanded. This was done in the very temple, too, the place of holiness, where the law should be most strictly observed.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Matthew 12:5. The priests - profane the Sabbath — Profane, i.e. put it to what might be called a common use, by slaying and offering up sacrifices, and by doing the services of the temple, as on common days, Exodus 29:38; Numbers 28:9.