Matthew 12:1
At that time, Yeshua went on Sabbath through the grain fields. His disciples were hungry and began to pluck heads of grain and to eat.
Matthew 12:2
But the Pharisees, when they saw it, said to him, Behold, your disciples do what is not lawful to do on Sabbath.
Matthew 12:3
But he said to them, Haven’t you read what David did, when he was hungry, and those who were with him;
Matthew 12:4
how he entered into the house of God, and ate the show bread, which was not lawful for him to eat, neither for those who were with him, but only for the priests?
“Were hungry and began to pluck heads of grain and to eat… Haven’t you read what David did…?”: Yeshua offers an example from Scripture in which a starving person — namely, king David (1S 21:6) — in order to save his life, violated a command and ate food that is only permitted to the priests (Mt 12:5). In few words, Yeshua was comparing both cases, admitting that his disciples violated Shabbat, but for a good reason; they were starving just like David was. To eat raw grain indicates that they must have been truly ravishingly hungry, as was David. In addition, they probably were fleeing from Herod, who sought to kill them.
◦ Now, interestingly, the example of David eating the showbread, is the VERY SAME example used by our sages when they decreed that “every command of the Torah (except three) can be laid aside in times of danger”! (Menachot 96a). The Mishna states as well: “Any matter of doubt as to danger to life overrides the Shabbat prohibitions” (Yoma 8:6). Yeshua is having a clear Rabbinic argument here.
Matthew 12:5
Or have you not read in the Torah, that on Sabbath, the priests in the temple profane the Sabbath, and are guiltless?
“The priests in the Temple profane the Shabbat”: He refers to works such as the performance of sacrifices or circumcision, which are done even on Shabbat. He’s reinforcing his previour argument. Once, again, he’s using a teaching from the house of Rabbi Hillel. “The Sacrificial service supersedes Shabbat” (Shabbat 132b).
Immediately after this, Yeshua accuses his opponents of not having mercy (Mt 12:7); which is like saying that they knew that the disciples were starving, but instead of providing food, they stared at them judgmentally, reflecting Yeshua’s words: “Because I was hungry and you gave me no food…. whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me” (Mt 25:42-46).
◦ Furthermore, it could be that someone would want to accuse them of stealing from another person’s land (although that’s not the reason those Pharisees rebuked them). The Torah allows for the poor to take grain from the corners of the fields and leftovers of the reapings (cf. Lv 19:10, 23:22, Mishna Peah).
Matthew 12:6
But I tell you that one greater than the temple is here.
Matthew 12:7
But if you had known what this means, I desire mercy, and not sacrifice, you would not have condemned the guiltless.
Matthew 12:8
For the son of man rules over Sabbath.
The son of man rules over Shabbat: Our sages also stated: “Shabbat was handed over to man, not man to the Shabbat” (cf. Mekhilta Shabbeta I, on Ex 31:13). Yeshua’s words here reflect a principle of Rabbinic homiletic:
It is written, ‘Only, you must keep my Shabbat’ (Ex 31.13). Our sages teach that the expression “only” (אך) in this verse allows for exceptions. Therefore, Yonathan ben Yosef said: “Shabbat is commited to your hands, not you to its hand” (Yoma 85b). This is the Rabbinic principle by which Shabbat can be relativised for the sake of people. This principle never meant to say that Shabbat has been abolished, Heaven forbid. It means that there are exceptional situations where Shabbat can (and must) be neglected. Precisely, when Yeshua told his disciples: “Pray that your flight will not take place on Shabbat” (Mt 24:20), he was attesting that there are things that one cannot do on Shabbat.
Matthew 12:9
He departed there, and went into their synagogue.
Matthew 12:10
And behold there was a man with a withered hand. They asked him, Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath day? that they might accuse him.
Matthew 12:11
He said to them, What man is there among you, who has one sheep, and if this one falls into a pit on the Sabbath day, wont he grab on to it, and lift it out?
Matthew 12:12
Of how much more value then is a man than a sheep! Therefore it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath day.
Matthew 12:13
Then he told the man, Stretch out your hand. He stretched it out; and it was restored whole, just like the other.
Matthew 12:14
But the Pharisees went out, and conspired against him, how they might destroy him.
Matthew 12:15
Yeshua, perceiving that, withdrew from there. Great multitudes followed him; and he healed them all,
Matthew 12:16
and commanded them that they should not make him known:
Matthew 12:17
that it might be fulfilled which was spoken through Isaiah the prophet, saying,
Matthew 12:18
Behold, my servant whom I have chosen; my beloved in whom my soul is well pleased: I will put my Spirit on him. He will proclaim justice to the nations.
Matthew 12:19
He will not strive, nor shout; neither will anyone hear his voice in the streets.
Matthew 12:20
He wont break a bruised reed. He wont quench a smoking flax, until he leads justice to victory.
Matthew 12:21
In his name, the nations will hope.
Matthew 12:22
Then one possessed by a demon, blind and mute, was brought to him and he healed him, so that the blind and mute man both spoke and saw.
Matthew 12:23
All the multitudes were amazed, and said, Can this be the son of David?
Matthew 12:24
But when the Pharisees heard it, they said, This man does not cast out demons, except by Beelzebul, the prince of the demons.
Matthew 12:25
Knowing their thoughts, Yeshua said to them, Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation, and every city or house divided against itself will not stand.
Matthew 12:26
If Satan casts out Satan, he is divided against himself. How then will his kingdom stand?
Matthew 12:27
If I by Beelzebul cast out demons, by whom do your children cast them out? Therefore they will be your judges.
Matthew 12:28
But if I by the Spirit of God cast out demons, then the Kingdom of God has come upon you.
Matthew 12:29
Or how can one enter into the house of the strong man, and plunder his goods, unless he first bind the strong man? Then he will plunder his house.
Matthew 12:30
He who is not with me is against me, and he who does not gather with me, scatters.
Matthew 12:31
Therefore I tell you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven men.
Matthew 12:32
Whoever speaks a word against the Son of Man, it will be forgiven him; but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit, it will not be forgiven him, neither in this age, nor in that which is to come.
Matthew 12:33
Either make the tree good, and its fruit good, or make the tree corrupt, and its fruit corrupt; for the tree is known by its fruit.
Matthew 12:34
You offspring of vipers, how can you, being evil, speak good things? For out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks.
Matthew 12:35
The good man out of his good treasure brings out good things, and the evil man out of his evil treasure brings out evil things.
Matthew 12:36
I tell you that every idle word that men speak, they will give account of it in the day of judgment.
Matthew 12:37
For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.
Matthew 12:38
Then certain of the scribes and Pharisees answered, Rabbi, we want to see a sign from you.
Matthew 12:39
But he answered them, An evil and adulterous generation seeks after a sign, but no sign will be given it but the sign of Jonah the prophet.
Matthew 12:40
For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the whale, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.
Matthew 12:41
The men of Nineveh will stand up in the judgment with this generation, and will condemn it, for they repented at the proclaiming of Jonah; and behold, someone greater than Jonah is here.
Matthew 12:42
The queen of the south will rise up in the judgment with this generation, and will condemn it, for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and behold, someone greater than Solomon is here.
Matthew 12:43
But the unclean spirit, when he is gone out of the man, passes through waterless places, seeking rest, and does not find it.
Matthew 12:44
Then he says, I will return into my house from which I came out, and when he has come back, he finds it empty, swept, and put in order.
Matthew 12:45
Then he goes, and takes with himself seven other spirits more evil than he is, and they enter in and dwell there. The last state of that man becomes worse than the first. Even so will it be also to this evil generation.
Matthew 12:46
While he was yet speaking to the multitudes, behold, his mother and his brothers stood outside, seeking to speak to him.
Matthew 12:47
One said to him, Behold, your mother and your brothers stand outside, seeking to speak to you.
Matthew 12:48
But he answered him who spoke to him, Who is my mother? Who are my brothers?
Matthew 12:49
He stretched out his hand towards his disciples, and said, Behold, my mother and my brothers!