The Meaning of Matthew 12:4 Explained

Matthew 12:4

KJV: 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?

YLT: how he went into the house of God, and the loaves of the presentation did eat, which it is not lawful to him to eat, nor to those with him, except to the priests alone?

Darby: 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?

ASV: how he entered into the house of God, and ate the showbread, which it was not lawful for him to eat, neither for them that were with him, but only for the priests?

KJV Reverse Interlinear

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? 

What does Matthew 12:4 Mean?

Study Notes

shewbread
.
Showbread, type of Christ, the Bread of God, nourisher of the Christian's life as a believer-priest 1 Peter 2:9 ; Revelation 1:6 . In John 6:33-58 our Lord has more in mind the manna, that food which "came down"; but all typical meanings of "bread" are there gathered into His words. The manna is the life-giving Christ; the showbread, the life-sustaining Christ. The showbread typifies Christ as the "corn of wheat" John 12:24 ground in the mill of suffering John 12:27 and brought into the fire of judgment John 12:31-33 . We, as priests, by faith feed upon Him as having undergone that in our stead and for our sakes. It is meditation upon Christ, as in Hebrews 12:2 ; Hebrews 12:3 .

Context Summary

Matthew 12:1-14 - The Right Use Of The Sabbath
The Pharisees had introduced a large number of minute and absurd restrictions on Sabbath observance; so our Lord set Himself to recover the day of rest for the use of the people. He never hesitated, therefore, to work miracles of healing on that day, and so set at defiance the Pharisees and their evil amendments. He contended also that all ritual observance must take the secondary place, and that the primary concern must always be the deep and pressing claims of humanity. Thus it was perfectly legitimate for David to eat the showbread.
Even if a sheep should fall into a pit on the Sabbath, it would be lifted out by the most punctilious of ritualists. How absurd and illogical it was to prohibit deliverance to this man with his withered hand! Notice that this man's condition is symbolic of many who pose as good Christians, but do nothing. They have the power, but do not use it and it becomes atrophied. That power can be given back by Jesus. Dare to act and you will find yourself able to act. [source]

Chapter Summary: Matthew 12

1  Jesus reproves the blindness of the Pharisees concerning the Sabbath,
3  by scripture,
9  by reason,
13  and by a miracle
22  He heals a man possessed that was blind and mute;
24  and confronting the absurd charge of casting out demons by Beelzebub,
32  he shows that blasphemy against the Holy Spirit shall never be forgiven
36  Account shall be made of idle words
38  He rebukes the unfaithful, who seek after a sign,
46  and shows who is his brother, sister, and mother

What do the individual words in Matthew 12:4 mean?

how he entered into the house - of God and the loaves of the presentation they ate which not lawful it was for him to eat nor for those with him if not for the priests only
πῶς εἰσῆλθεν εἰς τὸν οἶκον τοῦ Θεοῦ καὶ τοὺς ἄρτους τῆς προθέσεως ἔφαγον οὐκ ἐξὸν ἦν αὐτῷ φαγεῖν οὐδὲ τοῖς μετ’ αὐτοῦ εἰ μὴ τοῖς ἱερεῦσιν μόνοις

πῶς  how 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: πῶς  
Sense: how, in what way.
εἰσῆλθεν  he  entered 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Indicative Active, 3rd Person Singular
Root: εἰσέρχομαι  
Sense: to go out or come in: to enter.
εἰς  into 
Parse: Preposition
Root: εἰς  
Sense: into, unto, to, towards, for, among.
οἶκον  house 
Parse: Noun, Accusative Masculine Singular
Root: οἶκος  
Sense: a house.
τοῦ  - 
Parse: Article, Genitive Masculine Singular
Root:  
Sense: this, that, these, etc.
Θεοῦ  of  God 
Parse: Noun, Genitive Masculine Singular
Root: θεός  
Sense: a god or goddess, a general name of deities or divinities.
ἄρτους  loaves 
Parse: Noun, Accusative Masculine Plural
Root: ἄρτος  
Sense: food composed of flour mixed with water and baked.
τῆς  of  the 
Parse: Article, Genitive Feminine Singular
Root:  
Sense: this, that, these, etc.
προθέσεως  presentation 
Parse: Noun, Genitive Feminine Singular
Root: πρόθεσις 
Sense: a setting forth of a thing, placing of it in view, the shewbread.
ἔφαγον  they  ate 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Indicative Active, 3rd Person Plural
Root: ἐσθίω  
Sense: to eat.
ἐξὸν  lawful 
Parse: Verb, Present Participle Active, Nominative Neuter Singular
Root: ἔξεστι 
Sense: it is lawful.
ἦν  it  was 
Parse: Verb, Imperfect Indicative Active, 3rd Person Singular
Root: εἰμί  
Sense: to be, to exist, to happen, to be present.
αὐτῷ  for  him 
Parse: Personal / Possessive Pronoun, Dative Masculine 3rd Person Singular
Root: αὐτός  
Sense: himself, herself, themselves, itself.
φαγεῖν  to  eat 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Infinitive Active
Root: ἐσθίω  
Sense: to eat.
οὐδὲ  nor 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: οὐδέ  
Sense: but not, neither, nor, not even.
τοῖς  for  those 
Parse: Article, Dative Masculine Plural
Root:  
Sense: this, that, these, etc.
τοῖς  for  the 
Parse: Article, Dative Masculine Plural
Root:  
Sense: this, that, these, etc.
ἱερεῦσιν  priests 
Parse: Noun, Dative Masculine Plural
Root: ἱερεύς  
Sense: a priest, one who offers sacrifices and in general in busied with sacred rites.
μόνοις  only 
Parse: Adjective, Dative Masculine Plural
Root: μόνος  
Sense: alone (without a companion), forsaken, destitute of help, alone, only, merely.

What are the major concepts related to Matthew 12:4?

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