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KING JAMES BIBLE · PCE

Matthew 12:3–7

TEXT EDITION
Pure Cambridge Edition selected
But he said unto them, Have ye not read what David did, when he was an hungred, and they that were with him;
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?
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?
But I say unto you, That in this place is one greater than the temple.
But if ye had known what this meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice, ye would not have condemned the guiltless.
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PASSAGE SELECTION

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Choose up to 10 verses in this chapter. The study tools update with the selected passage.

SCRIPTURE WITH SCRIPTURE

Cross References

23 Essential passages are open for comparison.

Reference depth

From verse 3

  1. 1 Samuel 21:3–6Rank 1 from verse 3
    Open

    3Now therefore what is under thine hand? give me five loaves of bread in mine hand, or what there is present.

    4And the priest answered David, and said, There is no common bread under mine hand, but there is hallowed bread; if the young men have kept themselves at least from women.

    5And David answered the priest, and said unto him, Of a truth women have been kept from us about these three days, since I came out, and the vessels of the young men are holy, and the bread is in a manner common, yea, though it were sanctified this day in the vessel.

    6So the priest gave him hallowed bread: for there was no bread there but the shewbread, that was taken from before the Lord, to put hot bread in the day when it was taken away.

  2. Luke 6:3Rank 2 from verse 3
    Open

    3And Jesus answering them said, Have ye not read so much as this, what David did, when himself was an hungred, and they which were with him;

  3. Mark 2:25–26Rank 3 from verse 3
    Open

    25And he said unto them, Have ye never read what David did, when he had need, and was an hungred, he, and they that were with him?

    26How he went into the house of God in the days of Abiathar the high priest, and did eat the shewbread, which is not lawful to eat but for the priests, and gave also to them which were with him?

  4. Mark 12:10Rank 4 from verse 3
    Open

    10And have ye not read this scripture; The stone which the builders rejected is become the head of the corner:

  5. Matthew 21:16Rank 5 from verse 3
    Open

    16And said unto him, Hearest thou what these say? And Jesus saith unto them, Yea; have ye never read, Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings thou hast perfected praise?

From verse 4

  1. Leviticus 24:5–9Rank 1 from verse 4
    Open

    5¶ And thou shalt take fine flour, and bake twelve cakes thereof: two tenth deals shall be in one cake.

    6And thou shalt set them in two rows, six on a row, upon the pure table before the Lord.

    7And thou shalt put pure frankincense upon each row, that it may be on the bread for a memorial, even an offering made by fire unto the Lord.

    8Every sabbath he shall set it in order before the Lord continually, being taken from the children of Israel by an everlasting covenant.

    9And it shall be Aaron’s and his sons’; and they shall eat it in the holy place: for it is most holy unto him of the offerings of the Lord made by fire by a perpetual statute.

  2. Exodus 25:30Rank 2 from verse 4
    Open

    30And thou shalt set upon the table shewbread before me alway.

  3. Leviticus 8:31Rank 3 from verse 4
    Open

    31¶ And Moses said unto Aaron and to his sons, Boil the flesh at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation: and there eat it with the bread that is in the basket of consecrations, as I commanded, saying, Aaron and his sons shall eat it.

  4. Exodus 29:32–33Rank 4 from verse 4
    Open

    32And Aaron and his sons shall eat the flesh of the ram, and the bread that is in the basket, by the door of the tabernacle of the congregation.

    33And they shall eat those things wherewith the atonement was made, to consecrate and to sanctify them: but a stranger shall not eat thereof, because they are holy.

From verse 5

  1. Numbers 28:9–10Rank 1 from verse 5
    Open

    9¶ And on the sabbath day two lambs of the first year without spot, and two tenth deals of flour for a meat offering, mingled with oil, and the drink offering thereof:

    10This is the burnt offering of every sabbath, beside the continual burnt offering, and his drink offering.

  2. John 7:22–23Rank 2 from verse 5
    Open

    22Moses therefore gave unto you circumcision; (not because it is of Moses, but of the fathers;) and ye on the sabbath day circumcise a man.

    23If a man on the sabbath day receive circumcision, that the law of Moses should not be broken; are ye angry at me, because I have made a man every whit whole on the sabbath day?

  3. Nehemiah 13:17Rank 3 from verse 5
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    17Then I contended with the nobles of Judah, and said unto them, What evil thing is this that ye do, and profane the sabbath day?

  4. Ezekiel 24:21Rank 4 from verse 5
    Open

    21Speak unto the house of Israel, Thus saith the Lord God; Behold, I will profane my sanctuary, the excellency of your strength, the desire of your eyes, and that which your soul pitieth; and your sons and your daughters whom ye have left shall fall by the sword.

From verse 6

  1. Matthew 12:41–42Rank 1 from verse 6
    Open

    41The men of Nineveh shall rise in judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it: because they repented at the preaching of Jonas; and, behold, a greater than Jonas is here.

    42The queen of the south shall rise up in the judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it: for she came from the uttermost parts of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and, behold, a greater than Solomon is here.

  2. 1 Peter 2:4–5Rank 2 from verse 6
    Open

    4To whom coming, as unto a living stone, disallowed indeed of men, but chosen of God, and precious,

    5Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.

  3. 2 Chronicles 6:18Rank 3 from verse 6
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    18But will God in very deed dwell with men on the earth? behold, heaven and the heaven of heavens cannot contain thee; how much less this house which I have built!

  4. Ephesians 2:20–22Rank 4 from verse 6
    Open

    20And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone;

    21In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord:

    22In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit.

  5. Haggai 2:7–9Rank 5 from verse 6
    Open

    7And I will shake all nations, and the desire of all nations shall come: and I will fill this house with glory, saith the Lord of hosts.

    8The silver is mine, and the gold is mine, saith the Lord of hosts.

    9The glory of this latter house shall be greater than of the former, saith the Lord of hosts: and in this place will I give peace, saith the Lord of hosts.

From verse 7

  1. Hosea 6:6Rank 1 from verse 7
    Open

    6For I desired mercy, and not sacrifice; and the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings.

  2. Matthew 9:13Rank 2 from verse 7
    Open

    13But go ye and learn what that meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice: for I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.

  3. Micah 6:6–8Rank 3 from verse 7
    Open

    6¶ Wherewith shall I come before the Lord, and bow myself before the high God? shall I come before him with burnt offerings, with calves of a year old?

    7Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams, or with ten thousands of rivers of oil? shall I give my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?

    8He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?

  4. Isaiah 1:11–17Rank 4 from verse 7
    Open

    11To what purpose is the multitude of your sacrifices unto me? saith the Lord: I am full of the burnt offerings of rams, and the fat of fed beasts; and I delight not in the blood of bullocks, or of lambs, or of he goats.

    12When ye come to appear before me, who hath required this at your hand, to tread my courts?

    13Bring no more vain oblations; incense is an abomination unto me; the new moons and sabbaths, the calling of assemblies, I cannot away with; it is iniquity, even the solemn meeting.

    14Your new moons and your appointed feasts my soul hateth: they are a trouble unto me; I am weary to bear them.

    15And when ye spread forth your hands, I will hide mine eyes from you: yea, when ye make many prayers, I will not hear: your hands are full of blood.

    16¶ Wash you, make you clean; put away the evil of your doings from before mine eyes; cease to do evil;

    17Learn to do well; seek judgment, relieve the oppressed, judge the fatherless, plead for the widow.

  5. Proverbs 17:15Rank 5 from verse 7
    Open

    15He that justifieth the wicked, and he that condemneth the just, even they both are abomination to the Lord.

WORDS IN THIS PASSAGE

Definitions

Open a word for its full definition and concordance.

DEFINED WORDS

Matthew 12:3

COMBINED MEANING

but

↗

Sense 1: However; marking contrast or qualification. Sense 2: Except or unless; excluding all others or alternatives. Sense 3: Only; no more than what follows.

Meaning drawn from: KJV context and cross-references · Skeat 1893 · Webster 1828

COMBINED MEANING

ye

↗

The second-person plural subject pronoun, referring to the persons being addressed as those who are, do, or receive the stated predicate.

Meaning drawn from: KJV context and cross-references

COMBINED MEANING

read

↗

To perceive and understand written words, whether silently or by uttering them aloud.

Meaning drawn from: KJV context and cross-references

DEFINED WORDS

Matthew 12:4

COMBINED MEANING

entered

↗

Past-tense, participial, or adjectival form of enter, meaning to go or come in; to penetrate; to become an ingredient or constituent part; to enter the mind.

Meaning drawn from: KJV context and cross-references · Webster 1828

COMBINED MEANING

house

↗

Sense 1: A building or dwelling. Sense 2: The people of a household or family. Sense 3: A lineage or family line. Sense 4: As a verb, to shelter, lodge, or provide a dwelling for.

Meaning drawn from: KJV context and cross-references

COMBINED MEANING

house of God

↗

Sense 1: A dwelling or place of worship identified with God. Sense 2: The household or church of God.

Meaning drawn from: Direct Scripture definition · KJV context and cross-references

COMBINED MEANING

eat

↗

To take food into the body; to consume, devour, or waste away.

Meaning drawn from: KJV context and cross-references

COMBINED MEANING

which

↗

1. An interrogative or relative pronoun identifying one or more persons or things from a stated or implied set. 2. That which; what.

Meaning drawn from: KJV context and cross-references

COMBINED MEANING

lawful

↗

Allowed, permitted, authorized, valid, right, or in agreement with the governing law or command applicable to the matter.

Meaning drawn from: KJV context and cross-references

COMBINED MEANING

for

↗

1. In behalf of or in the place of. 2. With respect to, concerning, or toward. 3. Because of or on account of. 4. During or throughout. 5. In order to obtain or reach. 6. As a conjunction, because or seeing that.

Meaning drawn from: KJV context and cross-references

COMBINED MEANING

neither

↗

1. Also not; nor, introducing or joining a further negative statement or prohibition. 2. Not either, or none, of the alternatives named, commonly in a neither ... nor construction.

Meaning drawn from: KJV context and cross-references

COMBINED MEANING

but

↗

Sense 1: However; marking contrast or qualification. Sense 2: Except or unless; excluding all others or alternatives. Sense 3: Only; no more than what follows.

Meaning drawn from: KJV context and cross-references · Skeat 1893 · Webster 1828

COMBINED MEANING

priests

↗

Persons set apart to religious service, sanctuary duty, sacrifice, intercession, teaching, or representation before a deity.

Meaning drawn from: KJV context and cross-references

DEFINED WORDS

Matthew 12:5

COMBINED MEANING

ye

↗

The second-person plural subject pronoun, referring to the persons being addressed as those who are, do, or receive the stated predicate.

Meaning drawn from: KJV context and cross-references

COMBINED MEANING

read

↗

To perceive and understand written words, whether silently or by uttering them aloud.

Meaning drawn from: KJV context and cross-references

COMBINED MEANING

in

↗

1. A preposition marking position, presence, state, circumstance, manner, means, sphere, reference, relation, association, or participation. 2. As an adverb, inward, inside, or into the place or position referred to.

Meaning drawn from: KJV context and cross-references

COMBINED MEANING

law

↗

Sense 1: An authoritative rule, command, ordinance, instruction, standard, or body of requirements. Sense 2: The writings containing such instruction. Sense 3: A governing principle, power, regular order, or civil rule. Sense 4: In family compounds, relationship by marriage.

Meaning drawn from: Direct Scripture definition · KJV context and cross-references

COMBINED MEANING

on

↗

1. At, upon, or in contact with the named place, object, side, or time. 2. Toward, against, concerning, depending upon, or directed to the named person or thing. 3. Forward or continuing; in joined expressions such as go on, put on, and lay hold on, the other words supply the particular action.

Meaning drawn from: KJV context and cross-references

COMBINED MEANING

sabbath

↗

An appointed holy rest or cessation from ordinary labour; especially the seventh-day rest, or a sabbatical rest for the land.

Meaning drawn from: Direct Scripture definition · KJV context and cross-references

COMBINED MEANING

priests

↗

Persons set apart to religious service, sanctuary duty, sacrifice, intercession, teaching, or representation before a deity.

Meaning drawn from: KJV context and cross-references

COMBINED MEANING

temple

↗

Sense 1: A sacred house, building, or place devoted to the worship or presence of God or an idol. Sense 2: Christ's body, expressly called the temple of his body. Sense 3: A believer's body, or believers collectively, called the temple of God or of the Holy Ghost. Sense 4: The Lord God Almighty and the Lamb, expressly called the temple of the city.

Meaning drawn from: Direct Scripture definition · KJV context and cross-references · Webster 1828

COMBINED MEANING

profane

↗

Unholy, irreverent, defiled, or common in contrast with consecrated; to profane is to dishonour, desecrate, defile, or treat as common.

Meaning drawn from: KJV context and cross-references

COMBINED MEANING

blameless

↗

Free from a charge, fault, or cause of censure in the matter or standing described; without rebuke or proved blame.

Meaning drawn from: KJV context and cross-references · Webster 1828

DEFINED WORDS

Matthew 12:6

COMBINED MEANING

but

↗

Sense 1: However; marking contrast or qualification. Sense 2: Except or unless; excluding all others or alternatives. Sense 3: Only; no more than what follows.

Meaning drawn from: KJV context and cross-references · Skeat 1893 · Webster 1828

COMBINED MEANING

say

↗

Sense 1: To speak, declare, tell, or express. Sense 2: What is said.

Meaning drawn from: KJV context and cross-references

COMBINED MEANING

you

↗

The second-person plural pronoun referring to those being addressed.

Meaning drawn from: KJV context and cross-references · Webster 1828

COMBINED MEANING

in

↗

1. A preposition marking position, presence, state, circumstance, manner, means, sphere, reference, relation, association, or participation. 2. As an adverb, inward, inside, or into the place or position referred to.

Meaning drawn from: KJV context and cross-references

COMBINED MEANING

place

↗

Sense 1: A physical location or room. Sense 2: A position or office. Sense 3: An occasion, circumstance, or passage. Sense 4: To set, fix, locate, or establish.

Meaning drawn from: KJV context and cross-references

COMBINED MEANING

temple

↗

Sense 1: A sacred house, building, or place devoted to the worship or presence of God or an idol. Sense 2: Christ's body, expressly called the temple of his body. Sense 3: A believer's body, or believers collectively, called the temple of God or of the Holy Ghost. Sense 4: The Lord God Almighty and the Lamb, expressly called the temple of the city.

Meaning drawn from: Direct Scripture definition · KJV context and cross-references · Webster 1828

DEFINED WORDS

Matthew 12:7

COMBINED MEANING

but

↗

Sense 1: However; marking contrast or qualification. Sense 2: Except or unless; excluding all others or alternatives. Sense 3: Only; no more than what follows.

Meaning drawn from: KJV context and cross-references · Skeat 1893 · Webster 1828

COMBINED MEANING

ye

↗

The second-person plural subject pronoun, referring to the persons being addressed as those who are, do, or receive the stated predicate.

Meaning drawn from: KJV context and cross-references

COMBINED MEANING

mercy

↗

Compassion or pity shown to the distressed or guilty; kindness that withholds deserved harm.

Meaning drawn from: KJV context and cross-references

COMBINED MEANING

sacrifice

↗

Sense 1: An offering presented to God or to a false god, or the thing so offered. Sense 2: To present, slay, or consume something as such an offering.

Meaning drawn from: Direct Scripture definition · KJV context and cross-references · Cawdrey 1604 · Webster 1828

COMBINED MEANING

condemned

↗

Past-tense, participial, or adjectival form of condemn, meaning to pronounce guilty or wrong; to sentence, judge against, disapprove, or doom.

Meaning drawn from: KJV context and cross-references

COMBINED MEANING

guiltless

↗

Free from guilt, blame, or liability in the matter concerned; innocent or not chargeable.

Meaning drawn from: KJV context and cross-references

READ BEFORE AND AFTER

Surrounding Verses

Nearby Scripture remains separate from the selected passage until you add it.

2But when the Pharisees saw it, they said unto him, Behold, thy disciples do that which is not lawful to do upon the sabbath day.

3But he said unto them, Have ye not read what David did, when he was an hungred, and they that were with him;

Selected passage

4How 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?

Selected passage

5Or have ye not read in the law, how that on the sabbath days the priests in the temple profane the sabbath, and are blameless?

Selected passage

6But I say unto you, That in this place is one greater than the temple.

Selected passage

7But if ye had known what this meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice, ye would not have condemned the guiltless.

Selected passage

8For the Son of man is Lord even of the sabbath day.

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