Matthew 12

Listen to this chapter

Jesus confronts the Pharisees over Sabbath observance, defending his disciples and healing a withered hand, declaring himself Lord of the Sabbath. He then heals a demon-possessed man, leading to accusations of casting out devils by Beelzebub, which Jesus refutes, warning against blasphemy against the Holy Ghost. He refuses to give a sign, offering only the sign of Jonas, and redefines his true family as those who do God's will.

Jesus is Lord of the Sabbath 1–8

At that season Jesus went on the sabbath day through the grainfields; and his disciples were hungry and began to pluck ears and to eat.

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

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

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?

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

But I say unto you, that one greater than the temple is here.

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

For the Son of man is lord of the sabbath.

Healing on the Sabbath 9–14

And he departed thence, and went into their synagogue:

and behold, a man having a withered hand. And they asked him, saying, Is it lawful to heal on the sabbath day? that they might accuse him.

And he said unto them, What man shall there be of you, that shall have one sheep, and if this fall into a pit on the sabbath day, will he not lay hold on it, and lift it out?

How much then is a man of more value than a sheep! Wherefore it is lawful to do good on the sabbath day.

Then saith he to the man, Stretch forth thy hand. And he stretched it forth; and it was restored whole, as the other.

But the Pharisees went out, and took counsel against him, how they might destroy him.

Jesus the Humble Servant 15–21

And Jesus perceivingitwithdrew from thence: and many followed him; and he healed them all,

and charged them that they should not make him known:

that it might be fulfilled which was spoken through Isaiah the prophet, saying,

Behold, my servant whom I have chosen; My beloved in whom my soul is well pleased: I will put my Spirit upon him, And he shall declare judgment to the Gentiles.

He shall not strive, nor cry aloud; Neither shall any one hear his voice in the streets.

A bruised reed shall he not break, And smoking flax shall he not quench, Till he send forth judgment unto victory.

And in his name shall the Gentiles hope.

The Beelzebul Controversy and Blasphemy 22–37

Then was brought unto him one possessed with a demon, blind and dumb: and he healed him, insomuch that the dumb man spake and saw.

And all the multitudes were amazed, and said, Can this be the son of David?

But when the Pharisees heard it, they said, This man doth not cast out demons, but by Beelzebub the prince of the demons.

And knowing their thoughts he said unto them, Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation; and every city or house divided against itself shall not stand:

and if Satan casteth out Satan, he is divided against himself; how then shall his kingdom stand?

And if I by Beelzebub cast out demons, by whom do your sons cast them out? therefore shall they be your judges.

But if I by the Spirit of God cast out demons, then is the kingdom of God come upon you.

Or how can one enter into the house of the strong man, and spoil his goods, except he first bind the strong man? and then he will spoil his house.

He that is not with me is against me; and he that gathereth not with me scattereth.

Therefore I say unto you, Every sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men; but the blasphemy against the Spirit shall not be forgiven.

And whosoever shall speak a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him; but whosoever shall speak against the Holy Spirit, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this world, nor in that which is to come.

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.

Ye offspring of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things? for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh.

The good man out of his good treasure bringeth forth good things: and the evil man out of his evil treasure bringeth forth evil things.

And I say unto you, that every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment.

For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned.

The Demand for a Sign 38–42

Then certain of the scribes and Pharisees answered him, saying, Teacher, we would see a sign from thee.

But he answered and said unto them, An evil and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be given to it but the sign of Jonah the prophet:

for as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the whale; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.

The men of Nineveh shall stand up in the judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it: for they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and behold, a greater than Jonah is here.

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

The Return of the Unclean Spirit 43–45

But the unclean spirit, when he is gone out of the man, passeth through waterless places, seeking rest, and findeth it not.

Then he saith, I will return into my house whence I came out; and when he is come, he findeth it empty, swept, and garnished.

Then goeth he, and taketh with himself seven other spirits more evil than himself, and they enter in and dwell there: and the last state of that man becometh worse than the first. Even so shall it be also unto this evil generation.

Who Is Jesus' True Family? 46–50

While he was yet speaking to the multitudes, behold, his mother and his brethren stood without, seeking to speak to him.

And one said unto him, Behold, thy mother and thy brethren stand without, seeking to speak to thee.

But he answered and said unto him that told him, Who is my mother? and who are my brethren?

And he stretched forth his hand towards his disciples, and said, Behold, my mother and my brethren!

For whosoever shall do the will of my Father who is in heaven, he is my brother, and sister, and mother.

Bible text: American Standard Version (1901) · Public domain

Study Notes for Matthew 12

Verse 1

through the corn — Sporima is a sown field, and the 'ears' are stachys, heads of grain. The law let a passer-by 'pluck the ears with thine hand', but not 'move a sickle' (Deut 23:25). The charge in v.2 rests on the sabbath rest, which the law extended to 'earing time and… harvest' (Ex 34:21), so plucking was counted as reaping.

Verse 2

not lawful — Exesti, 'it is lawful', is the question of the whole passage: it recurs at vv.4, 10 and 12. Here it is said of the disciples' act. Christ answers with David (v.3), the priests (v.5) and a sheep in a pit (v.11), and the same word closes the dispute in v.12, 'it is lawful to do well on the sabbath days'.

Verse 3

Have ye not read what David did — The question is put to teachers of Scripture, and 'Have ye not read' returns at v.5, 19:4 and 22:31. The account is 1 Sam 21:1–6, where David and his men were hungry and the priest gave 'hallowed bread: for there was no bread there but the shewbread' (1 Sam 21:6).

Verse 4

the shewbread — Artoi tes protheseos, 'loaves of the setting forth': twelve cakes set in two rows 'every sabbath' on the pure table (Lev 24:5–8). They were 'Aaron's and his sons'', who 'shall eat it in the holy place' (Lev 24:9). Christ names David's eating as something that 'was not lawful', and sets it beside the disciples' case.

Verse 6

one greater than the temple — In v.5 the priests 'profane the sabbath, and are blameless' because the temple's service requires it; one greater than the temple stands above that service. John says of the temple that 'he spake of the temple of his body' (John 2:21). The claim is repeated in vv.41–42: 'a greater than Jonas', 'a greater than Solomon'.

Verse 7

I will have mercy, and not sacrifice — Quoted from Hos 6:6, 'For I desired mercy, and not sacrifice', and used earlier in 9:13. Hosea's word is chesed, covenant love; Matthew's 'mercy' is eleos. 'Guiltless' (anaitios) is found only here and in v.5, where it is 'blameless', in the whole New Testament.

Verse 8

Lord even of the sabbath day — The sabbath belongs to the LORD: 'the sabbath of the LORD thy God' (Ex 20:10), 'my holy day' (Isa 58:13). To call the Son of man 'Lord' of it puts him in the place of the one to whom it belongs. Mark adds the sentence 'The sabbath was made for man, and not man for the sabbath' (Mark 2:27).

Verse 10

Is it lawful to heal on the sabbath days? — 'Withered' is xeros, dry or shrunken. The question is asked 'that they might accuse him', as in John 8:6, 'that they might have to accuse him'. Christ answers with the sheep (v.11), and in Mark's account asks in return, 'to save life, or to kill?' (Mark 3:4).

Verse 12

How much then is a man better than a sheep? — 'Better than' is diaphero, to surpass, the verb of 'Are ye not much better than they?' (6:26) and of the sparrows in 10:31. The law already required help for a fallen animal: 'thou shalt surely help him to lift them up again' (Deut 22:4). 'To do well' (kalos poieo) is Mark's 'to do good' (Mark 3:4).

Verse 14

held a council against him — 'Destroy' is apollymi, the verb of Herod's purpose in 2:13, 'Herod will seek the young child to destroy him'. 'Council' (symboulion) is also the word of 27:1, when the chief priests and elders 'took counsel against Jesus to put him to death'. Mark says the Pharisees joined 'the Herodians' (Mark 3:6).

Verse 15

he withdrew himself — Anachoreo, the verb of the retreats in 2:14, 4:12 and 14:13. The work goes on: 'great multitudes followed him, and he healed them all', and he 'charged them that they should not make him known' (v.16). Matthew reads the whole scene as the Servant of Isaiah (vv.17–21).

Verse 17

spoken by Esaias the prophet — Esaias is the Greek form of Isaiah. The formula 'That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the prophet' also opens the quotations at 4:14 and 8:17. Vv.18–21 give Isa 42:1–4, the Servant who 'shall not strive, nor cry', and 'in his name shall the Gentiles trust'.

Verse 20

A bruised reed shall he not break — Isa 42:3, where the KJV has 'judgment unto truth' and Matthew 'unto victory' (nikos). 'Send forth' is ekballo, the verb of casting out devils in vv.24–28; the same word that drives out demons brings forth judgment. The 'smoking flax' is a smouldering wick (linon), the weak thing he does not put out.

Verse 23

Is not this the son of David? — The healing of the blind and dumb man in v.22 prompts it. The Greek question (meti) is put tentatively. 'Son of David' recalls the promise of 2 Sam 7:12–13, 'I will set up thy seed after thee', the title in Matthew's first line (1:1) and the cry of the blind men in 9:27.

Verse 24

Beelzebub the prince of the devils — The name is the Greek form of Baalzebub, 'the god of Ekron' (2 Kings 1:2). Christ had said the name would be given to him: 'If they have called the master of the house Beelzebub, how much more shall they call them of his household?' (10:25). The same charge was made in 9:34, 'through the prince of the devils'.

Verse 25

Jesus knew their thoughts — Enthymesis, thought or deliberation, is used also in 9:4. To know the thought belongs to the LORD: 'thou understandest my thought afar off' (Ps 139:2). The saying about a kingdom 'divided against itself' is applied to Satan's own kingdom in v.26, and extends to every 'city or house'.

Verse 28

by the Spirit of God — The Spirit is the one put on the Servant: 'I will put my spirit upon him' (v.18). Luke has 'the finger of God' (Luke 11:20), the words of the magicians at the plagues (Ex 8:19). Matthew's usual phrase is 'kingdom of heaven'; 'kingdom of God' occurs in 6:33, 12:28, 19:24 and 21:31, 43. 'Is come' (phthano) means has already arrived.

Verse 29

a strong man's house — The saying rests on Isa 49:24–25: 'Shall the prey be taken from the mighty… Even the captives of the mighty shall be taken away', where the LORD says he will do it. 'Bind' is deo and 'spoil' is diarpazo, to plunder; Paul writes of Christ 'having spoiled principalities and powers' (Col 2:15).

Verse 31

the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost — The charge behind it is v.24; Mark gives the reason for these words, 'Because they said, He hath an unclean spirit' (Mark 3:30). 'Blasphemy' (blasphemia) is speech against what is God's. The same verb, aphiemi, is used of both 'shall be forgiven' and 'shall not be forgiven', so the one sin is set against 'all manner of sin and blasphemy'.

Verse 32

neither in this world, neither in the world to come — 'World' is aion, an age, so the verse names both ages. A word against the Son of man could be forgiven: Paul, 'a blasphemer, and a persecutor', 'obtained mercy, because I did it ignorantly in unbelief' (1 Tim 1:13). Mark states the other side: 'hath never forgiveness' (Mark 3:29).

Verse 33

the tree is known by his fruit — This is the saying of 7:16–18, here applied to speech. 'Corrupt' is sapros, rotten, used of trees in 7:17–18 and of the bad fish in 13:48. Verse 34 gives the application: 'out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh'.

Verse 36

every idle word — Argos is 'not working' (a- and ergon): idle, useless. It is the word of the labourers 'standing idle in the marketplace' (20:3). 'Give account' is the phrase of Rom 14:12, 'every one of us shall give account of himself to God'. V.37 follows: 'by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned'.

Verse 38

we would see a sign from thee — They ask after the healing of v.22 and the Spirit's work named in v.28. 'The Jews require a sign' (1 Cor 1:22); after the loaves a crowd asked, 'What sign shewest thou then, that we may see, and believe thee?' (John 6:30). 'Master' is didaskalos, teacher.

Verse 39

An evil and adulterous generation — Israel was long spoken of as an unfaithful wife: 'the land hath committed great whoredom, departing from the LORD' (Hos 1:2). 'Evil' is poneros, the word also of the 'wicked generation' in v.45. The one sign promised is that of 'the prophet Jonas', Jonah in its Greek form; the saying returns in 16:4.

Verse 40

three days and three nights — Christ takes the words from Jonah 1:17, 'in the belly of the fish three days and three nights'. 'Whale' is ketos, a great sea creature, found only here in the New Testament. 'The heart of the earth' echoes Jonah 2:2, 6, 'the belly of hell' and 'the earth with her bars'. He also says 'the third day' (16:21), and his enemies recalled 'After three days' (27:63).

Verse 41

a greater than Jonas — Nineveh 'believed God, and proclaimed a fast' (Jonah 3:5) and 'turned from their evil way' (Jonah 3:10), so its men will 'rise in judgment' against this generation. 'Preaching' (kerugma) is a herald's message, in the Gospels only here and Luke 11:32. Jonah's was one sentence, 'Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown' (Jonah 3:4).

Verse 43

dry places — Anydros, waterless, the word of 'wells without water' (2 Pet 2:17). The spirit seeks 'rest' (anapausis) and finds none, whereas Christ had promised 'ye shall find rest unto your souls' (11:29), the same noun. V.44 shows the house to which it returns, 'empty, swept, and garnished'.

Verse 45

the last state of that man is worse than the first — Peter says the same of those who turn back: 'the latter end is worse with them than the beginning' (2 Pet 2:20). The spirit takes 'seven other spirits more wicked than himself'. Christ applies the picture to 'this wicked generation', the 'evil and adulterous generation' of v.39, in the same Greek word, poneros.

Verse 48

Who is my mother? and who are my brethren? — It is said when 'his mother and his brethren stood without' (v.46). From the cross he gave his mother into John's care (John 19:26–27), so the question sets no one aside. Ps 69:8 had spoken of an 'alien unto my mother's children', and 'neither did his brethren believe in him' (John 7:5).

Verse 50

do the will of my Father which is in heaven — 'Will' is thelema, and the phrase is that of 7:21, 'he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven'. The question named a mother and brethren (v.48); the answer adds 'sister'. Heb 2:11 says he 'is not ashamed to call them brethren'.