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Matthew 12:4

Made Simple — Modern English Translation

Translated by Verse Made Simple Editorial
KJV ORIGINAL
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?
Close to the original. Clear modern English.
✦ MADE SIMPLE

How he went into God's house and ate the sacred bread that was only supposed to be for the priests, totally off-limits for him and his crew?

⚡ THE BOTTOM LINE

Sometimes doing what's right matters more than following every single rule.

📚 Historical Context

In the Old Testament, as recorded in 1 Samuel 21, King David and his men were fleeing for their lives from King Saul and were in desperate need of food. They entered the tabernacle, the house of God, and ate the consecrated showbread, which was normally reserved exclusively for the priests as part of their sacred duties. Jesus references this event in Matthew 12 to counter the Pharisees' criticism of his disciples for picking grain on the Sabbath, illustrating that God's laws prioritize human need over rigid rituals.

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