SEV Biblia, Chapter 12:2
Y vindolo los fariseos, le dijeron: He aquí tus discípulos hacen lo que no es lícito hacer en sbado.
Clarke's Bible Commentary - Matthew 12:2
Verse 2. Thy disciples do that which is not lawful to do] The Jews were so superstitious, concerning the observance of the Sabbath, that in their wars with Antiochus Epiphanes, and the Romans, they thought it a crime even to attempt to defend themselves on the Sabbath: when their enemies observed this, they deterred their operations to that day. It was through this, that Pompey was enabled to take Jerusalem. Dion. Cass. lib. xxxvi. Those who know not the spirit and design of the divine law are often superstitious to inhumanity, and indulgent to impiety. An intolerant and censorious spirit in religion is one of the greatest curses a man can well fall under.
John Gill's Bible Commentary
Ver. 2. But when the Pharisees saw it , etc.] Who went along with him, or followed him, being employed to make observation on his words and actions, they said unto him ; Luke says, unto them, the disciples: it seems, they took notice of this action both to Christ and his disciples, and first spoke of it to the one, and then to the other, or to both together: behold thy disciples do that which it is not lawful to do upon the sabbath day! they mention it with astonishment, and indignation. What they refer to, is not their walking on the sabbath day: this they might do, according to their canons, provided they did not exceed two thousand cubits, which were a sabbath days journey nor was it their passing through the corn fields; though, according to them f708 , it was not lawful for a man to visit his gardens, wytwdw , or his fields, on the sabbath day, to see what they want, or how the fruits grow; for such walking is to do his own pleasure.
But this they knew was not the case of Christ, and his disciples, who were not proprietors of these fields: nor was it merely their plucking the ears of corn, and rubbing and eating them, which were not their own, but another mans; for this, according to the law, in ( Deuteronomy 23:25) was lawful to be done: but what offended the Pharisees was, that it was done on a sabbath day, it being, as they interpret it, a servile work, and all one as reaping; though, in the law just mentioned, it is manifestly distinguished from it. Their rule is f709 he that reaps (on the sabbath day) ever so little, is guilty (of stoning), awh rxwq hdlwt lwtw , and plucking of ears of corn is a derivative of reaping; and is all one as its primitive, and punishable with the same kind of death, if done presumptuously: so Philo the Jew observes f710 , that the rest of the sabbath not only reached to men, bond and free, and to beasts, but even to trees, and plants; and that ou ernov ou kladon, all oude petalon efeitai temein , it was not lawful to cut a plant, or branch, or so much as a leaf, on a sabbath day: and it may be what might make this offence of the disciples the more heinous was, that they plucked these ears, and ate them, and so broke their fast before morning prayer; for a man might not eat any thing on a sabbath day until morning prayers were ended in the synagogue, nor indeed on any other day; for they used not to eat bread till after they had offered the daily sacrifice, which was about the third hour of the day, or nine oclock in the morning; nor did they eat till the fourth hour, or ten oclock f711 .
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 1-8 - Being in the corn-fields, the disciples began to pluck the ears of corn: the law of God allowed it, De 23:25. This was slender provisio for Christ and his disciples; but they were content with it. The Pharisees did not quarrel with them for taking another man's corn, but for doing it on the sabbath day. Christ came to free his followers, no only from the corruptions of the Pharisees, but from their unscriptura rules, and justified what they did. The greatest shall not have their lusts indulged, but the meanest shall have their wants considered Those labours are lawful on the sabbath day which are necessary, an sabbath rest is to froward, not to hinder sabbath worship. Needfu provision for health and food is to be made; but when servants are kep at home, and families become a scene of hurry and confusion on the Lord's day, to furnish a feast for visitors, or for indulgence, the case is very different. Such things as these, and many others commo among professors, are to be blamed. The resting on the sabbath wa ordained for man's good, De 5:14. No law must be understood so as to contradict its own end. And as Christ is the Lord of the sabbath, it is fit the day and the work of it should be dedicated to him.
Greek Textus Receptus
οι 3588 T-NPM δε 1161 CONJ φαρισαιοι 5330 N-NPM ιδοντες 1492 5631 V-2AAP-NPM ειπον 2036 5627 V-2AAI-3P αυτω 846 P-DSM ιδου 2400 5628 V-2AAM-2S οι 3588 T-NPM μαθηται 3101 N-NPM σου 4675 P-2GS ποιουσιν 4160 5719 V-PAI-3P ο 3739 R-ASN ουκ 3756 PRT-N εξεστιν 1832 5904 V-PQI-3S ποιειν 4160 5721 V-PAN εν 1722 PREP σαββατω 4521 N-DSN
Vincent's NT Word Studies
2. What is not lawful. "On any ordinary day this would have been lawful; but on the Sabbath it involved, according to the Rabbinic statutes, at least two sins, viz., plucking the ears, which was reaping, and rubbing them in their hands (Luke vi. 1), which was sifting, grinding, or fanning. The Talmud says: 'In case a woman rolls wheat to remove the husks, it is considered as sifting; if she rubs the heads of wheat, it is regarded as threshing; if she cleans off the side-adherencies, it is sifting out fruit; if she bruises the ears, it is grinding; if she throws them up in her hand, it is winnowing'" (Edersheim, "Life and Times of Jesus").
Robertson's NT Word Studies
12:2 {Thy disciples do} (hoi maqetai sou poiousin). These critics are now watching a chance and they jump at this violation of their Pharisaic rules for Sabbath observance. The disciples were plucking the heads of wheat which to the Pharisees was reaping and were rubbing them in their hands (#Lu 6:1) which was threshing.
