Luke 6:1-5 · Bible study
Luke 6:1-5 Commentary: The Son of Man is Lord
Greek · 11 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
Study Jesus' confrontation with the Pharisees over Sabbath laws, his defense using David, and his claim as Lord of the Sabbath.
Research Summary
- Meaning: Jesus defends his disciples’ Sabbath action, asserting his lordship over the Sabbath day.
- Key words: δευτεροπρώτῳ (second-first Sabbath, hapax legomenon); κύριος (Lord) as a claim of authority.
- Main debate: The exact meaning of “second-first Sabbath” and whether Jesus overrides or reinterprets the Sabbath law.
- Theological theme: Christ’s authority over the law, and the priority of mercy over ritual observance.
- Best use: Teaching on Sabbath, Christology, and the relationship between God’s commandments and human need.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
1One Sabbath Jesus was passing through the grainfields, and His disciples began to pick the heads of grain, rub them in their hands, and eat them.
2But some of the Pharisees asked, “Why are you doing what is unlawful on the Sabbath?”
3Jesus replied, “Have you not read what David did when he and his companions were hungry?
4He entered the house of God, took the consecrated bread and gave it to his companions, and ate what is lawful only for the priests to eat.”
5Then Jesus declared, “The Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath.”
WEB World English Bible 2000
1Now on the second Sabbath after the first, he was going through the grain fields. His disciples plucked the heads of grain and ate, rubbing them in their hands.
2But some of the Pharisees said to them, “Why do you do that which is not lawful to do on the Sabbath day?”
3Jesus, answering them, said, “Haven’t you read what David did when he was hungry, he and those who were with him,
4how he entered into God’s house, and took and ate the show bread, and gave also to those who were with him, which is not lawful to eat except for the priests alone?”
5He said to them, “The Son of Man is lord of the Sabbath.”
KJV King James Version 1769
1And it came to pass on the second sabbath after the first, that he went through the corn fields; and his disciples plucked the ears of corn, and did eat, rubbing them in their hands.
2And certain of the Pharisees said unto them, Why do ye that which is not lawful to do on the sabbath days?
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;
4How he went into the house of God, and did take and eat the shewbread, and gave also to them that were with him; which it is not lawful to eat but for the priests alone?
5And he said unto them, That the Son of man is Lord also of the sabbath.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
1Now it came to pass on a sabbath, that he was going through the grainfields; and his disciples plucked the ears, and did eat, rubbing them in their hands.
2But certain of the Pharisees said, Why do ye that which it is not lawful to do on the sabbath day?
3And Jesus answering them said, Have ye not read even this, what David did, when he was hungry, he, and they that were with him;
4how he entered into the house of God, and took and ate the showbread, and gave also to them that were with him; which it is not lawful to eat save for the priests alone?
5And he said unto them, The Son of man is lord of the sabbath.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
1And it came to pass, on the second-first sabbath, as he is going through the corn fields, that his disciples were plucking the ears, and were eating, rubbing with the hands,
2and certain of the Pharisees said to them, `Why do ye that which is not lawful to do on the sabbaths?'
3And Jesus answering said unto them, `Did ye not read even this that David did, when he hungered, himself and those who are with him,
4how he went into the house of God, and the loaves of the presentation did take, and did eat, and gave also to those with him, which it is not lawful to eat, except only to the priests?'
5and he said to them, --`The Son of Man is lord also of the sabbath.'
Darby Darby Bible 1890
1And it came to pass on [the] second-first sabbath, that he went through cornfields, and his disciples were plucking the ears and eating [them], rubbing [them] in their hands.
2But some of the Pharisees said to them, Why do ye what is not lawful to do on the sabbath?
3And Jesus answering said to them, Have ye not read so much as this, what David did when he hungered, he and those who were with him,
4how he entered into the house of God and took the shewbread and ate, and gave to those also who were with him, which it is not lawful that [any] eat, unless the priests alone?
5And he said to them, The Son of man is Lord of the sabbath also.
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
1And it came to pass on the second first sabbath that, as he went through the corn fields, his disciples plucked the ears and did eat, rubbing them in their hands.
2And some of the Pharisees said to them: Why do you that which is not lawful on the sabbath days?
3And Jesus answering them, said: Have you not read so much as this, what David did, when himself was hungry and they that were with him:
4How he went into the house of God and took and ate the bread of proposition and gave to them that were with him, which is not lawful to eat but only for the priests?
5And he said to them: The Son of man is Lord also of the sabbath.
Verse in Context
Original Language (Koine Greek)
New Testament · Koine Greek · Luke 6:1
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators across traditions agree on the central dispute: the Pharisees accused Jesus' disciples of breaking the Sabbath by plucking and eating grain. The disciples were hungry, following a practice allowed by Deuteronomy 23:25, but the Pharisees considered it work. Jesus responded with a counter-example from David (1 Samuel 21), where ritual law yielded to human need. Barnes notes that the objection was not to the act itself but to the time it was done. The phrase “second-first Sabbath” remains obscure, Vincent says its exact meaning “cannot be determined”, yet the narrative does not depend on it. The weight of the passage falls on Jesus' climactic declaration: “The Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath.” Calvin and Gill both emphasize that this claim places Jesus' authority above the Sabbath institution itself. The commentators uniformly see this as a key passage for understanding Jesus' stance: the Sabbath was made for human flourishing, not human bondage.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Medium
Main views:
- Calendar-specific view: The phrase denotes a particular date in the Jewish festival calendar (Barnes, Calvin).
- Textual variant view: The phrase may not be original, as it is omitted in some manuscripts (Vincent).
- Meaning ultimately unknown: The exact reference cannot be recovered, but this does not affect the passage's meaning (Cambridge Bible, many scholars).
What is clear: Jesus claimed authority over the Sabbath and defended acts of mercy, demonstrating that human need and divine compassion take priority over ritual restrictions.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Second-first Sabbath | It is a unique phrase referring to a specific Sabbath in the Jewish calendar. | Whether it means the first Sabbath after the second day of Passover (Barnes), a festival Sabbath (Calvin), or something else. Some manuscripts omit the phrase, raising textual questions. |
| Jesus' argument from David | Jesus cites 1 Samuel 21 to show a precedent where ritual law yielded to human need. | How far this principle extends. Does it override all Sabbath laws or only ceremonial additions? Christian traditions differ on the nature of Sabbath obligations. |
| The Son of Man as Lord of the Sabbath | This is a direct claim of authority from Jesus, using the exalted title "Son of Man." | The implications for Christian Sabbath observance. Some see a shift from the seventh day to the Lord's Day (Sunday); others maintain seventh-day observance. Both are grounded in faithfulness to Scripture. |
Historical & Cultural Context
The scene unfolds at harvest time in the grain fields of Galilee. Under Torah, hungry travelers could pluck grain by hand (Deuteronomy 23:25), a common practice confirmed by 19th-century travelers like Thomson and Hackett, as Barnes notes. The disciples followed that custom, but the Pharisees saw a Sabbath violation. Their oral law defined plucking and rubbing as forms of reaping and threshing, activities forbidden on the seventh day.
The phrase “second-first Sabbath” (δευτεροπρώτῳ) is unique and contested. Barnes connects it to the counting of weeks from Passover, when the wave-sheaf was offered (Leviticus 23:11). Calvin sees it as a major festival Sabbath. The Cambridge Bible admits scholars have not agreed. That obscurity underscores that the point does not depend on a precise date. The imperfect verbs (ἔτιλλον, ἤσθιον) indicate ongoing action, the disciples were plucking and eating as they walked, not a single isolated act.
The Pharisees were likely following Jesus to find fault, as in earlier controversies (Luke 5:17-26). The Cambridge Bible suggests they may have tested whether he would exceed the regulated Sabbath day journey. The incident reveals a clash between two visions: one that guards the Sabbath with human traditions, and one that sees it as a gift for human good.
Textual Notes
The phrase “second-first Sabbath” (δευτεροπρώτῳ) is omitted in some important manuscripts. Vincent notes that “many high authorities omit it,” and the Revised Version leaves it out. The Codex Bezae and a few other manuscripts include an additional saying after verse 4 about a man working on the Sabbath (Clarke). These variations do not affect the main narrative, which is consistently transmitted across witnesses.
Reception History
From the early church onward, this passage has been central to discussions of Sabbath observance and the authority of Christ. Early theologians used it to argue against a legalistic reading of the law, emphasizing mercy over ritual. During the Reformation, it was cited in debates about whether the Sabbath was a ceremonial or moral commandment. In modern times, it continues to shape Christian thinking about rest, work, and the lordship of Christ over all areas of life.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- The Setting: Hungry Disciples and a Watchful Accusation. The disciples, hungry, take grain from a field, a lawful practice on any other day. The Pharisees object, citing Sabbath law.
- The Defense: Scripture Precedent from David’s Hungry Companions. Jesus points to David eating the consecrated bread, which was lawful only for priests. If human need overrode that ritual law, how much more does hunger justify a minor Sabbath action?
- The Declaration: “The Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath.” Jesus does not merely argue; he claims authority over the Sabbath institution itself. This is a direct assertion of his divine identity.
Five-point outline
- The Occasion: “On the second-first Sabbath”, an obscure phrase that highlights the setting during harvest.
- The Action: Disciples pluck heads of grain, rub them in their hands, and eat.
- The Objection: The Pharisees confront them: “Why do you do what is not lawful on the Sabbath?”
- The Argument: Jesus cites David’s precedent to show that ritual law yields to human need and that mercy takes priority.
- The Authority: Jesus declares that as Son of Man, he is Lord of the Sabbath, even over the day itself.
Illustration hooks
- Being criticized for helping a stranded motorist on a holiday because someone says “you shouldn’t work today.” The rule obscures the purpose.
- A church member who skips a service to care for a sick neighbor, then faces disapproval for “breaking the Sabbath.” Jesus’ defense reminds us that mercy outweighs ritual.
- The pressure to “get it right” about rest in an age of burnout, Jesus’ lordship offers rest as a gift, not a rule to be mastered.
Questions your congregation is asking
- Does the Sabbath still matter for Christians, and if so, how should we keep it?
- How do I know when a religious tradition has become a burden instead of a help?
- What does it mean for Jesus to be “Lord” of something like the Sabbath in my daily life?
Leading a Discussion
This passage invites us to consider how Jesus reinterpreted the Sabbath law. He did not abolish it but asserted his authority over it. The story challenges us to think about the purpose of rest and worship, and where our ultimate loyalty lies. In your group, read Luke 6:1-5 aloud and discuss the following questions.
Discussion questions
- What do you notice about the setting, the time, place, and the disciples’ actions?
- Why did the Pharisees object? What does that tell you about their understanding of the Sabbath?
- How does Jesus’ use of David’s story work as a defense? What is the underlying principle?
- In what ways do we sometimes add human traditions that become burdens rather than gifts?
- What does it mean that the Son of Man is “Lord of the Sabbath”? How does that shape your view of rest?
- How might this passage inform the way we treat others when their needs seem to conflict with religious expectations?
- What is one thing you would like to carry from this passage into your own practice of rest or worship this week?
Word Study
The key original-language words in this verse. Select any word for its full lexicon entry — meaning, every occurrence in Scripture, and related words.
Cross-References
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (TSK, public domain)
| Exodus 12:15 | “‘Seven days you shall eat unleavened bread; even the first day you shall put away yeast out of your houses, for whoever eats leavened bread from the first day until the seventh day, that soul shall be cut off from Israel. |
| Leviticus 23:7 | In the first day you shall have a holy convocation. You shall do no regular work. |
| Leviticus 23:10 | “Speak to the children of Israel, and tell them, ‘When you have come into the land which I give to you, and shall reap its harvest, then you shall bring the sheaf of the first fruits of your harvest to the priest. |
| Leviticus 23:11 | He shall wave the sheaf before Yahweh, to be accepted for you. On the next day after the Sabbath the priest shall wave it. |
| Leviticus 23:15 | “‘You shall count from the next day after the Sabbath, from the day that you brought the sheaf of the wave offering: seven Sabbaths shall be completed. |
| Deuteronomy 16:9 | You shall count for yourselves seven weeks. From the time you begin to put the sickle to the standing grain you shall begin to count seven weeks. |
| Deuteronomy 23:25 | When you come into your neighbor’s standing grain, then you may pluck the ears with your hand; but you shall not use a sickle on your neighbor’s standing grain. |
| Matthew 12:1 | At that time, Jesus went on the Sabbath day through the grain fields. His disciples were hungry and began to pluck heads of grain and to eat. |
Interlinear and lexical data from STEPBible (CC BY 4.0). Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Commentaries are public domain.
For personal reflection
Read the devotional page — prayer, application, and "for families"
What the Commentators Say
9 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Adam Clarke's Commentary Methodist/Wesleyan 1826
Clarke sheds light on the obscure phrase "second Sabbath after the first" by explaining it through the Jewish counting of seven Sabbaths from the second day of Passover toward Pentecost, naming each Sabbath in sequence: first from the second day, second from the second day, and so on.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible Protestant 1832
Barnes focuses on the difficult phrase "second sabbath after the first," explaining it as the first Sabbath after the second day of Passover, when the wave-sheaf was offered. He shows this was a known reckoning from that day to Pentecost, making the occasion the disciples' rubbing grain a Sabbath violation only in Pharisaic tradition, not in the act itself.
Calvin's Commentaries Reformed 1564
Calvin rejects the idea that the second-first Sabbath refers to two festival days in a row or the final day of a celebration. Instead he identifies it as the second major annual Sabbath, the feast of firstfruits, which came after the Passover in the Jewish calendar.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
The commentary highlights that the phrase "second-first sabbath" is a unique chronological note that scholars have never been able to explain with certainty, despite numerous theories. The writer suggests that while the exact meaning remains a puzzle, the time of year is clearly spring or early summer because the grain the disciples plucked was wheat, not barley.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill identifies the puzzling phrase "second first sabbath" as the first sabbath after the second day of Passover, when the sheaf of firstfruits was offered. This was a specific point in the Jewish calendar, marking the beginning of the harvest
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary Protestant 1871
JFB highlights that Jesus’ declaration of being “Lord even of the sabbath” is a direct claim to the same authority as the God who gave the law at Mount Sinai. This is not merely a defense of the disciples’ actions but an assertion that Christ Himself is the Lord of the law.
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Matthew Henry observes that the Pharisees demanded a stricter rest than the Lawgiver ever intended. Jesus corrects this by showing that both the grain-plucking and the healing are permissible because works of mercy belong on the Sabbath.
Vincent's Word Studies Evangelical 1887
Vincent highlights the unique Greek word "second-first," which appears only here in the New Testament and whose exact meaning cannot be determined. He notes that the phrase "have ye not read" loses the force of the original Greek, which means "have ye not so much as read."
Wesley's Explanatory Notes Methodist/Wesleyan 1754
Wesley explains the Jewish reckoning of Sabbaths from Passover to Pentecost, noting this is the first of seven such Sabbaths. He observes that Matthew and Mark record the Pharisees questioning Jesus directly about the disciples' actions, while here they put the question to the disciples themselves.