Not lawful on the Sabbath (Mk 2:24-2:24)

“The Pharisees

Said to Jesus.

‘Look!

Why are they doing

What is not lawful

On the Sabbath?’”

 

καὶ οἱ Φαρισαῖοι ἔλεγον αὐτῷ Ἴδε τί ποιοῦσιν τοῖς σάββασιν ὃ οὐκ ἔξεστιν;

 

Matthew, chapter 12:2, and Luke, chapter 6:2, are similar to Mark, who may be the source of this incident.  The Pharisees reacted to the disciples of Jesus plucking grain on the Sabbath.  Deuteronomy, chapter 25:24-25, stated that it was okay to pluck the ears with your hand, but you could not put a sickle to your neighbor’s standing grain or carry it away in a container.  However, Exodus, chapter 34:21, explicitly said that you could not harvest grain on the Sabbath, but did not mention any hand picking.  Thus, the Pharisees said to Jesus (καὶ οἱ Φαρισαῖοι ἔλεγον αὐτῷ) that his disciples were doing unlawful things on the Sabbath by plucking the grain (Ἴδε τί ποιοῦσιν τοῖς σάββασιν ὃ οὐκ ἔξεστιν).