1 At that season Jesus went on the sabbath day through the cornfields; and his disciples were an hungred, and began to pluck ears of corn, and to eat. 2 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. 3 But he said unto them, Have ye not read what David did, when he was an hungred, and they that were with him; 4 how be entered into the house of God, and did eat the shewbread, which it was not lawful for him to eat, neither for them that were with him, but only for the priests? 5 Or have ye not read in the law, how that on the sabbath day the priests in the temple profane the sabbath, and are guiltless? 6 But I say unto you, that one greater than the temple is here. 7 But if ye had known what this meaneth, I desire mercy, and not sacrifice, ye would not have condemned the guiltless. 8 For the Son of man is lord of the sabbath. 9 And he departed thence, and went into their synagogue: 10 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. 11 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? 12 How much then is a man of more value than a sheep! Wherefore it is lawful to do good on the sabbath day. 13 Then saith he to the man, Stretch forth thy hand. And he stretched it forth; and it was restored whole, as the other. 14 But the Pharisees went out, and took counsel against him, how they might destroy him. 15 And Jesus perceiving [it ]withdrew from thence: and many followed him; and he healed them all, 16 and charged them that they should not make him known: 17 that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Isaiah the prophet, saying, 18 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. 19 He shall not strive, nor cry aloud; Neither shall any one hear his voice in the streets. 20 A bruised reed shall he not break, And smoking flax shall he not quench, Till he send forth judgment unto victory. 21 And in his name shall the Gentiles hope. 22 Then was brought unto him one possessed with a devil, blind and dumb: and he healed him, insomuch that the dumb man spake and saw. 23 And all the multitudes were amazed, and said, Is this the son of David? 24 But when the Pharisees heard it, they said, This man doth not cast out devils, but by Beelzebub the prince of the devils. 25 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: 26 and if Satan casteth out Satan, he is divided against himself; how then shall his kingdom stand? 27 And if I by Beelzebub cast out devils, by whom do your sons cast them out? therefore shall they be your judges. 28 But if I by the Spirit of God cast out devils, then is the kingdom of God come upon you. 29 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. 30 He that is not with me is against me; and he that gathereth not with me scattereth. 31 Therefore I say unto you, Every sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men; but the blasphemy against the Spirit shall not be forgiven. 32 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. 33 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. 34 Ye offspring of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things? for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh. 35 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. 36 And I say unto you, that every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment. 37 For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned. 38 Then certain of the scribes and Pharisees answered him, saying, Master, we would see a sign from thee. 39 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: 40 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. 41 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. 42 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. 43 But the unclean spirit, when he is gone out of the man, passeth through waterless places, seeking rest, and findeth it not. 44 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. 45 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. 46 While he was yet speaking to the multitudes, behold, his mother and his brethren stood without, seeking to speak to him. 47 And one said unto him, Behold, thy mother and thy brethren stand without, seeking to speak to thee. 48 But he answered and said unto him that told him, Who is my mother? and who are my brethren? 49 And he stretched forth his hand towards his disciples, and said, Behold, my mother and my brethren! 50 For whosoever shall do the will of my Father which is in heaven, he is my brother, and sister, and mother.
Matthew · Revised Version with Apocrypha
Matthew 12 Revised Version with Apocrypha
Audio: World English Bible (WEB), read by Winfred W. Henson · About the recordings
Cross references (49)
Related passages for each verse, from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge as collected and ranked by readers at OpenBible.info.
- 1 Deuteronomy 23:25; Mark 2:23–28; Luke 6:1–5
- 2 Matthew 12:10; John 7:21–24; Exodus 20:9–11; Mark 3:2–5; Exodus 31:15–17
- 3 1 Samuel 21:3–6; Luke 6:3; Mark 2:25–26; Matthew 21:16; Mark 12:10
- 4 Leviticus 24:5–9; Exodus 25:30; Exodus 29:32–33; Leviticus 8:31
- 5 Numbers 28:9–10; John 7:22–23
- 6 Matthew 12:41–42; 2 Chronicles 6:18; 1 Peter 2:4–5; Malachi 3:1; Haggai 2:7–9
- 7 Hosea 6:6; Matthew 9:13; Micah 6:6–8; Isaiah 1:11–17; Proverbs 17:15
- 8 Luke 6:5; Mark 2:28; John 5:17–23; Mark 9:4–7; Matthew 9:6
- 9 Luke 6:6–11; Mark 3:1–6
- 10 Luke 13:14; John 9:16; John 8:6; Matthew 22:17–18; Luke 11:54
- 11 Deuteronomy 22:4; Luke 14:5; Luke 13:15–17; Exodus 23:4–5
- 12 Matthew 6:26; Luke 6:9; Mark 3:4; Matthew 10:31; Luke 12:24
- 13 Luke 13:13; Acts 3:7–8
- 14 John 11:53; Luke 6:11; Mark 3:6; John 10:39; John 5:18
- 15 Mark 3:7–12; Matthew 10:23; John 7:1; Matthew 19:2; John 11:54
- 16 Matthew 9:30; Matthew 8:4; Matthew 17:9; Mark 7:36; Luke 5:14–15
- 17 Isaiah 42:1–4; Isaiah 42:9; Isaiah 41:22–23; Matthew 13:35; Matthew 21:4
- 18 Isaiah 42:1; Luke 4:18; John 3:34; Acts 10:38; Isaiah 61:1–3
- 19 Matthew 11:29; 2 Timothy 2:24–25; John 18:36–38; 2 Corinthians 10:1; Luke 17:20
- 20 Isaiah 42:3–4; Ezekiel 34:16; Isaiah 61:1–3; Luke 4:18; Psalm 147:3
- 21 Isaiah 11:10; Romans 15:12–13; Isaiah 42:4; Colossians 1:27; Ephesians 1:12–13
- 22 Luke 11:14–15; Mark 7:35–37; Isaiah 29:18; Isaiah 35:5–6; Acts 26:18
- 23 Matthew 9:27; John 4:29; Matthew 22:42–43; Matthew 9:33; John 7:40–42
- 24 Mark 3:22; Matthew 9:34; Luke 11:15
- 25 Galatians 5:15; Jeremiah 17:10; Matthew 9:4; Mark 3:23–27; 1 Corinthians 2:11
- 26 Colossians 1:13; 1 John 5:19; Revelation 20:2–3; John 12:31; Revelation 12:9
- 27 Mark 9:38–39; Acts 19:13–16; Luke 9:49–50; Luke 11:19; Romans 3:19
- 28 Luke 11:20; Daniel 7:14; Matthew 6:33; Acts 10:38; Colossians 1:13
- 29 Isaiah 49:24; Mark 3:27; Luke 11:21–22; 1 John 4:4; Revelation 20:7–9
- 30 Mark 9:40; Luke 11:23; Joshua 24:15; Luke 9:50; 1 John 2:19
- 31 Luke 12:10; Mark 3:28–30; Hebrews 10:29; Hebrews 10:26; Acts 7:51
- 32 Mark 3:29; Hebrews 10:26–29; Hebrews 6:4–6; Luke 12:10; Matthew 12:31
- 33 Luke 6:43–44; Matthew 7:16–20; James 4:8; John 15:4–7; Matthew 3:8–10
- 34 Luke 6:45; Matthew 15:18; Ephesians 4:29; 1 Samuel 24:13; James 3:5–8
- 35 Colossians 4:6; Proverbs 15:4; Proverbs 15:28; Colossians 3:16; Proverbs 25:11–12
- 36 Ecclesiastes 12:14; Romans 2:16; Revelation 20:12; Jude 14–15; Ephesians 6:4–6
- 37 Proverbs 13:3; James 2:21–25
- 38 1 Corinthians 1:22; Mark 8:11–12; Luke 11:29; John 2:18; Luke 11:16
- 39 Matthew 16:4; Luke 11:29–32; James 4:4; Isaiah 57:3; Mark 8:38
- 40 Jonah 1:17; Matthew 27:63–64; John 2:19; Matthew 17:23; Matthew 16:21
- 41 Matthew 12:42; Hebrews 11:7; Romans 2:27; John 3:31; Matthew 12:6
- 42 1 Kings 10:1–13; 2 Chronicles 9:1–12; Hebrews 1:2–4; Luke 11:31–32; John 1:14
- 43 Luke 11:24–26; Luke 8:28–32; Matthew 8:29; Mark 5:7–13; Amos 8:11–13
- 44 1 John 4:4; 1 John 2:19; Psalm 81:11–12; Revelation 13:8–9; Jude 4–5
- 45 Luke 11:26; Hebrews 6:4–8; Mark 5:9; Hebrews 10:26–31; 2 Peter 2:14–22
- 46 Matthew 13:55; John 7:3; John 2:12; John 7:5; Mark 3:31–35
- 48 Mark 3:32–33; Matthew 10:37; Luke 2:52; Deuteronomy 33:9; John 2:3–4
- 49 Mark 3:34; John 17:20; John 20:17–20; Matthew 28:7; John 17:8–9
- 50 Luke 8:21; Mark 3:35; John 15:14; Matthew 28:10; Luke 11:27–28
Cross references: OpenBible.info (CC BY), drawn mainly from the public-domain Treasury of Scripture Knowledge. · Sources & licences
What the Fathers said
Passages from the Church Fathers that expound or quote this chapter, verbatim from the public-domain Schaff edition (19th-century English translations).
How these were chosen
“Commentary” is the opening of a homily or exposition on this chapter (John Chrysostom’s homilies, Augustine’s tractates, sermons and expositions of the Psalms). “Quotes” are sentences where the edition’s own footnotes identify a quotation of a verse here, kept only when the wording matches the verse. Only works whose authorship is not in doubt are used. Psalms follow the Hebrew/English numbering (Augustine numbers them as the Septuagint does: his Psalm 50 is Psalm 51 here).
There has been a great question raised touching the late lesson of the Gospel, to the solution of which I am unequal by any power of mine own; but "our sufficiency is of God," to whatever degree we are capable of receiving His aid.
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 6 (1888)
But Luke saith, "On a double Sabbath." Now what is a double Sabbath? When the cessation from toil is twofold, both that of the regular Sabbath, and that of another feast coming upon it. For they call every cessation from toil, a sabbath.
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 10 (1888)
For when the unclean spirit of folly has gone forth, and when afterwards he finds them not waiting upon God, but occupied with mere worldly questions, then, "taking seven other spirits more wicked than himself," and inflating the minds of these men with the notion of their being able to conceive of something beyond God, and having fitly prepared them …
The queen of the south shall rise up in the judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it: for she came from the utter most parts of the earth to hear the words of Solomon; and behold, a greater than Solomon is here." Two things we learn from this passage, that a judgment is to take place, and that it …
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 2 (1887)
Whereas, if they were in discord, neither could this have been pointed out, and the doctrine itself had long since been brought to nought: "for every kingdom," saith He, "divided against itself shall not stand." But now even in this shines forth the might of the Spirit, namely, in that it prevailed on these men, engaged as they were in …
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 10 (1888)