Mark 2:23
◄  Mark 2:23  ►
New International Version (©2011)
One Sabbath Jesus was going through the grainfields, and as his disciples walked along, they began to pick some heads of grain.

New Living Translation (©2007)
One Sabbath day as Jesus was walking through some grainfields, his disciples began breaking off heads of grain to eat.

English Standard Version (©2001)
One Sabbath he was going through the grainfields, and as they made their way, his disciples began to pluck heads of grain.

New American Standard Bible (©1995)
And it happened that He was passing through the grainfields on the Sabbath, and His disciples began to make their way along while picking the heads of grain.

King James Bible (Cambridge Ed.)
And it came to pass, that he went through the corn fields on the sabbath day; and his disciples began, as they went, to pluck the ears of corn.

Holman Christian Standard Bible (©2009)
On the Sabbath He was going through the grainfields, and His disciples began to make their way picking some heads of grain.

International Standard Version (©2012)
Jesus happened to be going through the grain fields on a Sabbath. As they made their way, his disciples began picking the heads of grain.

NET Bible (©2006)
Jesus was going through the grain fields on a Sabbath, and his disciples began to pick some heads of wheat as they made their way.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English (©2010)
And so it was that when Yeshua went out on the Sabbath to a grain field, his disciples were walking and picking the ears of wheat.

GOD'S WORD® Translation (©1995)
Once on a day of worship Jesus was going through the grainfields. As the disciples walked along, they began to pick the heads of grain.

King James 2000 Bible (©2003)
And it came to pass, that he went through the grain fields on the sabbath day; and his disciples began, as they went, to pluck the ears of grain.

American King James Version
And it came to pass, that he went through the corn fields on the sabbath day; and his disciples began, as they went, to pluck the ears of corn.

American Standard Version
And it came to pass, that he was going on the sabbath day through the grainfields; and his disciples began, as they went, to pluck the ears.

Douay-Rheims Bible
And it came to pass again, as the Lord walked through the corn fields on the sabbath, that his disciples began to go forward, and to pluck the ears of corn.

Darby Bible Translation
And it came to pass that he went on the sabbath through the cornfields; and his disciples began to walk on, plucking the ears.

English Revised Version
And it came to pass, that he was going on the sabbath day through the cornfields; and his disciples began, as they went, to pluck the ears of corn.

Webster's Bible Translation
And it came to pass, that he went through the corn-fields on the sabbath; and his disciples began, as they went, to pluck the ears of corn.

Weymouth New Testament
One Sabbath He was walking through the wheatfields when His disciples began to pluck the ears of wheat as they went.

World English Bible
It happened that he was going on the Sabbath day through the grain fields, and his disciples began, as they went, to pluck the ears of grain.

Young's Literal Translation
And it came to pass -- he is going along on the sabbaths through the corn-fields -- and his disciples began to make a way, plucking the ears,

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary

2:23-28 The sabbath is a sacred and Divine institution; a privilege and benefit, not a task and drudgery. God never designed it to be a burden to us, therefore we must not make it so to ourselves. The sabbath was instituted for the good of mankind, as living in society, having many wants and troubles, preparing for a state of happiness or misery. Man was not made for the sabbath, as if his keeping it could be of service to God, nor was he commanded to keep it outward observances to his real hurt. Every observance respecting it, is to be interpreted by the rule of mercy.

Pulpit Commentary

Verse 23. - If there is a rapid sequence in this part of the narrative, the fasting referred to in the last verses may have taken place the day before. St. Luke (Luke 6:1) here adds to St. Mark's account the words, "and did eat, rubbing them [that is, the ears of corn] in their hands;" an incidental evidence of a simple life, that they did not here eat prepared food, but the simple grains of wheat, which they separated from the chaff by rubbing the ears of corn in their hands. This passage marks with some nicety the time of the year. The corn in that district would be ripening about May. It would, therefore, be not long after the Passover. The difficult expression in St. Luke 6:1, ἐν σαββάτῳ δευτεροπρώτῳ, and which is rendered in the Authorized Version "on the second sabbath after the first," is reduced by the Revisers of 1881 to the simple phrase (ἐν σαββάτῳ), "on a sabbath," there not being sufficient evidence to persuade them to retain the word δευτεροπρώτῳ. But other evidences seem to show that the incident occurred earlier than as recorded by St. Matthew. The Fathers are fond of spiritual applications of this rubbing of the ears of corn. Bede, in remarking upon the fact of the disciples plucking the ears of corn, and rubbing them until they get rid of the husks, and obtain the food itself, says that they do this who meditate upon the Holy Scriptures, and digest them, until they find in them the kernel, the quintessence of delight; and St. Augustine blames those who merely please themselves with the flowers of Holy Scripture, but do not rub out the grain by meditation, until they obtain the real nourishment of virtue.

Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

And it came to pass,.... The Vulgate Latin adds, "again"; and so Beza says it was read in one of his copies:

that he went through the corn fields on the sabbath day, and his disciples began, as they went, to pluck the ears of corn, and to rub them, and get the grain out of them, and eat them; See Gill on Matthew 12:1.

Wesley's Notes on the Bible

2:23 Mt 12:1; Lu 6:1.

Mark 2:23 Parallel Commentaries
Bible Hub: Online Parallel Bible


The Lord of the Sabbath
23And it came to pass, that he went through the corn fields on the sabbath day; and his disciples began, as they went, to pluck the ears of corn. 24And the Pharisees said to him, Behold, why do they on the sabbath day that which is not lawful? 25And he said to them, Have you never read what David did, when he had need, and was an hungered, he, and they that were with him? …

Deuteronomy 23:25 If you enter your neighbor's grainfield, you may pick kernels with your hands, but you must not put a sickle to their standing grain.
Matthew 12:1 At that time Jesus went through the grainfields on the Sabbath. His disciples were hungry and began to pick some heads of grain and eat them.
Mark 2:22 And no one pours new wine into old wineskins. Otherwise, the wine will burst the skins, and both the wine and the wineskins will be ruined. No, they pour new wine into new wineskins."
Luke 6:1 One Sabbath Jesus was going through the grainfields, and his disciples began to pick some heads of grain, rub them in their hands and eat the kernels.