Jesus points out that even the revered King David, in a time of desperate hunger, didn't hesitate to take and eat the sacred showbread, which was reserved only for priests. This highlights that fulfilling essential human needs can sometimes take precedence over strict ritual observance, even for sacred items.
And Jesus answered them, “Have you not read what David did when he was hungry, he and those who were with him: how he entered the house of God and took and ate the bread of the Presence, which is not lawful for any but the priests to eat, and also gave it to those with him?”
English Standard Version (ESV)
The Pharisees are accusing Jesus' disciples of breaking the Sabbath by plucking grain to eat as they walk. Jesus responds by recalling a time when King David, in a moment of desperate hunger, ate the sacred showbread meant only for priests. This historical precedent shows that even a holy man, under dire necessity, acted outside the strict letter of the Law, implying that the disciples' actions might also be justified.
The Pharisees were furious. Jesus' disciples had dared to pluck grain on the Sabbath. But Jesus had a surprising defense, one that pointed to a hunger far greater than physical need.
Jesus confronts the Pharisees' narrow, rule-based understanding of the Sabbath by pointing to a well-known story from Scripture. He highlights King David's actions when he and his men were starving.
David's Desperate Meal
David, on the run and desperately hungry, entered the tabernacle and ate the specially prepared showbread. This bread was set aside for the priests alone, and eating it was technically against the Law.
Jesus' Point
Jesus' question, 'Have you not read what David did…?' forces the religious leaders to consider this precedent. David, a man after God's own heart, broke a ceremonial law out of necessity. Jesus implies that if David was justified, so were his disciples in their need.
The Pharisees were so caught up in how to keep the Sabbath that they forgot why it was given. Jesus cuts through their legalism with a simple, profound truth.
Jesus’ argument hinges on the foundational purpose of the Sabbath. It wasn't an arbitrary rule designed to burden people, but a gift from God for human well-being.
A Gift, Not a Cage
While the Pharisees saw the disciples' actions as a violation, Jesus reveals the Sabbath's true intention. It was established so that people could rest, reconnect with God, and be refreshed. It was meant to serve humanity, not to control or condemn it.
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Reclaiming the Spirit of the Law
By using David's example and later stating, 'The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath' (Mark 2:27), Jesus pushes back against a human-made system that had become more important than the people it was supposed to benefit. He calls them to prioritize God's heart of mercy over their rigid, often misapplied, religious regulations.
Understand the original words
lechem panim · Hebrew (Bread of the Presence) Noun phrase
Also known as the 'showbread' or 'bread of the face,' these twelve loaves were placed on the golden table in the Holy Place of the Tabernacle/Temple as a perpetual memorial offering before the presence of God.
Jesus uses the historical example of David, a revered king, to illustrate that fulfilling genuine human need, especially hunger, can take precedence over strict ritual observance of the Sabbath, challenging the Pharisees' narrow interpretation of God's law.
c. 1010 BC
David flees Saul
David, fleeing the persecution of King Saul, sought refuge and provisions. He arrived at Nob, a priestly city, where the high priest Ahimelech gave him consecrated shewbread, which only priests were permitted to eat.
c. 30 AD— this verse
Jesus and disciples on Sabbath
Jesus and his disciples are traveling on the Sabbath and pass through grain fields. The disciples, hungry, begin to pluck and eat grain, which the Pharisees challenge as unlawful work.
c. 30 AD
Pharisees challenge Jesus
The Pharisees confront Jesus, accusing him and his disciples of violating the Sabbath law. This incident highlights the growing tension between Jesus' teachings and the strict interpretations of the Law by the religious leaders.
This is the specific event Jesus refers to, showing David and his companions eating the forbidden showbread out of desperate hunger, a precedent for prioritizing human need over strict ritual.
Matthew 12:1-8This passage recounts the same incident with the disciples and the grain, where Jesus uses both the example of David and the priests in the Temple to argue that mercy and necessity override rigid Sabbath observance.
Mark 2:23-28Here, Jesus further elaborates on the Sabbath's purpose, stating 'The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath,' directly linking the disciples' actions and David's hunger to the intention behind God's law.
Leviticus 24:5-9This passage outlines the law concerning the showbread that David and his men ate, highlighting that it was specifically designated for priests, underscoring the extraordinary nature of David's actions and Jesus' argument.
Hosea 6:6Jesus quotes this prophet, 'I desire steadfast love and not sacrifice,' to emphasize that God values compassion and mercy more than strict adherence to rituals when human needs are pressing.
clarkeLuke 6:3: "And 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;"
What David did - See on Mark 2:26 , Mark 2:27 (note).
cambridgeLuke 6:3: "And 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;"
3 . Have ye not read so much as this ] Rather, Did ye not even read this? He answers them in one of their own formulae, but with a touch of irony at their ignorance, which we trace also in the “Did ye never read?” of St Mark;— never though ye are Scribes and devote all your time to the Scriptures? Perhaps the reproving question may have derived…
Jesus points out that even the revered King David, in a time of desperate hunger, didn't hesitate to take and eat the sacred showbread, which was reserved only for priests. This highlights that fulfilling essential human needs can sometimes take precedence over strict ritual observance, even for sacred items.
The Pharisees are accusing Jesus' disciples of breaking the Sabbath by plucking grain to eat as they walk. Jesus responds by recalling a time when King David, in a moment of desperate hunger, ate the sacred showbread meant only for priests. This historical precedent shows that even a holy man, under dire necessity, acted outside the strict letter of the Law, implying that the disciples' actions might also be justified.
The Pharisees are accusing Jesus' disciples of breaking the Sabbath by plucking grain to eat as they walk. Jesus responds by recalling a time when King David, in a moment of desperate hunger, ate the sacred showbread meant only for priests. This historical precedent shows that even a holy man, under dire necessity, acted outside the strict letter of the Law, implying that the disciples' actions might also be justified.
"And Jesus answered them, “Have you not read what David did when he was hungry, he and those who were with him: how he entered the house of God and took and ate the bread of the Presence, which is not lawful for any but the priests to eat,…" — Jesus points out that even the revered King David, in a time of desperate hunger, didn't hesitate to take and eat the sacred showbread, which was reserved only for priests. This highlights that fulfi…
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Last reviewed October 2026
