For the Son of man is Lord even of the sabbath day.
All Commentaries on Matthew 12:8 Go To Matthew 12
Jerome
AD 420
As we read in another Evangelist, they had no opportunity of taking food because of the thronging of the multitude, and therefore they hungred as men. That they rub the ears of corn in their hands, and with them satisfy themselves, is a proof of an austere life, and of men who needed not prepared meats, but sought only simple food.
Observe, that the first Apostles of the Saviour broke the letter of the Sabbath, contrary to the opinion of the Ebionites asked for food; he having no common bread, gave him the consecrated loaves, which it was not lawful for any to eat, but the Priests only and Levites; esteeming it a better action to deliver men from the danger of famine than to offer sacrifice to God; for the preservation of man is a sacrifice acceptable to God. Thus then the Lord meets their objection, saying, If David be a holy man, and if you blame not the high-priestAchimelech, but consider their excuse for their transgression of the Law to bevalid, and that was hunger; how do ye not approve in the Apostles the same plea which you approve in others! Though even here there is much difference. These rub ears of corn in their hands on the sabbath; those ate the Levitical bread, and over and above the solemn sabbath it was the season of new moon, during which when sought for at the banquet he fled from the royal palace.
As though He had said, Ye bring complaints against my disciples, that on the Sabbath they rub ears of corn in their hands, under stress of hunger, and yeyourselves profane the sabbath, slaying victims in the temple, killing bulls, burning holocausts on piles of wood; also, on the testimony of another Gospel, ye circumcise infants on the sabbath; so that in keeping one law, ye break that concerning the Sabbath. But the laws of God are never contrary oneto another; wisely therefore, wherein His disciples might be accused of having transgressed them, He shows that therein they followed the examples ofAchimelech and David; and this their pretended charge of breaking the Sabbath He retorts truly, and not having the plea of necessity, upon those who had brought the accusation.
The word “Hic” is not a pronoun, but an adverb of place here, for that place is greater than the Temple which contains the Lord of the Temple.
What “I will have mercy, and not sacrifice,” signifies, we have explained above. The words, “Ye would never have condemned the innocent,” are to be referred to the Apostles, and the meaning is, If ye allow the mercy of Achimelech,in that he refreshed David when in danger of famishing, why do ye condemn My disciples?
