Luke 6:3 - Printer Friendly

ESV: And Jesus answered them, “Have you not read what David did when he was hungry, he and those who were with him:

NIV: Jesus answered them, 'Have you never read what David did when he and his companions were hungry?

NASB: And Jesus, answering them, said, 'Have you not even read what David did when he was hungry, he and those who were with him,

CSB: Jesus answered them, "Haven't you read what David and those who were with him did when he was hungry--

NLT: Jesus replied, 'Haven’t you read in the Scriptures what David did when he and his companions were hungry?

KJV: 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;

NKJV: But Jesus answering them said, “Have you not even read this, what David did when he was hungry, he and those who were with him:

Jesus is walking through a grainfield with His disciples on the Sabbath. The disciples are hungry. So, as they walk, they pluck heads of grain, rub the husks off with their hands, and eat the kernels. The Pharisees challenge Jesus for allowing His disciples to do what is "not lawful to do on the Sabbath" (Luke 6:1–2). This judgment is according to their traditional rules, rather than to Scripture, itself.

Jesus responds by pointing out the example of David, the most revered king in Jewish history. He ate the bread of the Presence, which was set out in the tabernacle to represent God's close relationship with the twelve tribes. This was authorized to be eaten only by the priests (Leviticus 24:5–9). The event occurred shortly after Jonathan finally admitted that his father, King Saul, wanted to kill David. David fled, taking some of his fighting men with him, and came to Ahimelech at the tabernacle. David told Ahimelech he was on a mission for Saul, which was a lie, and he and his men had not had the time to take provisions, which was the truth (1 Samuel 20:1—21:6).

Part of the point of the sacrificial system was that the priests and Levites would be well fed by the offerings. When David asked for bread, Ahimelech said he only had the bread of the Presence. After asking God (1 Samuel 22:9–10), Ahimelech gave David the bread (1 Samuel 21:3–6). Eating the bread of the Presence is a far greater offense than plucking heads of grain on the Sabbath, but if God allowed it, how much more would He allow hungry people to pluck heads of grain on the Sabbath?

Luke 6:1–5 begins another altercation between Jesus and local religious leaders; this is the first related to the Sabbath. The Pharisees added rules to the Sabbath which served more as burdens than ways to honor God. Jesus counters that the Sabbath is for restoration and nurturing, not hardship. In the first occurrence, He defends the disciples as they pick grain heads. Next, He will heal a man with a withered hand (Luke 6:6–11). The purpose of the Sabbath is to refrain from labor, not refrain from good. Matthew 12:1–8 and Mark 2:23–28 also record this interaction.

Luke 6 contains two main sections of teaching and calls to discipleship. Luke 6:1–16 continues the pattern of Luke 5. The two ways in which Jesus sets aside tradition—this time by taking authority over the Sabbath—are paired with His call for the Twelve disciples. Luke 6:17–49 records Jesus' teaching on the ''level place,'' or His ''Sermon on the Plain,'' and a call to a crowd for general discipleship. Much of this material has parallels in Matthew 5 through 7, but it's not clear if the two accounts are of the same event. As a travelling teacher, Christ likely gave the same general message multiple times.

Luke 6 completes Jesus' call for disciples and followers that started in Luke 5. Luke 5:1—6:16 consists of three calls for disciples, each paired with two revolutionary teachings about Jesus' authority that increasingly infuriate the religious leaders. Luke 6:17–49 continues the theme with a general call for followers and a description of their responsibilities. In Luke 7:1—8:3, Jesus interacts with the other: Gentiles, women, and even the dead. This is followed by another general call (Luke 8:4–21), a series of miracles (Luke 8:22—9:17), and a final call for the Twelve to follow Him even more deeply (Luke 9:18–50).

Luke was a traveling companion of Paul (Acts 16:10) and a physician (Colossians 4:14). Unlike Matthew, Mark, and John, Luke writes his gospel as an historian, rather than as a first-hand eyewitness. His extensive writings also include the book of Acts (Acts 1:1–3). These are deliberately organized, carefully researched accounts of those events. The gospel of Luke focuses on the earthly ministry of Jesus Christ. Luke's Gentile perspective presents Christ as a Savior for all people, offering both forgiveness and direction to those who follow Him.