Luke 6:1 Meaning and Explanation
“And it came to pass on the second sabbath after the first, that he went through the corn fields; and his disciples plucked the ears of corn, and did eat, rubbing them in their hands.”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →On a sabbath walk through the grainfields, Jesus' disciples pluck heads of grain, rub them clean in their hands, and eat.
What Does Luke 6:1 Mean?
Luke opens a pair of sabbath controversies. Jesus and his disciples are passing through standing grain — 'corn' in older English means grain such as wheat or barley — and the hungry disciples pull off a few heads, rub away the husks, and eat the kernels. The law of Moses expressly allowed a traveler to pluck ears by hand from a neighbor's field (Deuteronomy 23:25), so no one accuses them of stealing.
What hangs over the scene is not theft but the sabbath itself: in the eyes of the strict, plucking was reaping and rubbing was threshing — a harvest in miniature. Ordinary hunger is about to collide with religious suspicion, and the collision will reveal what the day of rest was always for. The Lord of the harvest walks beside his followers in their plain, daily need.
Frequently Asked Questions About Luke 6:1
What does Luke 6:1 mean?
On a sabbath walk through the grainfields, Jesus' disciples pluck heads of grain, rub them clean in their hands, and eat.