Luke 6:2 Meaning and Explanation
“And certain of the Pharisees said unto them, Why do ye that which is not lawful to do on the sabbath days?”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →Some Pharisees challenge the disciples for doing what they consider unlawful work on the sabbath.
What Does Luke 6:2 Mean?
The objection comes at once. Certain Pharisees, watching the disciples rub grain between their hands, charge them with breaking the sabbath. The written law forbade harvest labor on the seventh day (Exodus 34:21), and the accepted rulings of the day counted even this small gesture as reaping and threshing. The question is addressed to the disciples, but it is aimed at their Teacher.
A command given as a gift — rest, every week, for everyone — has been fenced about until it can condemn a hungry man eating raw grain. Jesus does not dismiss the sabbath; in the verses that follow he reclaims it. Whenever rules are pressed until they wound the people they were meant to bless, this scene asks whose voice we are actually obeying.
Frequently Asked Questions About Luke 6:2
What does Luke 6:2 mean?
Some Pharisees challenge the disciples for doing what they consider unlawful work on the sabbath.