12:1 At {1} that time Jesus went on the sabbath day through the corn; and his disciples were an hungred, and began to pluck the ears of corn, and to eat.

(1) Of the true sanctifying of the sabbath, and the breaking of it.

12:4 How he entered into the house of God, and did eat the {a} shewbread, which was not lawful for him to eat, neither for them which were with him, but only for the priests?

(a) The Hebrews call it bread of faces, because it stood before the Lord all the week upon the golden table appointed for that service; Le 24:6.

12:5 Or have ye not read in the law, how that on the sabbath days the priests in the temple {b} profane the sabbath, and are blameless?

(b) When the priests do God's service on the sabbath day, they do not break the law: much less does the Lord of the Sabbath break the sabbath.

12:9 {2} And when he was departed thence, he went into their synagogue:

(2) The ceremonies of the law are not against the love of our neighbour.

12:14 {3} Then the Pharisees went out, and held a council against him, how they might destroy him.

(3) How far and in what aspect we may give place to the unbridled rage of the wicked.

12:18 Behold my servant, whom I have chosen; my beloved, in whom my soul is well pleased: I will put my spirit upon him, and he shall shew {c} judgment to the Gentiles.

(c) By judgment is meant a godly kingdom, because Christ was to proclaim true religion among the Gentiles, and to cast out superstition; and wherever this is done, the Lord is said to reign and judge there, that is to say, to govern and rule matters.

12:20 A bruised reed shall he not break, and smoking flax shall he not quench, till he {d} send forth judgment unto victory.

(d) He will pronounce sentence and judgment, in spite of the world and Satan, and show himself conqueror over all his enemies.

12:22 {4} Then was brought unto him one possessed with a devil, blind, and dumb: and he healed him, insomuch that the blind and dumb both spake and saw.

(4) A truth, be it ever so obvious, is subject to the slander of the wicked: however, it ought to be resolutely defended.

12:25 {5} And Jesus knew their thoughts, and said unto them, Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation; and every city or house divided against itself shall not stand:

(5) The kingdom of Christ and the kingdom of the devil cannot abide together.

12:32 And whosoever speaketh a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him: {6} but whosoever speaketh against the Holy Spirit, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this world, neither in the [world] to come.

(6) Of blasphemy against the Holy Spirit.

12:34 {7} O generation of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things? for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh.

(7) Hypocrites at length betray themselves even by their own mouth.

12:36 But I say unto you, That every {e} idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment.

(e) Vain and unprofitable trifles, which for the most part, men spend their lives in search of.

12:38 {8} Then certain of the scribes and of the Pharisees answered, saying, Master, we would see a sign from thee.

(8) Against perverse desires of miracles.

12:39 But he answered and said unto them, An evil and {f} adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be given to it, but the sign of the prophet Jonas:

(f) Bastard, who fell from Abraham's faith or forsook the true worship of God.

12:41 {9} The men of Nineveh shall rise in judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it: because they repented at the preaching of Jonas; and, behold, a greater than Jonas [is] here.

(9) Christ teaches, by the sorrowful example of the Jews, that there are none more miserable than they who put out the light of the gospel which was kindled in them.

12:42 The queen of the {g} south shall rise up in the judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it: for she came from the {h} uttermost parts of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and, behold, a greater than Solomon [is] here.

(g) He means the Queen of Sheba: whose country is south in respect to the land of Israel; 1Ki 10:1-13.

(h) For Sheba is situated in the farthest coast of Arabia at the mouth of the Arabian Sea.

12:46 {10} While he yet talked to the people, behold, [his] mother and his brethren stood without, desiring to speak with him.

(10) Christ teaches by his own example that all things ought to be set aside in respect of God's glory.

12:49 {11} And he stretched forth his hand toward his disciples, and said, Behold my mother and my brethren!

(11) None are more near unto us than they that are of the household of faith.