2 Tawarikh 30:18-20

30:18 The majority of the many people from Ephraim, Manasseh, Issachar, and Zebulun were ceremonially unclean, yet they ate the Passover in violation of what is prescribed in the law. ¹  For Hezekiah prayed for them, saying: “May the Lord, who is good, forgive ²  30:19 everyone who has determined to follow God, ³  the Lord God of his ancestors, even if he is not ceremonially clean according to the standards of the temple.” ⁴  30:20 The Lord responded favorably ⁵  to Hezekiah and forgave ⁶  the people.

Zakharia 7:8-9

7:8 Again the word of the Lord came to Zechariah: 7:9 “The Lord who rules over all said, ‘Exercise true judgment and show brotherhood and compassion to each other.

Matius 12:3-7

12:3 He ⁷  said to them, “Haven’t you read what David did when he and his companions were hungry – 12:4 how he entered the house of God and they ate ⁸  the sacred bread, ⁹  which was against the law ¹⁰  for him or his companions to eat, but only for the priests? ¹¹  12:5 Or have you not read in the law that the priests in the temple desecrate the Sabbath and yet are not guilty? 12:6 I ¹²  tell you that something greater than the temple is here. 12:7 If ¹³  you had known what this means: ‘I want mercy and not sacrifice,’ ¹⁴  you would not have condemned the innocent.

Matius 12:20

12:20 He will not break a bruised reed or extinguish a smoldering wick,

until he brings justice to victory.

[30:18]  ¹ tn Heb “without what is written.”

[30:18]  ² tn Heb “make atonement for.”

[30:19]  ³ tn Heb “everyone [who] has prepared his heart to seek God.”

[30:19]  ⁴ tn Heb “and not according to the purification of the holy place.”

[30:20]  ⁵ tn Heb “listened.”

[30:20]  ⁶ tn Heb “healed.”

[12:3]  ⁷ tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.

[12:4]  ⁸ tc The Greek verb ἔφαγεν (efagen, “he ate”) is found in a majority of witnesses (Ì⁷⁰ C D L W Θ Ë^1,13 33 Ï latt sy co) in place of ἔφαγον (efagon, “they ate”), the wording found in א B pc. ἔφαγεν is most likely motivated by the parallels in Mark and Luke (both of which have the singular).

[12:4]  ⁹ tn Grk “the bread of presentation.”

[12:4]  sn The sacred bread refers to the “bread of presentation,” “showbread,” or “bread of the Presence,” twelve loaves prepared weekly for the tabernacle and later, the temple. See Exod 25:30; 35:13; 39:36; Lev 24:5-9. Each loaf was made from 3 quarts (3.5 liters; Heb “two tenths of an ephah”) of fine flour. The loaves were placed on a table in the holy place of the tabernacle, on the north side opposite the lampstand (Exod 26:35). It was the duty of the priest each Sabbath to place fresh bread on the table; the loaves from the previous week were then given to Aaron and his descendants, who ate them in the holy place, because they were considered sacred (Lev 24:9). See also Mark 2:23-28, Luke 6:1-5.

[12:4]  ¹⁰ sn Jesus’ response to the charge that what his disciples were doing was against the law is one of analogy: “If David did it for his troops in a time of need, then so can I with my disciples.” Jesus is clear that on the surface there was a violation here. What is not as clear is whether he is arguing a “greater need” makes this permissible or that this was within the intention of the law all along.

[12:4]  ¹¹ sn See 1 Sam 21:1-6.

[12:6]  ¹² tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.

[12:7]  ¹³ tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.

[12:7]  ¹⁴ sn A quotation from Hos 6:6 (see also Matt 9:13).