John Gill's Bible Commentary Ver. 1. And it came to pass on the second sabbath day after the first , etc.] Or second first sabbath, concerning which interpreters are greatly divided. Some think, that it was either the seventh day of the feast of unleavened bread, or the eighth day of the feast of tabernacles. Others, that it was the sabbath which fell that year on the day of Pentecost; and that as there were three grand festivals among the Jews, the feasts of passover, Pentecost, and tabernacles; so when the sabbath day fell on the feast of the passover, it was called the first prime sabbath, when on the feast of Pentecost, it was called the second prime sabbath, and when on the feast of tabernacles, the third prime sabbath. Others have been of opinion, that as the Jews had two beginnings of their year, the one on civil accounts in Tisri, the other on ecclesiastical accounts in Nisan; so the first sabbath in Tisri was called the first first sabbath, and that in Nisan, which was this, the second first sabbath: but what seems most likely is, that this sabbath was, as it may be rendered, the first sabbath after the second; that is, the first sabbath after the second day of the passover, when the sheaf of the firstfruits was offered, and harvest might be begun; which suits well with ears of corn being ripe at this time, which the disciples rubbed. So the Jews reckoned the seven weeks from thence to Pentecost by sabbaths; the first after the second day they called the second first, or the first after the second day; the second they called the second second; and the third was named the second third; and so on, the second fourth, the second fifth, the second sixth, and second seventh, which brought on Pentecost, when the harvest was ended. So in the Jewish liturgies, there are collects for the first sabbath after the passover, and for the second sabbath after the passover, and so on to the sabbath before Pentecost. The eastern versions, Syriac, Arabic, Persic, and Ethiopic, not knowing what should be meant by it, have only rendered it, on the sabbath day, as in Mt. 12:1. (See Gill on Matthew 12:1). That he went through the corn fields ; that is, Jesus, as the Syriac, Persic, and Ethiopic versions: and his disciples plucked the ears of corn, and did eat, rubbing them in their hands : after they had plucked them they rubbed them in their hands to get clean off the husk or beard, that were on them, and then ate the grains.
And as plucking of the ears of corn was forbidden on a sabbath day, (see Gill on Matthew 12:2), so was rubbing them; though if they were rubbed before, the chaff might be blown off from them in the hand, and eat on the sabbath day: the rule is this f251 ; he that rubs ears of corn on the evening of the sabbath, (i.e. on the sixth day,) may blow them from hand to hand on the morrow, and eat But the disciples both plucked them, and rubbed them, and blew away the chaff from them on the sabbath day, and therefore were complained of by the Pharisees.
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 1-5 - Christ justifies his disciples in a work of necessity for themselves of the sabbath day, and that was plucking the ears of corn when they wer hungry. But we must take heed that we mistake not this liberty for leave to commit sin. Christ will have us to know and remember that it is his day, therefore to be spent in his service, and to his honour.
Greek Textus Receptus
εγενετο 1096 5633 V-2ADI-3S δε 1161 CONJ εν 1722 PREP σαββατω 4521 N-DSN δευτεροπρωτω 1207 A-DSN διαπορευεσθαι 1279 5738 V-PNN αυτον 846 P-ASM δια 1223 PREP των 3588 T-GPM σποριμων 4702 A-GPM και 2532 CONJ ετιλλον 5089 5707 V-IAI-3P οι 3588 T-NPM μαθηται 3101 N-NPM αυτου 846 P-GSM τους 3588 T-APM σταχυας 4719 N-APM και 2532 CONJ ησθιον 2068 5707 V-IAI-3P ψωχοντες 5597 5723 V-PAP-NPM ταις 3588 T-DPF χερσιν 5495 N-DPF
Vincent's NT Word Studies
1. The second after the first (deuteroprwtw). Only here in New Testament. Many high authorities omit it, and its exact meaning cannot be determined. Rev. omits.Went through (diaporeuesqai). Rev., was going. Compare paraporeuesqai, went along beside - Mark ii. 23.
Cornfields. See on Matt. xii. 1.
Plucked (etillon). Imperfect; were plucking, as they walked. In classical Greek the word is used mostly of pulling out hair or feathers. See on Mark ii. 23.
Did eat (hsqion). Imperfect, were eating.
Rubbing (ywcontev). The verb means to rub small.
Robertson's NT Word Studies
6:1 {On a sabbath} (en sabbatwi). this is the second sabbath on which Jesus is noted by Luke. The first was #Lu 4:31-41. There was another in #Joh 5:1-47. There is Western and Syrian (Byzantine) evidence for a very curious reading here which calls this sabbath "secondfirst" (deuteroprwtwi). It is undoubtedly spurious, though Westcott and Hort print it in the margin. A possible explanation is that a scribe wrote "first" (prwtwi) on the margin because of the sabbath miracle in #Lu 6:6-11. qen another scribe recalled #Lu 4:31 where a sabbath is mentioned and wrote "second" (deuterwi) also on the margin. Finally a third scribe combined the two in the word deuteroprwtwi that is not found elsewhere. If it were genuine, we should not know what it means. {Plucked} (etillon). Imperfect active. They were plucking as they went on through (diaporeuesqai). Whether wheat or barley, we do not know, not our "corn" (maize). {Did eat} (esqion). Imperfect again. See on Mt 12:1f.; Mr 2:23f. for the separate acts in supposed violence of the sabbath laws. {Rubbing them in their hands} (ywcontes tais cersin). Only in Luke and only here in the N.T. this was one of the chief offences. "According to Rabbinical notions, it was reaping, threshing, winnowing, and preparing food all at once" (Plummer). These Pharisees were straining out gnats and swallowing camels! this verb ywcw is a late one for yaw, to rub.
