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Mark 2:25-26

He said to them, “Did you never read what David did, when he had need, and was hungry—he, and those who were with him? How he entered into God’s house at the time of Abiathar the high priest, and ate the show bread, which is not lawful to eat except for the priests, and gave also to those who were with him?”

World English Bible · Public Domain
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Mark 2:25-26 sits inside this longer paragraph.

He said to them, “Did you never read what David did, when he had need, and was hungry—he, and those who were with him? How he entered into God’s house at the time of Abiathar the high priest, and ate the show bread, which is not lawful to eat except for the priests, and gave also to those who were with him?” He said to them, “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath. Therefore the Son of Man is lord even of the Sabbath.”

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Parallel Translations

  • WEB World English Bible

    He said to them, “Did you never read what David did, when he had need, and was hungry—he, and those who were with him?

    How he entered into God’s house at the time of Abiathar the high priest, and ate the show bread, which is not lawful to eat except for the priests, and gave also to those who were with him?”

  • TYNDALE Tyndale New Testament (1534)

    And he sayde to them: have ye never rede what David dyd when he had nede and was anhogred bothe he and they that were with him?

    How he went into the housse of God in the dayes of Abiathar the hye preste and dyd eate the halowed loves which is not laufull to eate but for the prestes only: and gave also to the which were with him?

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  • GNV Geneva Bible (1599)

    And he saide to them, Haue yee neuer read what Dauid did when he had neede, and was an hungred, both he, and they that were with him?

    Howe he went into the house of God, in the daies of Abiathar the hie Priest, and did eat the shewe bread, which were not lawfull to eate, but for the Priests, and gaue also to them which were with him?

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Examined in Scripture Analysis

Contradictions (2)

Questions where the Bible appears to say two different things, with the passages on each side set together.

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Cross-references (18)

  • 1 Samuel 21:3-6 (v25) Now therefore what is under your hand? Please give me five loaves of bread in my hand, or whatever is available.” The priest answered…
  • 2 Samuel 8:17 (v26) Zadok the son of Ahitub and Ahimelech the son of Abiathar were priests, Seraiah was scribe,
  • Leviticus 24:5-9 (v26) “You shall take fine flour, and bake twelve cakes of it: two tenths of an ephah shall be in one cake. You shall set them in two rows, six…
  • 1 Samuel 21:1 (v26) Then David came to Nob to Ahimelech the priest. Ahimelech came to meet David trembling, and said to him, “Why are you alone, and no man…
  • 1 Chronicles 24:6 (v26) Shemaiah the son of Nethanel the scribe, who was of the Levites, wrote them in the presence of the king, the princes, Zadok the priest,…
Show all 18 cross-references
  • 1 Samuel 22:20-22 (v26) One of the sons of Ahimelech, the son of Ahitub, named Abiathar, escaped, and fled after David. Abiathar told David that Saul had slain…
  • 1 Kings 2:26-27 (v26) To Abiathar the priest the king said, “Go to Anathoth, to your own fields; for you are worthy of death. But I will not at this time put you…
  • Luke 10:26 (v25) He said to him, “What is written in the law? How do you read it?”
  • Exodus 29:32-33 (v26) Aaron and his sons shall eat the meat of the ram, and the bread that is in the basket, at the door of the Tent of Meeting. They shall eat…
  • 1 Samuel 23:6 (v26) When Abiathar the son of Ahimelech fled to David to Keilah, he came down with an ephod in his hand.
  • 1 Samuel 23:9 (v26) David knew that Saul was devising mischief against him; and he said to Abiathar the priest, “Bring the ephod here.”
  • 2 Samuel 15:24 (v26) Behold, Zadok also came, and all the Levites with him, bearing the ark of the covenant of God; and they set down God’s ark; and Abiathar…
  • 2 Samuel 15:29 (v26) Zadok therefore and Abiathar carried God’s ark to Jerusalem again; and they stayed there.
  • 2 Samuel 15:35 (v26) Don’t you have Zadok and Abiathar the priests there with you? Therefore whatever you hear out of the king’s house, tell it to Zadok and…
  • 2 Samuel 20:25 (v26) Sheva was scribe, and Zadok and Abiathar were priests,
  • 1 Kings 1:7 (v26) He conferred with Joab the son of Zeruiah, and with Abiathar the priest; and they followed Adonijah and helped him.
  • 1 Kings 2:22 (v26) King Solomon answered his mother, “Why do you ask Abishag the Shunammite for Adonijah? Ask for him the kingdom also; for he is my elder…
  • 1 Kings 4:4 (v26) Benaiah the son of Jehoiada was over the army; Zadok and Abiathar were priests;

Cross-references from openbible.info (CC BY 4.0)

Explain this passage (15 sources)

Historical commentary, presented as a primary source — not an endorsement.

Geneva Bible translators 1599 · Public Domain On v26 In 1 Sam. 21:1 he is called Ahimelech and…

In 1 Sam. 21:1 he is called Ahimelech and his son Abiathar, but by conference of other places, it is plain, that both of them had two names. See also 1 Chron. 24:6; 2 Sam. 8:17; 2 Sam. 15:29; 1 Kings 2:26; 2 Kings 25:18.

Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain.

John Trapp 1656 · Public Domain On vv25–26 25 And he said unto them, Have ye never…
John Gill 1763 · Public Domain On vv25–26 How he went into the house of God,.... The…
John Wesley 1765 · Public Domain On v26 In the days of Abiathar the high priest -…
Adam Clarke 1810 · Public Domain On v26 Verse 26. The days of Abiathar the high priest]…
Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary 1859 · Public Domain On vv25–26 When he had need. In necessity many things are…
Daniel D. Whedon 1874 · Public Domain On v26 26. In the days of Abiathar the high priest…
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges 1878 · Public Domain On vv25–26 25. Have ye never read] Rather, Did ye never…
Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers 1878 · Public Domain On v26 (26) In the days of Abiathar the high priest.—St.…
The Pulpit Commentary 1880 · Public Domain On v25 Vers. 25, 26. David... and they that were with…
The Biblical Illustrator 1887 · Public Domain On v25 And He said unto them, Have ye never read…
B. W. Johnson 1891 · Public Domain On v26 26. In the days of Abiathar, the high priest.…
C. I. Scofield 1917 · Public Domain On v26 (See Scofield "Exo 25:30")
unfoldingWord translationNotes 2017 · CC BY-SA 4.0 On v25 He said to them
Tyndale Open Study Notes 2022 · CC BY-SA 4.0 On v25 2:25-26 Jesus countered with reference to an incident in…
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