Luke 6:2

But some of the Pharisees ¹  said, “Why are you ²  doing what is against the law ³  on the Sabbath?”

Ex 22:10; Ex 31:15; Ex 35:2; Nu 15:32-35; Isa 58:13; Mt 12:2; Mt 15:2; Mt 23:23,24; Mr 2:24; Lu 5:33; Lu 6:7-9; Joh 5:9-11,16; Joh 9:14-16

¹ sn See the note on Pharisees in 5:17.

² tn Note that the verb is second person plural (with an understood plural pronominal subject in Greek). The charge is again indirectly made against Jesus by charging the disciples.

³ sn The alleged violation expressed by the phrase what is against the law is performing work on the Sabbath. That the disciples ate from such a field is no problem given Deut 23:25, but Sabbath activity is another matter in the leaders’ view (Exod 20:8-11 and Mishnah, m. Shabbat 7.2). The supposed violation involved reaping, threshing, winnowing, and preparing food. This probably explains why the clause describing the disciples “rubbing” the heads of grain in their hands is mentioned last, in emphatic position. This was preparation of food.