# Matthew 12.7

<!-- type: passage | created: 2026-06-01 | updated: 2026-06-01 -->

**Book:** [Matthew](/codex/matthew-the-apostle/) · NASB95

## Immediate context (±2 verses)

**ASV** ([ASV](/codex/asv/))
> 5. <span class="rl-speech">Or have ye not read in the law, that on the sabbath day the priests in the temple profane the sabbath, and are guiltless?</span> 6. <span class="rl-speech">But I say unto you, that one greater than the temple is here.</span>
>
> **7. <span class="rl-speech">But if ye had known what this meaneth, I desire mercy, and not sacrifice, ye would not have condemned the guiltless.</span>**
>
> 8. <span class="rl-speech">For the Son of man is lord of the sabbath.</span> 9. And he departed thence, and went into their synagogue: (Matthew 12:5-9, ASV)

**WEB** ([WEB](/codex/web/))
> 5. <span class="rl-speech">Or have you not read in the law, that on the Sabbath day, the priests in the temple profane the Sabbath, and are guiltless?</span> 6. <span class="rl-speech">But I tell you that one greater than the temple is here.</span>
>
> **7. <span class="rl-speech">But if you had known what this means, ‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice,’ you would not have condemned the guiltless.</span>**
>
> 8. <span class="rl-speech">For the Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath.”</span> 9. He departed there, and went into their synagogue. (Matthew 12:5-9, WEB)

**KJV** ([KJV](/codex/kjv/))
> 5. <span class="rl-speech">Or have ye not read in the law, how that on the sabbath days the priests in the temple profane the sabbath, and are blameless?</span> 6. <span class="rl-speech">But I say unto you, That in this place is one greater than the temple.</span>
>
> **7. <span class="rl-speech">But if ye had known what this meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice, ye would not have condemned the guiltless.</span>**
>
> 8. <span class="rl-speech">For the Son of man is Lord even of the sabbath day.</span> 9. And when he was departed thence, he went into their synagogue: (Matthew 12:5-9, KJV)

**YLT** ([YLT](/codex/ylt/))
> 5. <span class="rl-speech">'Or did ye not read in the Law, that on the sabbaths the priests in the temple do profane the sabbath, and are blameless?</span> 6. <span class="rl-speech">and I say to you, that a greater than the temple is here;</span>
>
> **7. <span class="rl-speech">and if ye had known what is: Kindness I will, and not sacrifice, ye had not condemned the blameless,</span>**
>
> 8. <span class="rl-speech">for the son of man is lord even of the sabbath.'</span> 9. And having departed thence, he went to their synagogue, (Matthew 12:5-9, YLT)

## Setting

- **Speaker:** _TBD_
- **Audience:** _TBD_
- **Location:** _TBD_
- **Time period:** _TBD_

## Theological reading

_Patristic / early-church-father exegesis, to be added._

## Key words

_Theologically-loaded Greek or Hebrew words in this verse may have entries in the lexicon. Curated to roughly 100 contested terms across the corpus, not every word; see Lexicon Roadmap._

- _TBD_
- _TBD_
- _TBD_
- _TBD_

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## Quoted in

**Arguments and defeaters:**

- [Ritual Purity Laws Objection Defeater](/codex/ritual-purity-laws-objection-defeater/), via [Matthew 12.1-14](/codex/matthew-12-1-14/)

**Concepts:**

- [Jesus Said](/codex/jesus-said/), via [Matthew 12](/codex/matthew-12/)
- [Sabbath](/codex/sabbath/), via [Matthew 12.1-14](/codex/matthew-12-1-14/)

**Lexicon:**

- [G1656 - eleos](/codex/g1656-eleos/)

**Passages:**

- [Hosea 6.6](/codex/hosea-6-6/)

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_Scripture quotations taken from the **New American Standard Bible®** (NASB), Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995 by **The Lockman Foundation**. Used by permission. All rights reserved. [www.lockman.org](https://www.lockman.org)_

## Why these four translations

ris3n chose ASV, WEB, KJV, and YLT for two reasons together. They are the **most literal English translations available** (formal-equivalence: word-for-word renderings that preserve the Hebrew and Greek grammar rather than smoothing it into modern dynamic-equivalence idiom). And they are in the **public domain in the United States**, which means fair-use quotation at any length requires no publisher license. Modern licensed translations (NASB95, ESV, NIV) restrict volume of quotation under their copyright terms, so they are not used at stub-level coverage here. NASB95 appears only on hand-curated rich passage hubs under Lockman Foundation's fair-use allowance.

The four:

- **[ASV](/codex/asv/)** (American Standard Version, 1901). The basis of the modern critical-text English tradition.
- **[WEB](/codex/web/)** (World English Bible, contemporary). Public-domain revision in the ASV line, in current English.
- **[KJV](/codex/kjv/)** (King James Version, 1611). Reformation-era, Textus Receptus base.
- **[YLT](/codex/ylt/)** (Young's Literal Translation, Robert Young, 1862). Hyper-literal preservation of Hebrew and Greek grammar; useful for word-study work even where English reads stiff.

See [Bibles](/codex/bibles/) for the full per-translation history, translators, textual basis, strengths, and weaknesses.