• Mark 2:26
    The Kingdom Interlinear Translation of the Greek Scriptures

    • 26 πῶς How εἰσῆλθεν he entered εἰς into τὸν the οἶκον house τοῦ of the θεοῦ God ἐπὶ upon ᾿Αβιάθαρ Abiathar ἀρχιερέως chief priest καὶ and τοὺς the ἄρτους loaves τῆς of the προθέσεως presentation ἔφαγεν, he ate, οὓς which οὐκ not ἔξεστιν it is lawful φαγεῖν to eat εἰ if μὴ not τοὺς the ἱερεῖς, priests, καὶ and ἔδωκεν he gave καὶ also τοῖς to the (ones) σὺν together with αὐτῷ him οὖσιν; being?

  • Mark 2:26
    King James Version

    • 26 How he went into the house of God in the days of Abiathar the high priest, and did eat the shewbread, which is not lawful to eat but for the priests, and gave also to them which were with him?

  • Mark 2:26
    American Standard Version

    • 26 How he entered into the house of God when Abiathar was high priest, and ate the showbread, which it is not lawful to eat save for the priests, and gave also to them that were with him?

  • Mark 2:26
    The Bible in Living English

    • 26* how he went into the house of God in the high-priesthood of Abiathar and ate the showbread, which it is not lawful that any but the priests should eat, and gave it to those who were with him too?”

  • Mark Study Notes—Chapter 2
    New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures (Study Edition)

    • 2:26

      in the account about: The Greek preposition e·piʹ used here can refer to time or to place/location, such as a passage of Scripture. Most translators understand it to mean “when (Abiathar was . . . ).” However, as explained in the study note on Abiathar the chief priest in this verse, the historical event that Jesus is referring to (1Sa 21:1-6) makes it more likely that the Greek preposition should be understood in a locative sense, that is, referring to a Scriptural account. A similar Greek structure is found at Mr 12:26 and Lu 20:37, where many translations use the phrase “in the account (passage) about.”

      Abiathar the chief priest: The Greek term used here may be rendered “high priest” or “chief priest.” The latter rendering is more appropriate for Abiathar, since his father, Ahimelech, was high priest on the occasion described. (1Sa 21:1-6) Abiathar is first mentioned shortly after David entered the house of God and ate the showbread. It seems that as a son of High Priest Ahimelech, Abiathar was already serving as a prominent, or chief, priest at that time. He was the only son of Ahimelech to survive the slaughter by Doeg the Edomite. (1Sa 22:18-20) He later became high priest, evidently during David’s reign. Even if the rendering “high priest” is used, the Greek construction rendered “in the account about” is broad and may refer to the larger section of 1 Samuel chapters 21 to 23, where a number of references are made to Abiathar, who later became a well-known high priest. Some Greek scholars favor the rendering “in the time of Abiathar the high priest,” which could also refer to the overall time period, including the time when Abiathar later became high priest. Whatever the explanation, we can be sure that this statement of Jesus was in harmony with the historical facts.

      house of God: Here referring to the tabernacle. The account Jesus refers to (1Sa 21:1-6) occurred when the tabernacle was located at Nob, a town evidently in the territory of Benjamin and close to Jerusalem.​—See App. B7 (inset).

      loaves of presentation: See study note on Mt 12:4 and Glossary, “Showbread.”