Matthew 12:7 meaning and explanation
If only you had known the meaning of ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice,’ you would not have condemned the innocent.
Matthew 12:7, Berean Standard Bible
Explanation preview
Jesus is answering Pharisees who accused His hungry disciples of breaking the Sabbath by picking grain. He cites David eating the consecrated bread and the priests working in the temple, then quotes Hosea 6:7, where God says through the prophet that He desires mercy, the Hebrew chesed, meaning steadfast covenant love, rather than sacrifice.
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