Deuteronomy 23:25

25 "When you come into the standing grain of your neighbor, then you may pluck ears with your hand, but you may not {swing} a sickle among the standing grain of your neighbor."

Deuteronomy 23:25 Meaning and Commentary

Deuteronomy 23:25

When thou comest into the standing corn of thy neighbour
Passest through it to go to some other place, the road lying through it, as it often does through standing corn; so Christ and his disciples are said to go through the corn, ( Matthew 12:1 ) ; but Jarchi says this Scripture speaks of a workman also, and so the Targum of Jonathan,

``when thou goest in to take thine hire according to work in thy neighbour's standing corn;''

but the other sense is best, and is confirmed and illustrated by the instance given, as well as best agrees with what follows:

then thou mayest pluck the ears with thine hand;
the ears of wheat, and rub them, to separate the grain from the husk or beard, and eat it, as did the disciples of Christ; ( Luke 6:1 ) ; to satisfy hunger: but thou shall not move a sickle unto thy neighbour's standing corn to cut it down and carry any of it off; which would have been an unjust thing.

Deuteronomy 23:25 In-Context

23 The utterance of your lips {you must perform diligently} [just] as you have vowed freely to Yahweh your God whatever [it was] that you promised with your mouth.

24 "When you come into the vineyard of your neighbor, then you may eat grapes {as you please} and {until you are full}, but you shall not put [any] into your container.

25 "When you come into the standing grain of your neighbor, then you may pluck ears with your hand, but you may not {swing} a sickle among the standing grain of your neighbor."

Footnotes

• [a]. Or "If"
• [b]. Literally "wave"