Deuteronomy 23:25

25 And when you walk through the ripe grain of your neighbor, you may pick the heads of grain, but you may not swing your sickle there.

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 If you say you're going to do something, do it. Keep the vow you willingly vowed to God, your God. You promised it, so do it.
24 When you enter your neighbor's vineyard, you may eat all the grapes you want until you're full, but you may not put any in your bucket or bag.
25 And when you walk through the ripe grain of your neighbor, you may pick the heads of grain, but you may not swing your sickle there.
Published by permission. Originally published by NavPress in English as THE MESSAGE: The Bible in Contemporary Language copyright 2002 by Eugene Peterson. All rights reserved.