Deuteronomy 23:25

25 If you go into your neighbor's grainfield, you may pick grain with your hands, but you must not cut down your neighbor's grain with your sickle.

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 You must do whatever you say you will do, because you chose to make the promise to the Lord your God.
24 If you go into your neighbor's vineyard, you may eat as many grapes as you wish, but do not put any grapes into your basket.
25 If you go into your neighbor's grainfield, you may pick grain with your hands, but you must not cut down your neighbor's grain with your sickle.
Scripture taken from the New Century Version. Copyright © 1987, 1988, 1991 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.