Deuteronomy 23:25

25 If thou enterest into the corn (field) of thy friend, thou shalt break off the ears of the corn, and rub them together with thine hands; but thou shalt not reap them with a 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 Forsooth thou shalt keep (thy word), and do that that went out once of thy lips, as thou promisedest to thy Lord God, and hast spoken with thine own will and thy mouth. (But once thy vow hath gone out of thy lips, thou shalt keep thy word, and do it, as thou promisedest to the Lord thy God, and hast spoken with thy own will and thy own mouth.)

24 If thou enterest into the vineyard of thy neighbour, eat thou (some) grapes, as much as [it] pleaseth thee; but bear thou none out with thee (but carry none away with thee).

25 If thou enterest into the corn (field) of thy friend, thou shalt break off the ears of the corn, and rub them together with thine hands; but thou shalt not reap them with a sickle.