Luke 6:2 (ASV)

Passage

But certain of the Pharisees said, Why do ye that which it is not lawful to do on the sabbath day?

Nearby Context

Luke 6:1 Now it came to pass on a sabbath, that he was going through the grainfields; and his disciples plucked the ears, and did eat, rubbing them in their hands.

Luke 6:2 But certain of the Pharisees said, Why do ye that which it is not lawful to do on the sabbath day?

Luke 6:3 And Jesus answering them said, Have ye not read even this, what David did, when he was hungry, he, and they that were with him;

Luke 6:4 how he entered into the house of God, and took and ate the showbread, and gave also to them that were with him; which it is not lawful to eat save for the priests alone?

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "certain", "pharisees", "said", "lawful", and "sabbath". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "certain" and "pharisees", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 1's "Now it came to pass on a..." into verse 3's "And Jesus answering them said Have ye...", so "certain" and "pharisees" belong inside that flow. In Luke context, the local focus is Christ, faith, and discipleship.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "certain" and "pharisees" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.