27 And he said unto them, The sabbath was made for man, and not man for the sabbath:
27 Then he said to them, "The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath.
27 And he said to them, "The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath.
27 Then Jesus said, "The Sabbath was made to serve us; we weren't made to serve the Sabbath.
27 And He said to them, "The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath.
27 Then Jesus said to them, "The Sabbath was made to meet the needs of people, and not people to meet the requirements of the Sabbath.
Matthew Henry's Commentary on Mark 2:27
Commentary on Mark 2:23-28
(Read Mark 2:23-28)
The sabbath is a sacred and Divine institution; a privilege and benefit, not a task and drudgery. God never designed it to be a burden to us, therefore we must not make it so to ourselves. The sabbath was instituted for the good of mankind, as living in society, having many wants and troubles, preparing for a state of happiness or misery. Man was not made for the sabbath, as if his keeping it could be of service to God, nor was he commanded to keep it outward observances to his real hurt. Every observance respecting it, is to be interpreted by the rule of mercy.