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MATTHEW 12:7 — KING JAMES VERSION 0
Matt 12:6Matt 12:8
“But if ye had known what this meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice, ye would not have condemned the guiltless.”
And if you had known what this means: I desire mercy, and not sacrifice, you would not have condemned the guiltless. The Hosea 6:6 citation (already used in Matthew 9:13) is applied to the Sabbath controversy: the Pharisees who have condemned the guiltless disciples have prioritized the letter of the sacrifice-system interpretation over the mercy that the law fundamentally serves. The knowledge of what the Scripture means — not merely knowledge of its words — would have prevented the condemnation. Biblical literacy without theological understanding produces the same error as ignorance.

Church Fathers on Matthew 12:7

Having related the preaching together with the miracles of one year before John’s enquiry, He passes to those of another year, namely after the death of John, when Jesus is already in all things spoken against; and hence it is said, 'At that time Jesus passed through the corn fields on the sabbath day.'

Gloss (Glossa Ordinaria) · medieval compilation · ord.

This which here follows is related both by Mark and Luke, without any question of discrepancy; indeed they do not say, 'At that time,' so that Matthew has here perhaps preserved the order of time, they that of their recollection; unless we take the words in a wider sense, 'At that time,' that is, the time in which these many and divers things were done, whence we may conceive that all these things happened after the death of John. For he is believed to have been beheaded a…

Augustine · 4th century · De Cons. Ev., ii, 34

Why then did He lead them through the corn fields on the sabbath, seeing He knew all things, unless He desired to break the sabbath? This he desired indeed, but not absolutely; therefore He broke it not without cause, but furnished a sufficient reason; so that He both caused the Law to cease, and yet offended not against it.

Chrysostom · 4th century · Hom., xxxix
Read all 24 entries in the readerCatena Aurea · St. Thomas Aquinas, tr. J. H. Newman · public domain
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