Matthew 12:7
New International Version
If you had known what these words mean, ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice,’ you would not have condemned the innocent.

New Living Translation
But you would not have condemned my innocent disciples if you knew the meaning of this Scripture: ‘I want you to show mercy, not offer sacrifices.’

English Standard Version
And if you had known what this means, ‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice,’ you would not have condemned the guiltless.

Berean Standard Bible
If only you had known the meaning of ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice,’ you would not have condemned the innocent.

Berean Literal Bible
But if you had known what this is, 'I desire mercy and not sacrifice,' then you would not have condemned the guiltless.

King James Bible
But if ye had known what this meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice, ye would not have condemned the guiltless.

New King James Version
But if you had known what this means, ‘I desire mercy and not sacrifice,’ you would not have condemned the guiltless.

New American Standard Bible
But if you had known what this means: ‘I DESIRE COMPASSION, RATHER THAN SACRIFICE,’ you would not have condemned the innocent.

NASB 1995
“But if you had known what this means, ‘I DESIRE COMPASSION, AND NOT A SACRIFICE,’ you would not have condemned the innocent.

NASB 1977
“But if you had known what this means, ‘I DESIRE COMPASSION, AND NOT A SACRIFICE,’ you would not have condemned the innocent.

Legacy Standard Bible
But if you had known what this means, ‘I DESIRE COMPASSION, AND NOT A SACRIFICE,’ you would not have condemned the innocent.

Amplified Bible
And if you had only known what this statement means, ‘I DESIRE COMPASSION [for those in distress], AND NOT [animal] SACRIFICE,’ you would not have condemned the innocent.

Christian Standard Bible
If you had known what this means, I desire mercy and not sacrifice, you would not have condemned the innocent.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
If you had known what this means: I desire mercy and not sacrifice, you would not have condemned the innocent.

American Standard Version
But if ye had known what this meaneth, I desire mercy, and not sacrifice, ye would not have condemned the guiltless.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
But if you had known what this is, 'I want mercy and not a sacrifice', you would not have condemned those who are blameless.

Contemporary English Version
Don't you know what the Scriptures mean when they say, "Instead of offering sacrifices to me, I want you to be merciful to others?" If you knew what this means, you would not condemn these innocent disciples of mine.

Douay-Rheims Bible
And if you knew what this meaneth: I will have mercy, and not sacrifice: you would never have condemned the innocent.

English Revised Version
But if ye had known what this meaneth, I desire mercy, and not sacrifice, ye would not have condemned the guiltless.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
If you had known what 'I want mercy, not sacrifices' means, you would not have condemned innocent people.

Good News Translation
The scripture says, 'It is kindness that I want, not animal sacrifices.' If you really knew what this means, you would not condemn people who are not guilty;

International Standard Version
If you had known what 'I want mercy and not sacrifice' means, you would not have condemned the innocent,

Literal Standard Version
and if you had known what [this] is: Kindness I will, and not sacrifice—you had not condemned the blameless,

Majority Standard Bible
If only you had known the meaning of ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice,’ you would not have condemned the innocent.

New American Bible
If you knew what this meant, ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice,’ you would not have condemned these innocent men.

NET Bible
If you had known what this means: 'I want mercy and not sacrifice,' you would not have condemned the innocent.

New Revised Standard Version
But if you had known what this means, ‘I desire mercy and not sacrifice,’ you would not have condemned the guiltless.

New Heart English Bible
But if you had known what this means, 'I desire mercy, and not sacrifice,' you would not have condemned the innocent.

Webster's Bible Translation
But if ye had known what this meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice, ye would not have condemned the guiltless.

Weymouth New Testament
And if you knew what this means, 'It is mercy I desire, not sacrifice', you would not have condemned those who are without guilt.

World English Bible
But if you had known what this means, ‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice,’ you wouldn’t have condemned the guiltless.

Young's Literal Translation
and if ye had known what is: Kindness I will, and not sacrifice -- ye had not condemned the blameless,

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
The Lord of the Sabbath
6But I tell you that something greater than the temple is here. 7If only you had known the meaning of ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice,’ you would not have condemned the innocent. 8For the Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath.”…

Cross References
1 Samuel 15:22
But Samuel declared: "Does the LORD delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obedience to His voice? Behold, obedience is better than sacrifice, and attentiveness is better than the fat of rams.

Hosea 6:6
For I desire mercy, not sacrifice, and the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings.

Matthew 9:13
But go and learn what this means: 'I desire mercy, not sacrifice.' For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners."

Mark 12:33
and to love Him with all your heart and with all your understanding and with all your strength, and to love your neighbor as yourself, which is more important than all burnt offerings and sacrifices."


Treasury of Scripture

But if you had known what this means, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice, you would not have condemned the guiltless.

if.

Matthew 9:13
But go ye and learn what that meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice: for I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.

Matthew 22:29
Jesus answered and said unto them, Ye do err, not knowing the scriptures, nor the power of God.

Acts 13:27
For they that dwell at Jerusalem, and their rulers, because they knew him not, nor yet the voices of the prophets which are read every sabbath day, they have fulfilled them in condemning him.

I will.

Isaiah 1:11-17
To what purpose is the multitude of your sacrifices unto me? saith the LORD: I am full of the burnt offerings of rams, and the fat of fed beasts; and I delight not in the blood of bullocks, or of lambs, or of he goats…

Hosea 6:6
For I desired mercy, and not sacrifice; and the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings.

Micah 6:6-8
Wherewith shall I come before the LORD, and bow myself before the high God? shall I come before him with burnt offerings, with calves of a year old? …

condemned.

Job 32:3
Also against his three friends was his wrath kindled, because they had found no answer, and yet had condemned Job.

Psalm 94:21
They gather themselves together against the soul of the righteous, and condemn the innocent blood.

Psalm 109:31
For he shall stand at the right hand of the poor, to save him from those that condemn his soul.

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Matthew 12
1. Jesus reproves the blindness of the Pharisees concerning the Sabbath,
3. by scripture,
9. by reason,
13. and by a miracle.
22. He heals a man possessed that was blind and mute;
24. and confronting the absurd charge of casting out demons by Beelzebub,
32. he shows that blasphemy against the Holy Spirit shall never be forgiven.
36. Account shall be made of idle words.
38. He rebukes the unfaithful, who seek after a sign,
46. and shows who is his brother, sister, and mother.














(7) I will have mercy, and not sacrifice.--Yet a third argument follows from the Old Testament (Hosea 6:6). The teachers or interpreters of the Law had failed to catch the meaning of the simplest utterances of the prophets. "Mercy and not sacrifice," moral and not positive duties, these made up the true life of religion, and were alone acceptable to God. It was because they had inverted the right relation of the two that they had, in this instance, condemned those whom our Lord now declares to have been in this respect absolutely guiltless.

Verse 7. - Matthew only. But if ye had known what this meaneth, I wilt have mercy, and not sacrifice, ye would not have condemned the guiltless (on the quotation, see Matthew 9:13, note). Had you learned the simple Bible truth that God places the exercise of your moral faculties, particularly those of kindness, above merely external observances, you would not have committed this sin of taking up the position of wrong judges. He traces their error up to its true source, ignorance of the first principles of religion, ignorance of what God really desires. Condemned. Formally and officially (καταδικάζω). The guiltless. As were the very priests (ver. 5).

Parallel Commentaries ...


Greek
If
Εἰ (Ei)
Conjunction
Strong's 1487: If. A primary particle of conditionality; if, whether, that, etc.

only
δὲ (de)
Conjunction
Strong's 1161: A primary particle; but, and, etc.

you had known
ἐγνώκειτε (egnōkeite)
Verb - Pluperfect Indicative Active - 2nd Person Plural
Strong's 1097: A prolonged form of a primary verb; to 'know' in a great variety of applications and with many implications.

the meaning of
ἐστιν (estin)
Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 1510: I am, exist. The first person singular present indicative; a prolonged form of a primary and defective verb; I exist.

‘I desire
θέλω (thelō)
Verb - Present Indicative Active - 1st Person Singular
Strong's 2309: To will, wish, desire, be willing, intend, design.

mercy,
Ἔλεος (Eleos)
Noun - Accusative Neuter Singular
Strong's 1656: Pity, mercy, compassion. Of uncertain affinity; compassion.

not
οὐ (ou)
Adverb
Strong's 3756: No, not. Also ouk, and ouch a primary word; the absolute negative adverb; no or not.

sacrifice,’
θυσίαν (thysian)
Noun - Accusative Feminine Singular
Strong's 2378: Abstr. and concr: sacrifice; a sacrifice, offering. From thuo; sacrifice.

you would not have condemned
κατεδικάσατε (katedikasate)
Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 2nd Person Plural
Strong's 2613: To condemn, pass sentence upon. From kata and a derivative of dike; to adjudge against, i.e. Pronounce guilty.

the
τοὺς (tous)
Article - Accusative Masculine Plural
Strong's 3588: The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.

innocent.
ἀναιτίους (anaitious)
Adjective - Accusative Masculine Plural
Strong's 338: Guiltless, innocent. Innocent.


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NT Gospels: Matthew 12:7 But if you had known what this (Matt. Mat Mt)
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