Hard passagesDraft · awaiting advisor review
Was Jesus wrong about Abiathar (Mark 2:26)?
In short
Mark has Jesus say David ate the holy bread “in the days of Abiathar the high priest”, but 1 Samuel names the priest as Ahimelech, Abiathar’s father. Several explanations have been offered, and Christians differ on which is right; some accept that Mark’s wording is imprecise.
The Objection
1 Samuel 21 says Ahimelech was the priest, not Abiathar. Either Jesus or Mark made a mistake, and the scholar Bart Ehrman says this verse changed his view of the Bible.
Put as its strongest advocates would put it.
The Christian Case
- Scripture
1 Samuel names Ahimelech; Abiathar was his son, who escaped soon afterwards and became David’s priest, the better-known name.
- Scripture
Mark’s Greek phrase can mean “in the passage about Abiathar”: Mark uses the same construction for “in the passage about the bush” when Jesus refers to Exodus 3.
- Historical evidence
Matthew and Luke tell the same story without naming the priest.
- Christians differ
Some Christians accept one of these explanations; others accept that Mark’s wording is loose or mistaken here, without that affecting what Jesus taught about the Sabbath.
Where the Evidence Is Weaker
None of the explanations is certain, and the plainest reading names the wrong priest.
Arguments to Avoid
- Pretending the difficulty isn’t there.
Read for Yourself
Mark 2:23–28
23And it came to pass, that he went through the corn fields on the sabbath day; and his disciples began, as they went, to pluck the ears of corn. 24And the Pharisees said unto him, Behold, why do they on the sabbath day that which is not lawful? 25And he said unto them, Have ye never read what David did, when he had need, and was an hungred, he, and they that were with him? 26How he went into the house of God in the days of Abiathar the high priest, and did eat the shewbread, which is not lawful to eat but for the priests, and gave also to them which were with him? 27And he said unto them, The sabbath was made for man, and not man for the sabbath: 28Therefore the Son of man is Lord also of the sabbath.
1 Samuel 21:1–6
1Then came David to Nob to Ahimelech the priest: and Ahimelech was afraid at the meeting of David, and said unto him, Why art thou alone, and no man with thee? 2And David said unto Ahimelech the priest, The king hath commanded me a business, and hath said unto me, Let no man know any thing of the business whereabout I send thee, and what I have commanded thee: and I have appointed my servants to such and such a place. 3Now therefore what is under thine hand? give me five loaves of bread in mine hand, or what there is present. 4And the priest answered David, and said, There is no common bread under mine hand, but there is hallowed bread; if the young men have kept themselves at least from women. 5And David answered the priest, and said unto him, Of a truth women have been kept from us about these three days, since I came out, and the vessels of the young men are holy, and the bread is in a manner common, yea, though it were sanctified this day in the vessel. 6So the priest gave him hallowed bread: for there was no bread there but the shewbread, that was taken from before the LORD, to put hot bread in the day when it was taken away.
Further Reading
- Misquoting Jesus · Bart D. Ehrman (2005)A sceptical scholar’s account.
- Hard Sayings of the Bible · Walter C. Kaiser Jr., Peter H. Davids, F. F. Bruce and Manfred T. Brauch (1996)
Drafted with Opened AI and awaiting review by Opened’s apologetics advisors. Labels show the kind of support each point has: Scripture is what the Bible says; historical evidence and philosophical arguments can be checked by anyone; “Christians differ” marks questions on which faithful Christians disagree.
Next QuestionWas Noah’s flood global?