Matthew 12:4

ὃ for οὕς.

4. τοὺς ἄρτους τῆς προθέσεως. Literally, ‘loaves of the setting forth,’ i.e. the bread that was set forth in the sanctuary. It was also called ‘continual bread’ as being set forth perpetually before the Lord, hence the Hebrew name, ‘bread of the presence.’ Twelve loaves or cakes were placed in two ‘piles’ (rather than ‘rows,’ Leviticus 24:6) on the ‘pure table’ every Sabbath. On each pile was put a golden cup of frankincense. See Exodus 25:30; Leviticus 24:6-8; Josephus, Ant. III. 10. 7.

τῆς προθέσεως. This use of the attribute genitive is very frequent in the Hebrew language, which has few adjectives in proportion to the substantives. Adjectives of material are almost entirely wanting (Rödiger’s Gesenius Hebr. Gram. p. 236). The construction however belongs also to Greek syntax, μέλαινα δʼ ἄστρων … εὐφρόνη ‘starry night.’ Soph. El. 19. λευκῆς χιόνος πτέρυγι. Ant. 114. ‘a snowy wing.’ See Donaldson, Grk. Gr. 454.

ἐξὸν ἦν. A late analytic form for ἐξῆν.