Matthäus 15:3

3 Er aber antwortete und sprach zu ihnen: Warum übertretet auch ihr das Gebot Gottes um eurer Überlieferung willen?

Matthäus 15:3 Meaning and Commentary

Matthew 15:3

But he answered and said unto them
Taking no notice of the tradition about eating bread without washing the hands, whether it was right or wrong; it being at most but an human tradition, of no moment and importance, whether it was broke or kept; he makes a very just recrimination, by putting another question to them,

why do you also transgress the commandment of God by your tradition?
suggesting, that, if his disciples were guilty, they were not so guilty as they themselves were; that his disciples, at most, were but guilty of the breach of an human precept, whereas they were guilty of the breach of a divine command; and that it was strange, that men who were so scrupulous of breaking, and bore so hard on such as did transgress the traditions of the elders, could allow themselves to transgress the commandments of God; yea, to do this by, and while they were observing their own traditions: and which observation carries a full acquittance of the disciples from blame; for, if by keeping the traditions of the elders, they broke the commands of God, it was a very good reason why they should not observe them.

Matthäus 15:3 In-Context

1 Dann kommen die Schriftgelehrten und Pharisäer von Jerusalem zu Jesu und sagen:

2 Warum übertreten deine Jünger die Überlieferung der Ältesten? Denn sie waschen ihre Hände nicht, wenn sie Brot essen.

3 Er aber antwortete und sprach zu ihnen: Warum übertretet auch ihr das Gebot Gottes um eurer Überlieferung willen?

4 Denn Gott hat geboten und gesagt: "Ehre den Vater und die Mutter!" und: "Wer Vater oder Mutter flucht, soll des Todes sterben."

5 Ihr aber saget: Wer irgend zu dem Vater oder zu der Mutter spricht: Eine Gabe sei das, was irgend dir von mir zunutze kommen könnte; und er wird keineswegs seinen Vater oder seine Mutter ehren;