Matthew 15:1-9

Traditions and Commandments

1 ¹Then Pharisees and ²scribes came to Jesus ³from Jerusalem and said,

2 ⁴“Why do your disciples break ⁵the tradition of the elders? ⁶For they do not wash their hands when they eat. ”

3 He answered them, “And why do you break the commandment of God for the sake of your tradition?

4 For God commanded, ⁷‘Honor your father and your mother, ’ and, ⁸‘Whoever reviles father or mother must surely die. ’

5 But you say, ‘If anyone tells his father or his mother, “What you would have gained from me is given to God, ” ^[a]

6 he need not honor his father. ’So for the sake of your tradition you have ⁹made void the word^[b] of God.

7 ¹⁰You hypocrites! Well did Isaiah prophesy of you, when he said:

8 ¹¹“‘This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me;

9 in vain do they worship me, teaching as ¹²doctrines the commandments of men. ’”

Cross References

• 1. 15:1 For ver. 1-20, see Mark 7:1-23
• 2. 15:1 Mark 3:22
• 3. 15:1 Mark 3:22
• 4. 15:2 [ch. 9:11]
• 5. 15:2 Gal. 1:14; Col. 2:8
• 6. 15:2 Luke 11:38
• 7. 15:4 Cited from Ex. 20:12
• 8. 15:4 Cited from Ex. 21:17
• 9. 15:6 Gal. 3:17 (Gk.); [Rom. 2:23]
• 10. 15:7 ch. 23:13
• 11. 15:8 Cited from Isa. 29:13; [Ezek. 33:31]
• 12. 15:9 Col. 2:22; Titus 1:14

Footnotes

• [a] 15:5 Or 'is an offering'
• [b] 15:6 Some manuscripts 'law'