Matteo 15:3

3 Ma egli, rispondendo, disse loro: E voi, perchè trasgredite il comandamento di Dio per la vostra tradizione?

Matteo 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.

Matteo 15:3 In-Context

1 ALLORA gli Scribi ed i Farisei di Gerusalemme vennero a Gesù, dicendo:

2 Perchè trasgrediscono i tuoi discepoli la tradizion degli anziani? poichè non si lavano le mani, quando prendono cibo.

3 Ma egli, rispondendo, disse loro: E voi, perchè trasgredite il comandamento di Dio per la vostra tradizione?

4 Poichè Iddio ha comandato in questa maniera: Onora padre, e madre; e: Chi maledice padre, o madre, muoia di morte.

5 Ma voi dite: Chiunque avrà detto al padre, o alla madre: Tutto ciò, di che tu potresti esser da me sovvenuto, è offerta a Dio;