Mattheüs 15:3

3 Maar Hij, antwoordende, zeide tot hen: Waarom overtreedt ook gij het gebod Gods, door uw inzetting?

Mattheüs 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.

Mattheüs 15:3 In-Context

1 Toen kwamen tot Jezus enige Schriftgeleerden en Farizeen, die van Jeruzalem waren, zeggende:
2 Waarom overtreden Uw discipelen de inzetting der ouden? Want zij wassen hun handen niet, wanneer zij brood zullen eten.
3 Maar Hij, antwoordende, zeide tot hen: Waarom overtreedt ook gij het gebod Gods, door uw inzetting?
4 Want God heeft geboden, zeggende: Eert uwen vader en moeder, en: Wie vader of moeder vloekt, die zal de dood sterven.
5 Maar gij zegt: Zo wie tot vader of moeder zal zeggen: Het is een gave, zo wat u van mij zou kunnen ten nutte komen; en zijn vader of zijn moeder geenszins zal eren, die voldoet.
The Dutch Staten Vertaling translation is in the public domain.