The Tradition of the Elders

15 Then(A) Jesus was approached by Pharisees and scribes from Jerusalem, who asked,(B) “Why do your disciples(C) break the tradition of the elders? For they don’t wash their hands when they eat.”[a](D)

He answered them, “Why do you break God’s commandment because of your tradition? For God said:[b] Honor your father and your mother;[c](E) and, Whoever speaks evil of father or mother must be put to death.[d](F) But you say, ‘Whoever tells his father or mother, “Whatever benefit you might have received from me is a gift committed to the temple,” he does not have to honor his father.’[e] In this way, you have nullified the word of God[f] because of your tradition. Hypocrites! Isaiah prophesied correctly about you when he said:

This people[g] honors me with their lips,
but their heart is far from me.
They worship me in vain,
teaching as doctrines human commands.[h](G)

Defilement Is from Within

10 Summoning the crowd, he told them, “Listen and understand: 11 It’s not what goes into the mouth that defiles(H) a person, but what comes out of the mouth—this defiles a person.”(I)

12 Then the disciples came up and told him, “Do you know that the Pharisees took offense when they heard what you said?”

13 He replied, “Every plant that my heavenly Father didn’t plant will be uprooted.(J) 14 Leave them alone! They are blind guides.[i] And if the blind guide the blind, both will fall into a pit.”(K)

15 Then Peter said, “Explain this parable to us.”(L)

16 “Do you still lack understanding?” he[j] asked. 17 “Don’t you realize[k] that whatever goes into the mouth passes into the stomach and is eliminated?[l] 18 But what comes out of the mouth comes from the heart, and this defiles a person.(M) 19 For from the heart come evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, sexual immoralities, thefts, false testimonies,(N) slander.(O) 20 These are the things that defile a person; but eating with unwashed hands does not defile a person.”(P)

A Gentile Mother’s Faith

21 When Jesus left there,(Q) he withdrew to the area of Tyre and Sidon.(R) 22 Just then a Canaanite woman from that region came and kept crying out,[m] “Have mercy on me, Lord, Son of David! My daughter is severely tormented by a demon.”(S)

23 Jesus did not say a word to her. His disciples(T) approached him and urged him, “Send her away because she’s crying out after us.”

24 He replied, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.”(U)

25 But she came, knelt before him, and said, “Lord, help me!”

26 He answered, “It isn’t right to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs.”(V)

27 “Yes, Lord,” she said, “yet even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters’ table.”

28 Then Jesus replied to her, “Woman, your faith is great. Let it be done for you as you want.” And from that moment[n] her daughter was healed.(W)

Healing Many People

29 Moving on from there,(X) Jesus passed along the Sea of Galilee.(Y) He went up on a mountain and sat there, 30 and large crowds came to him, including the lame, the blind, the crippled, those unable to speak, and many others. They put them at his feet, and he healed them. 31 So the crowd was amazed when they saw those unable to speak talking, the crippled restored, the lame walking, and the blind seeing,(Z) and they gave glory to the God of Israel.

Feeding of the Four Thousand

32 Jesus called his disciples and said,(AA) “I have compassion on the crowd, because they’ve already stayed with me three days and have nothing to eat. I don’t want to send them away hungry, otherwise they might collapse on the way.”

33 The disciples said to him, “Where could we get enough bread in this desolate place(AB) to feed such a crowd?”

34 “How many loaves do you have?” Jesus asked them.

“Seven,” they said, “and a few small fish.”

35 After commanding the crowd to sit down on the ground, 36 he took the seven loaves and the fish, gave thanks, broke them, and gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the crowds.(AC) 37 They all ate and were satisfied. They collected the leftover pieces—seven large baskets full. 38 Now there were four thousand men who had eaten, besides women and children. 39 After dismissing the crowds, he got into the boat and went to the region of Magadan.[o](AD)

Footnotes

  1. 15:2 Lit eat bread = eat a meal
  2. 15:4 Other mss read commanded, saying
  3. 15:4 Ex 20:12; Dt 5:16
  4. 15:4 Ex 21:17; Lv 20:9
  5. 15:6 Other mss read then he does not have to honor his father or mother
  6. 15:6 Other mss read commandment
  7. 15:8 Other mss add draw near to me with their mouths, and
  8. 15:8–9 Is 29:13 LXX
  9. 15:14 Other mss add for the blind
  10. 15:16 Other mss read Jesus
  11. 15:17 Other mss add yet
  12. 15:17 Lit and goes out into the toilet
  13. 15:22 Other mss read and cried out to him
  14. 15:28 Lit hour
  15. 15:39 Other mss read Magdala

Obey God’s Law(A)

15 Then some Pharisees and ·teachers of the law [scribes] came to Jesus from Jerusalem. They asked him, “Why don’t your ·followers [disciples] obey the ·unwritten laws which have been handed down to us [L traditions of the elders]? [L For] They don’t wash their hands before they eat [C a Jewish ritual for ceremonial purity].”

Jesus answered, “And why do you ·refuse to obey [break; violate] God’s command ·so that you can follow your own teachings [L for the sake of your traditions]? God said, ‘Honor your father and your mother [Ex. 20:12; Deut. 5:16],’ and ‘Anyone who ·says cruel things to [speaks evil of; curses] his father or mother must be put to death [Ex. 21:17; Lev. 20:9].’ But you say a person can tell his father or mother, ‘I have something I could use to help you, but I have ·given [dedicated; devoted] it to God already [C a practice known as Corban; see Mark 7:10–12].’ You teach that person ·not to [that he need not] honor his father or his mother. You ·rejected [invalidated; canceled; nullified] ·what God said [L the word of God] for the sake of your own ·rules [tradition]. You are hypocrites! Isaiah was right when he ·said [L prophesied] about you:

‘These people show honor to me with ·words [L their lips],
    but their hearts are far from me.
Their worship of me is ·worthless [futile; in vain].
    The things [doctrines] they teach are nothing but human ·rules [commandments; Is. 29:13].’”

10 After Jesus called the crowd to him, he said, “Listen and ·understand what I am saying [try to understand]. 11 It is not what ·people put into their mouths [L goes into the mouth] that ·makes them unclean [pollutes/defiles the person]. It is what comes out of their mouths that ·makes them unclean [pollutes/defiles the person].”

12 Then his ·followers [disciples] came to him and asked, “Do you know that the Pharisees are ·angry [offended; shocked] because of what you said?”

13 Jesus answered, “Every plant that my Father in heaven has not planted himself will be pulled up by the roots. 14 ·Stay away from the Pharisees [L Leave/Ignore them]; they are blind ·leaders [guides].[a] And if a blind person ·leads [guides] a blind person, both will fall into a ·ditch [pit; hole].”

15 Peter said, “Explain the ·example [parable] to us.”

16 Jesus said, “·Do you still not understand [L Are you still so dull/foolish]? 17 ·Surely you know [L Don’t you know…?] that all the food that enters the mouth goes into the stomach and then goes ·out of the body [L into the sewer/latrine].” 18 But ·what people say with their mouths [L the things that come out of the mouth] comes from the ·way they think [L the heart]; these are the things that ·make people unclean [pollute/defiled a person]. 19 [L For] Out of the ·mind [heart] come evil ·thoughts [intentions; ideas], murder, adultery, sexual sins, stealing, ·lying [false witness/testimony], and ·speaking evil of others [slander; blasphemy]. 20 These things make people ·unclean [polluted; defiled]; eating with unwashed hands does not make them ·unclean [polluted; defiled].”

Jesus Helps a Gentile Woman(B)

21 Jesus left that place and went to the ·area [district; region] of Tyre and Sidon [C cities on the coast north of Israel]. 22 A ·Canaanite [C a non-Jewish (Gentile) resident of Palestine (Canaan was the ancient name for Palestine)] woman from that area came to Jesus and cried out, “Lord, Son of David [C a title for the Messiah], have mercy on me! My daughter ·has a demon, and she is suffering very much [is tormented; L is severely demon-possessed].”

23 But Jesus did not ·answer the woman [L answer her a word]. So his ·followers [disciples] came to Jesus and ·begged [asked; urged] him, “Tell the woman to go away. [L Because] She is following us and ·shouting [crying out].”

24 Jesus answered, “·God sent me [L I was sent] only to the lost sheep, the ·people [L house] of Israel.”

25 Then the woman came to Jesus again and bowed before him and said, “Lord, help me!”

26 Jesus answered, “It is not right to take the children’s bread and ·give [throw] it to the dogs.” [C “Children” refers to Israel; “dogs” to the Gentiles.]

27 The woman said, “Yes, Lord, but even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters’ table.”

28 Then Jesus answered, “[L O] Woman, you have great faith! ·I will do what you asked [L Let it be done for you as you wish].” And ·at that moment [L from that hour] the woman’s daughter was healed.

Jesus Heals Many People(C)

29 After leaving there, Jesus went along ·the shore of Lake Galilee [T the Sea of Galilee]. He went up on ·a hill [or the mountain] and sat there.

30 Great crowds came to Jesus, bringing with them the lame, the blind, the crippled, ·those who could not speak [the mute/deaf; C the word can refer to speech or hearing; v. 31 suggests it here means “mute”], and many others. They ·put [laid] them at Jesus’ feet, and he healed them. 31 The crowd was ·amazed [astonished; marveled] when they saw that ·people who could not speak before [the mute/deaf] were now able to speak. The crippled were ·made strong [well; whole]. The lame could walk, and the blind could see. And they ·praised [glorified] the God of Israel for this.

More than Four Thousand Fed(D)

32 Jesus called his ·followers [disciples] to him and said, “I ·feel sorry [have compassion] for these people, because they have already been with me three days, and they have nothing to eat. I don’t want to send them away hungry. They might ·faint [collapse] while going home.”

33 His ·followers [disciples] asked him, “·How [L From where] can we get enough bread in this ·remote place [desolate place; desert] to feed ·all these people [L so great a crowd]?”

34 Jesus asked, “How many loaves of bread do you have?”

They answered, “Seven, and a few small fish.”

35 Jesus told the people to ·sit [recline] on the ground. 36 He took the seven loaves of bread and the fish and gave thanks to God. Then he ·divided the food [L broke them] and gave it to his ·followers [disciples], and they gave it to the people. 37 All the people ate and were satisfied. Then his ·followers [disciples] filled seven ·baskets [large baskets; C a different word than in the feeding of the five thousand; 14:20] with the leftover pieces of food. 38 There were about four thousand men there who ate, besides women and children. 39 After ·sending the people home [dismissing the crowds], Jesus got into the boat and went to the ·area [region] of Magadan [C an unknown place, probably on the western shore of Lake Galilee; perhaps Magdala, the hometown of Mary Magdalene].

Footnotes

  1. Matthew 15:14 leaders Some Greek copies continue, “of blind people.”

That Which Defiles(A)

15 Then some Pharisees and teachers of the law came to Jesus from Jerusalem and asked, “Why do your disciples break the tradition of the elders? They don’t wash their hands before they eat!”(B)

Jesus replied, “And why do you break the command of God for the sake of your tradition? For God said, ‘Honor your father and mother’[a](C) and ‘Anyone who curses their father or mother is to be put to death.’[b](D) But you say that if anyone declares that what might have been used to help their father or mother is ‘devoted to God,’ they are not to ‘honor their father or mother’ with it. Thus you nullify the word of God for the sake of your tradition. You hypocrites! Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you:

“‘These people honor me with their lips,
    but their hearts are far from me.
They worship me in vain;
    their teachings are merely human rules.(E)[c](F)

10 Jesus called the crowd to him and said, “Listen and understand. 11 What goes into someone’s mouth does not defile them,(G) but what comes out of their mouth, that is what defiles them.”(H)

12 Then the disciples came to him and asked, “Do you know that the Pharisees were offended when they heard this?”

13 He replied, “Every plant that my heavenly Father has not planted(I) will be pulled up by the roots. 14 Leave them; they are blind guides.[d](J) If the blind lead the blind, both will fall into a pit.”(K)

15 Peter said, “Explain the parable to us.”(L)

16 “Are you still so dull?”(M) Jesus asked them. 17 “Don’t you see that whatever enters the mouth goes into the stomach and then out of the body? 18 But the things that come out of a person’s mouth come from the heart,(N) and these defile them. 19 For out of the heart come evil thoughts—murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander.(O) 20 These are what defile a person;(P) but eating with unwashed hands does not defile them.”

The Faith of a Canaanite Woman(Q)

21 Leaving that place, Jesus withdrew to the region of Tyre and Sidon.(R) 22 A Canaanite woman from that vicinity came to him, crying out, “Lord, Son of David,(S) have mercy on me! My daughter is demon-possessed and suffering terribly.”(T)

23 Jesus did not answer a word. So his disciples came to him and urged him, “Send her away, for she keeps crying out after us.”

24 He answered, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of Israel.”(U)

25 The woman came and knelt before him.(V) “Lord, help me!” she said.

26 He replied, “It is not right to take the children’s bread and toss it to the dogs.”

27 “Yes it is, Lord,” she said. “Even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their master’s table.”

28 Then Jesus said to her, “Woman, you have great faith!(W) Your request is granted.” And her daughter was healed at that moment.

Jesus Feeds the Four Thousand(X)(Y)(Z)

29 Jesus left there and went along the Sea of Galilee. Then he went up on a mountainside and sat down. 30 Great crowds came to him, bringing the lame, the blind, the crippled, the mute and many others, and laid them at his feet; and he healed them.(AA) 31 The people were amazed when they saw the mute speaking, the crippled made well, the lame walking and the blind seeing. And they praised the God of Israel.(AB)

32 Jesus called his disciples to him and said, “I have compassion for these people;(AC) they have already been with me three days and have nothing to eat. I do not want to send them away hungry, or they may collapse on the way.”

33 His disciples answered, “Where could we get enough bread in this remote place to feed such a crowd?”

34 “How many loaves do you have?” Jesus asked.

“Seven,” they replied, “and a few small fish.”

35 He told the crowd to sit down on the ground. 36 Then he took the seven loaves and the fish, and when he had given thanks, he broke them(AD) and gave them to the disciples, and they in turn to the people. 37 They all ate and were satisfied. Afterward the disciples picked up seven basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over.(AE) 38 The number of those who ate was four thousand men, besides women and children. 39 After Jesus had sent the crowd away, he got into the boat and went to the vicinity of Magadan.

Footnotes

  1. Matthew 15:4 Exodus 20:12; Deut. 5:16
  2. Matthew 15:4 Exodus 21:17; Lev. 20:9
  3. Matthew 15:9 Isaiah 29:13
  4. Matthew 15:14 Some manuscripts blind guides of the blind

Guds ord eller de äldstes stadgar

15 (A) Sedan kom några fariseer och skriftlärda från Jerusalem fram till Jesus och frågade: (B) "Varför bryter dina lärjungar mot de äldstes stadgar[a]? De tvättar inte händerna innan de äter[b]." Han svarade dem: "Varför bryter ni själva mot Guds bud för era stadgars skull? (C) Gud har sagt: Hedra din far och din mor, och: Den som förbannar sin far eller mor ska straffas med döden.[c] Men ni påstår att om någon säger till sin far eller mor: Det du kunde fått som hjälp av mig låter jag i stället bli en tempelgåva[d], då ska han inte hedra sin far eller mor. Ni upphäver Guds ord för era stadgars skull. Hycklare! Jesaja profeterade rätt om er: (D) Detta folk ärar mig med sina läppar, men deras hjärtan är långt ifrån mig. Deras vördnad för mig är meningslös, för lärorna de lär ut är människobud."[e]

10 (E) Sedan kallade han till sig folket och sade till dem: "Lyssna och förstå! 11 (F) Det som går in i munnen gör inte människan oren. Det är det som kommer ut ur munnen som gör henne oren."

12 Lärjungarna gick då fram till honom och sade: "Vet du att fariseerna tog illa upp när de hörde det du sade?" 13 Jesus svarade: "Varje planta som min himmelske Far inte har planterat ska ryckas upp med roten. 14 (G) Låt dem vara. De är blinda ledare för blinda[f]. Och om en blind leder en blind, så faller båda i gropen."

15 (H) Petrus sade då till honom: "Förklara liknelsen för oss." 16 Jesus sade: "Förstår ni fortfarande inte? 17 Inser ni inte att allt som går in i munnen hamnar i magen och kommer ut på avträdet? 18 Men det som går ut ur munnen kommer från hjärtat, och det gör människan oren. 19 För från hjärtat kommer onda tankar, mord, äktenskapsbrott, sexuell omoral, stöld, falskt vittnesbörd och hädelser. 20 Sådant gör människan oren. Men att äta utan att tvätta händerna gör inte människan oren."

En kanaaneisk kvinnas tro

21 (I) Jesus lämnade platsen och drog sig undan till området runt Tyrus och Sidon. 22 Då kom en kanaaneisk[g] kvinna från den trakten och ropade: "Herre, Davids Son, förbarma dig över mig! Min dotter är svårt besatt." 23 Men han svarade henne inte med ett ord.

Då gick hans lärjungar fram och bad honom: "Skicka i väg henne! Hon går ju bakom oss och ropar." 24 (J) Han svarade: "Jag är inte sänd till andra än de förlorade fåren av Israels hus." 25 Men hon kom och föll ner för honom och sade: "Herre, hjälp mig!" 26 Han svarade: "Det är inte rätt att ta brödet från barnen och kasta det åt hundarna." 27 Hon sade: "Jo, Herre, för också hundarna äter smulorna som faller från deras herrars bord." 28 (K) Då svarade Jesus henne: "Kvinna, din tro är stor. Det ska ske för dig som du vill." Och från den stunden var hennes dotter botad.

Jesus botar sjuka

29 (L) Jesus gick därifrån och vandrade längs Galileiska sjön, och sedan gick han upp på berget och satte sig där. 30 (M) Mycket folk kom till honom, och de hade med sig lama, blinda, halta[h], stumma och många andra som de lade ner vid hans fötter, och han botade dem. 31 Och folket förundrades när de såg stumma tala, halta bli friska, lama gå och blinda se. Och de prisade Israels Gud.

Jesus mättar fyra tusen män

32 (N) Jesus kallade till sig sina lärjungar och sade: "Jag lider med folket. Nu har de varit hos mig i tre dagar, och de har inget att äta. Jag vill inte skicka hem dem hungriga, för de kan bli utmattade på vägen."

33 Lärjungarna frågade honom: "Varifrån ska vi här i ödemarken få så mycket bröd att vi kan mätta så många?" 34 Jesus sade till dem: "Hur många bröd har ni?" De svarade: "Sju, och några små fiskar."

35 Då sade han åt folket att slå sig ner på marken. 36 Han tog de sju bröden och fiskarna, tackade Gud, bröt bröden och gav åt lärjungarna, och lärjungarna gav åt folket. 37 Alla åt och blev mätta, och man plockade upp bitarna som blivit över, sju korgar fulla. 38 De som hade ätit var fyra tusen män, förutom kvinnor och barn. 39 Sedan sände han i väg folket, steg i båten och for över till Magadans område[i].

Footnotes

  1. 15:2 de äldstes stadgar   Tolkning och tillämpning av Mose lag som hade växt fram bland de skriftlärda efter den babyloniska fångenskapen. Fariseerna betraktade dem som lika bindande som Guds lag i Skriften, medan både saddukeerna och Jesus såg dem som enbart människors bud.
  2. 15:2 äter   Ordagrant: "äter bröd", ett vanligt hebreiskt uttryck för en hel måltid (jfr t ex 1 Mos 31:54, 43:25).
  3. 15:4 2 Mos 20:12, 21:17.
  4. 15:5 tempelgåva   Egendom kunde förklaras invigd åt Gud (hebr. korbán, jfr Mark 7:11). Därmed hade man enligt de äldstes stadgar löst sig från förpliktelsen att hjälpa sina föräldrar.
  5. 15:8f Jes 29:13.
  6. 15:14 för blinda   Orden saknas i vissa handskrifter.
  7. 15:22 kanaaneisk   Gammaltestamentligt namn för regionens icke-judar. Kvinnan kom från det hedniska Fenicien (dagens Libanon), som hörde till den romerska provinsen Syrien (jfr Mark 7:26).
  8. 15:30 halta   Grek. kylloús, skadade eller missbildade i fötter eller händer (även i vers 31).
  9. 15:39 Magadans område   Andra handskrifter: "Magdalas område" (sjöns nordvästra kust).