Matthew 15
Lexham English Bible
Human Traditions and God’s Commandments
15 Then Pharisees and scribes came to Jesus from Jerusalem, saying, 2 “Why do your disciples break the tradition of the elders? For they do not wash their hands when they eat a meal.”[a] 3 So he answered and[b] said to them, “Why do you also break the commandment of God because of your tradition? 4 For God said, ‘Honor your[c] father and your[d] mother,’[e] and ‘The one who speaks evil of father or mother must certainly die[f].’[g] 5 But you say, ‘Whoever says to his[h] father or his[i] mother, “Whatever benefit you would have received[j] from me is a gift to God,” 6 need not honor his father,’[k] and you make void the word of God for the sake of your tradition. 7 Hypocrites! Isaiah correctly prophesied about you saying,
8 ‘This people honors me with their[l] lips,
but their heart is far, far away from me,
9 and they worship me in vain,
teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’”[m]
Defilement from Within
10 And summoning the crowd, he said to them, “Hear and understand: 11 It is not what goes into the mouth that defiles a person, but what comes out of the mouth—this defiles a person.” 12 Then the disciples came and[n] said to him, “Do you know that the Pharisees were offended when they[o] heard this saying?” 13 And he answered and[p] said, “Every plant that my heavenly Father did not plant will be uprooted. 14 Let[q] them! They are blind guides of the blind. And if the blind guide the blind, both will fall into a pit.” 15 But Peter answered and[r] said to him, “Explain this parable to us.” 16 But he said, “Are you also still without understanding? 17 Do you not understand that everything that enters into the mouth goes into the stomach and is evacuated into the latrine? 18 But the things that come out of the mouth come from the heart, and these defile the person. 19 For from the heart come evil plans, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false witness, abusive speech. 20 These are the things that defile a person. But eating with unwashed hands does not defile a person!”
A Canaanite Woman’s Great Faith
21 And departing from there, Jesus went away to the region of Tyre and Sidon. 22 And behold, a Canaanite woman from that district came and cried out, saying, “Have mercy on me, Lord, Son of David! My daughter is severely possessed by a demon!” 23 But he did not answer her a word. And his disciples came up and[s] asked him, saying, “Send her away, because she is crying out after us!” 24 But he answered and[t] said, “I was not sent except to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” 25 But she came and[u] knelt down before him, saying, “Lord, help me!” 26 And he answered and[v] said, “It is not right to take the children’s bread and throw it[w] to the dogs!” 27 So she said, “Yes, Lord, for even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their master’s table.” 28 Then Jesus answered and said to her, “O woman, your faith is great! Let it be done for you as you want.” And her daughter was healed from that hour.
Many Others Healed in Galilee
29 And departing from there, Jesus went along the Sea of Galilee, and he went up on the mountain and[x] was sitting there. 30 And large crowds came to him, having with them the mute, blind, lame, crippled,[y] and many others, and they put them down at his feet, and he healed them. 31 So then the crowd was astonished when they[z] saw the mute speaking, the crippled healthy, and the lame walking, and the blind seeing, and they praised the God of Israel.
The Feeding of Four Thousand
32 And Jesus summoned his disciples and[aa] said, “I have compassion on the crowd, because they have remained with me three days already and do not have anything to eat, and I do not want to send them away hungry lest they give out on the way.” 33 And the disciples said to him, “Where in this desolate place can we get[ab] so much bread that such a great crowd could be satisfied?” 34 And Jesus said to them, “How many loaves do you have?” So they said, “Seven, and a few little fish.” 35 And commanding the crowd to recline for a meal on the ground, 36 he took the seven loaves and the fish and after he[ac] had given thanks, he broke them[ad] and began giving[ae] them[af] to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the crowds. 37 And they all ate and were satisfied, and they picked up what was left over of the broken pieces, seven baskets full. 38 Now those who ate were four thousand men, in addition to women and children. 39 And after he[ag] sent away the crowds, he got into the boat and went to the region of Magadan.
Footnotes
- Matthew 15:2 Literally “bread”
- Matthew 15:3 Here “and” is supplied because the previous participle (“answered”) has been translated as a finite verb
- Matthew 15:4 Literally “the”; the Greek article is used here as a possessive pronoun
- Matthew 15:4 Literally “the”; the Greek article is used here as a possessive pronoun
- Matthew 15:4 A quotation from Exod 20:12; Deut 5:16
- Matthew 15:4 Literally “let him die the death”
- Matthew 15:4 A quotation from Exod 21:17; Lev 20:9
- Matthew 15:5 Literally “the”; the Greek article is used here as a possessive pronoun
- Matthew 15:5 Literally “the”; the Greek article is used here as a possessive pronoun
- Matthew 15:5 Literally “you would have been benefited”
- Matthew 15:6 Most later manuscripts add “or his mother”
- Matthew 15:8 Literally “the”; the Greek article is used here as a possessive pronoun
- Matthew 15:9 A quotation from Isa 29:13
- Matthew 15:12 Here “and” is supplied because the previous participle (“came”) has been translated as a finite verb
- Matthew 15:12 Here “when” is supplied as a component of the participle (“heard”) which is understood as temporal
- Matthew 15:13 Here “and” is supplied because the previous participle (“answered”) has been translated as a finite verb
- Matthew 15:14 Or “Depart from”
- Matthew 15:15 Here “and” is supplied because the previous participle (“answered”) has been translated as a finite verb
- Matthew 15:23 Here “and” is supplied because the previous participle (“came up”) has been translated as a finite verb
- Matthew 15:24 Here “and” is supplied because the previous participle (“answered”) has been translated as a finite verb
- Matthew 15:25 Here “and” is supplied because the previous participle (“came”) has been translated as a finite verb
- Matthew 15:26 Here “and” is supplied because the previous participle (“answered”) has been translated as a finite verb
- Matthew 15:26 Here the direct object is supplied from context in the English translation
- Matthew 15:29 Here “and” is supplied because the previous participle (“went up”) has been translated as a finite verb
- Matthew 15:30 Some manuscripts have “the lame, blind, crippled, mute”
- Matthew 15:31 Here “when” is supplied as a component of the participle (“saw”) which is understood as temporal
- Matthew 15:32 Here “and” is supplied because the previous participle (“summoned”) has been translated as a finite verb
- Matthew 15:33 Literally “for us”
- Matthew 15:36 Here “after” is supplied as a component of the participle (“had given thanks”) which is understood as temporal
- Matthew 15:36 Here the direct object is supplied from context in the English translation
- Matthew 15:36 The imperfect tense has been translated as ingressive here (“began giving”)
- Matthew 15:36 Here the direct object is supplied from context in the English translation
- Matthew 15:39 Here “after” is supplied as a component of the participle (“had given thanks”) which is understood as temporal
Matthew 15
GOD’S WORD Translation
Jesus Challenges the Pharisees’ Traditions(A)
15 Then some Pharisees and experts in Moses’ Teachings came from Jerusalem to Jesus. They asked, 2 “Why do your disciples break the traditions of our ancestors? They do not wash their hands before they eat.”
3 He answered them, “Why do you break the commandment of God because of your traditions? 4 For example, God said, ‘Honor your father and your mother’ and ‘Whoever curses father or mother must be put to death.’ 5 But you say that whoever tells his father or mother, ‘I have given to God whatever support you might have received from me,’ 6 does not have to honor his father. Because of your traditions you have destroyed the authority of God’s word. 7 You hypocrites! Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you:
8 ‘These people honor me with their lips,
but their hearts are far from me.
9 Their worship of me is pointless,
because their teachings are rules made by humans.’ ”
10 Then he called the crowd and said to them, “Listen and try to understand! 11 What goes into a person’s mouth doesn’t make him unclean.[a] It’s what comes out of the mouth that makes a person unclean.”
12 Then the disciples came and said to him, “Do you realize that when the Pharisees heard your statement they were offended?”
13 He answered, “Any plant that my heavenly Father did not plant will be uprooted. 14 Leave them alone! They are blind leaders. When one blind person leads another, both will fall into the same pit.”
15 Peter said to him, “Explain this illustration to us.”
16 Jesus said, “Don’t you understand yet? 17 Don’t you know that whatever goes into the mouth goes into the stomach and then into a toilet? 18 But whatever goes out of the mouth comes from within, and that’s what makes a person unclean. 19 Evil thoughts, murder, adultery, ⌞other⌟ sexual sins, stealing, lying, and cursing come from within. 20 These are the things that make a person unclean. But eating without washing one’s hands doesn’t make a person unclean.”
The Faith of a Canaanite Woman(B)
21 Jesus left that place and went to the region of Tyre and Sidon.
22 A Canaanite woman from that territory came ⌞to him⌟ and began to shout, “Have mercy on me, Lord, Son of David! My daughter is tormented by a demon.”
23 But he did not answer her at all. Then his disciples came to him and urged him, “Send her away. She keeps shouting behind us.”
24 Jesus responded, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the nation of Israel.”
25 She came to him, bowed down, and said, “Lord, help me!”
26 Jesus replied, “It’s not right to take the children’s food and throw it to the dogs.”
27 She said, “You’re right, Lord. But even the dogs eat scraps that fall from their masters’ tables.”
28 Then Jesus answered her, “Woman, you have strong faith! What you wanted will be done for you.” At that moment her daughter was cured.
29 Jesus moved on from there and went along the Sea of Galilee. Then he went up a mountain and sat there.
30 A large crowd came to him, bringing with them the lame, blind, disabled, those unable to talk, and many others. They laid them at his feet, and he cured them. 31 The crowd was amazed to see mute people talking, the disabled cured, the lame walking, and the blind seeing. So they praised the God of Israel.
Jesus Feeds More Than Four Thousand(C)
32 Jesus called his disciples and said, “I feel sorry for the people. They have been with me three days now and have nothing to eat. I don’t want to send them away hungry, or they may become exhausted on their way home.”
33 His disciples asked him, “Where could we get enough bread to feed such a crowd in this place where no one lives?”
34 Jesus asked them, “How many loaves of bread do you have?”
They answered, “Seven, and a few small fish.”
35 He ordered the crowd to sit down on the ground. 36 He took the seven loaves and the fish and gave thanks to God. Then he broke the bread and gave it to the disciples, and they gave the bread and fish to the people.
37 All of them ate as much as they wanted. The disciples picked up the leftover pieces and filled seven large baskets. 38 Four thousand men had eaten. (This number does not include the women and children who had eaten.)
39 After he sent the people on their way, Jesus stepped into the boat and came to the territory of Magadan.
Footnotes
- 15:11 “Unclean ” refers to anything that Moses’ Teachings say is not presentable to God.
Matthew 15
Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition
The Tradition of the Elders
15 Then Pharisees and scribes came to Jesus from Jerusalem and said, 2 “Why do your disciples transgress the tradition of the elders? For they do not wash their hands when they eat.” 3 He answered them, “And why do you transgress the commandment of God for the sake of your tradition? 4 For God commanded, ‘Honor your father and your mother,’ and, ‘He who speaks evil of father or mother, let him surely die.’ 5 But you say, ‘If any one tells his father or his mother, What you would have gained from me is given to God,[a] he need not honor his father.’[b] 6 So, for the sake of your tradition, you have made void the word[c] of God. 7 You hypocrites! Well did Isaiah prophesy of you, when he said:
8 ‘This people honors me with their lips,
but their heart is far from me;
9 in vain do they worship me,
teaching as doctrines the precepts of men.’”
Things That Defile
10 And he called the people to him and said to them, “Hear and understand: 11 not what goes into the mouth defiles a man, but what comes out of the mouth, this defiles a man.” 12 Then the disciples came and said to him, “Do you know that the Pharisees were offended when they heard this saying?” 13 He answered, “Every plant which my heavenly Father has not planted will be rooted up. 14 Let them alone; they are blind guides. And if a blind man leads a blind man, both will fall into a pit.” 15 But Peter said to him, “Explain the parable to us.” 16 And he said, “Are you also still without understanding? 17 Do you not see that whatever goes into the mouth passes into the stomach, and so passes on?[d] 18 But what comes out of the mouth proceeds from the heart, and this defiles a man. 19 For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, fornication, theft, false witness, slander. 20 These are what defile a man; but to eat with unwashed hands does not defile a man.”
The Canaanite Woman’s Faith
21 And Jesus went away from there and withdrew to the district of Tyre and Sidon. 22 And behold, a Canaanite woman from that region came out and cried, “Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David; my daughter is severely possessed by a demon.” 23 But he did not answer her a word. And his disciples came and begged him, saying, “Send her away, for she is crying after us.” 24 He answered, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.”[e] 25 But she came and knelt before him, saying, “Lord, help me.” 26 And he answered, “It is not fair to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs.” 27 She said, “Yes, Lord, yet even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their master’s table.” 28 Then Jesus answered her, “O woman, great is your faith! Be it done for you as you desire.” And her daughter was healed instantly.
Jesus Cures Many People
29 And Jesus went on from there and passed along the Sea of Galilee. And he went up into the hills, and sat down there. 30 And great crowds came to him, bringing with them the lame, the maimed, the blind, the dumb, and many others, and they put them at his feet, and he healed them, 31 so that the throng wondered, when they saw the dumb speaking, the maimed whole, the lame walking, and the blind seeing; and they glorified the God of Israel.
Feeding the Four Thousand
32 Then Jesus called his disciples to him and said, “I have compassion on the crowd, because they have been with me now three days, and have nothing to eat; and I am unwilling to send them away hungry, lest they faint on the way.” 33 And the disciples said to him, “Where are we to get bread enough in the desert to feed so great a crowd?” 34 And Jesus said to them, “How many loaves have you?” They said, “Seven, and a few small fish.” 35 And commanding the crowd to sit down on the ground, 36 he took the seven loaves and the fish, and having given thanks he broke them and gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the crowds. 37 And they all ate and were satisfied; and they took up seven baskets full of the broken pieces left over. 38 Those who ate were four thousand men, besides women and children. 39 And sending away the crowds, he got into the boat and went to the region of Mag′adan.
Footnotes
- Matthew 15:5 Or an offering
- 15.5 By dedicating his property to God, i.e., to the temple, a man could avoid having to help his parents, without actually giving up what he had. The scribes held such a vow to be valid without necessarily approving it.
- Matthew 15:6 Other ancient authorities read law
- Matthew 15:17 Or is evacuated
- 15.24 See note on Mt 10.5.
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