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)

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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

Jesus Challenges the Tradition of the Elders(A)

15 Then some Pharisees and scribes came from Jerusalem to Jesus and asked, “Why do your disciples disregard the tradition of the elders? They don’t wash their hands when they eat.”[a]

But he answered them, “Why do you also disregard the commandment of God because of your tradition? Because God said,[b] ‘You are to honor your father and your mother,’[c] and, ‘Whoever curses father or mother must certainly be put to death.’[d] But you say, ‘Whoever tells his father or his mother, “Whatever support you might have received from me has been given to God,”[e] does not have to honor his father.’[f] Because of your tradition, then, you have disregarded[g] the authority of God’s word.[h] You hypocrites! How well did Isaiah prophesy of you when he said,

‘These people honor me with their lips,
    but their hearts are far from me.
Their worship of me is empty,
    because they teach human rules as doctrines.’”[i]

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Footnotes

  1. Matthew 15:2 Lit. eat bread
  2. Matthew 15:4 Other mss. read commanded, saying
  3. Matthew 15:4 Cf. Exod 20:12; Deut 5:16
  4. Matthew 15:4 Cf. Exod 21:17; Lev 20:9
  5. Matthew 15:5 Lit. is a gift
  6. Matthew 15:6 Other mss. read his father or his mother
  7. Matthew 15:6 Or invalidated
  8. Matthew 15:6 Other mss. read law; still other mss. read commandment
  9. Matthew 15:9 Cf. Isa 29:13

15 Then came to Jesus scribes and Pharisees, which were of Jerusalem, saying,

Why do thy disciples transgress the tradition of the elders? for they wash not their hands when they eat bread.

But he answered and said unto them, Why do ye also transgress the commandment of God by your tradition?

For God commanded, saying, Honour thy father and mother: and, He that curseth father or mother, let him die the death.

But ye say, Whosoever shall say to his father or his mother, It is a gift, by whatsoever thou mightest be profited by me;

And honour not his father or his mother, he shall be free. Thus have ye made the commandment of God of none effect by your tradition.

Ye hypocrites, well did Esaias prophesy of you, saying,

This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me.

But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.

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