Human Traditions and God’s Commandments

15 Then Pharisees and scribes came to Jesus from Jerusalem, saying, “Why do your disciples break the tradition of the elders? For they do not wash their hands when they eat a meal.”[a] So he answered and[b] said to them, “Why do you also break the commandment of God because of your tradition? 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] 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,” need not honor his father,’[k] and you make void the word of God for the sake of your tradition. Hypocrites! Isaiah correctly prophesied about you saying,

‘This people honors me with their[l] lips,
    but their heart is far, far away from me,
and they worship me in vain,
    teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’”[m]

Read full chapter

Footnotes

  1. Matthew 15:2 Literally “bread”
  2. Matthew 15:3 Here “and” is supplied because the previous participle (“answered”) has been translated as a finite verb
  3. Matthew 15:4 Literally “the”; the Greek article is used here as a possessive pronoun
  4. Matthew 15:4 Literally “the”; the Greek article is used here as a possessive pronoun
  5. Matthew 15:4 A quotation from Exod 20:12; Deut 5:16
  6. Matthew 15:4 Literally “let him die the death”
  7. Matthew 15:4 A quotation from Exod 21:17; Lev 20:9
  8. Matthew 15:5 Literally “the”; the Greek article is used here as a possessive pronoun
  9. Matthew 15:5 Literally “the”; the Greek article is used here as a possessive pronoun
  10. Matthew 15:5 Literally “you would have been benefited”
  11. Matthew 15:6 Most later manuscripts add “or his mother”
  12. Matthew 15:8 Literally “the”; the Greek article is used here as a possessive pronoun
  13. Matthew 15:9 A quotation from Isa 29:13

15 Then tote Pharisees Pharisaios and kai scribes grammateus came proserchomai to ho Jesus Iēsous from apo Jerusalem Hierosolyma, saying legō, Why dia tis do · ho your sy disciples mathētēs break parabainō the ho tradition paradosis of the ho elders presbyteros? For gar they do not ou wash niptō · ho their autos hands cheir when hotan they eat esthiō bread artos.” But de he ho answered apokrinomai them autos, saying legō, “ And kai why dia tis do you hymeis break parabainō the ho commandment entolē of ho God theos for dia the sake of · ho your hymeis tradition paradosis? · ho For gar God theos said legō, ‘ Honor timaō your ho father patēr and kai your ho mother mētēr,’ and kai, ‘ Whoever ho speaks kakologeō evil of his father patēr or ē mother mētēr must be put teleutaō to death thanatos.’ But de you hymeis say legō, ‘ Whoever hos an says legō to his ho father patēr or ē his ho mother mētēr, “ Whatever hos benefit you might have received ōpheleō from ek me egō is a gift dōron to God,” he need not ou mē honor timaō · ho his autos father patēr.’ So kai you have nullified akyroō the ho word logos of ho God theos for dia the sake of · ho your hymeis tradition paradosis. You hypocrites hypokritēs! Well kalōs did Isaiah ēsaias prophesy prophēteuō about peri you hymeis, when he said legō: · ho This houtos people laos honors timaō me egō with their ho lips cheilos, · ho but de their autos hearts kardia are apechō far porrō from apo me egō. And de in vain matēn do they worship sebō me egō, teaching didaskō as doctrines didaskalia the commandments entalma of men anthrōpos.’”

Read full chapter