Matthew 15
15
The Tradition of the Elders
1Then#Mk 7:1–23 Jesus was approached by Pharisees and scribes from Jerusalem, who asked,#Mk 3:22; Jn 1:19 2“Why do your disciples#Mt 10:1; 26:56; Mk 3:7; 16:20; Lk 6:13; Jn 12:16 break the tradition of the elders? For they don’t wash their hands when they eat.”#15:2 Lit eat bread = eat a meal#Lk 11:38; Gl 1:14; Col 2:8; Heb 11:2
3He answered them, “Why do you break God’s commandment because of your tradition? 4For God said:#15:4 Other mss read commanded, saying Honor your father and your mother;#15:4 Ex 20:12; Dt 5:16#Ex 20:12; Dt 5:16; Eph 6:2 and, Whoever speaks evil of father or mother must be put to death.#15:4 Ex 21:17; Lv 20:9#Ex 21:17; Lv 20:9 5But you say, ‘Whoever tells his father or mother, “Whatever benefit you might have received from me is a gift committed to the temple,” 6he does not have to honor his father.’#15:6 Other mss read then he does not have to honor his father or mother In this way, you have nullified the word of God#15:6 Other mss read commandment because of your tradition. 7Hypocrites! Isaiah prophesied correctly about you when he said:
8 This people # 15:8 Other mss add draw near to me with their mouths, and honors me with their lips,
but their heart is far from me.
9 They worship me in vain,
teaching as doctrines human commands.” # 15:8–9 Is 29:13 LXX #
Is 29:13; Ezk 33:31; Col 2:22; Ti 1:14
Defilement Is from Within
10Summoning the crowd, he told them, “Listen and understand: 11It’s not what goes into the mouth that defiles#Mt 15:18; Mk 7:15; Ac 21:28; Heb 9:13 a person, but what comes out of the mouth — this defiles a person.”#Ac 10:14–15; 1Tm 4:3
12Then the disciples came up and told him, “Do you know that the Pharisees took offense when they heard what you said?”
13He replied, “Every plant that my heavenly Father didn’t plant will be uprooted.#Is 60:21; 61:3; Jn 15:2; 1Co 3:9 14Leave them alone! They are blind guides.#15:14 Other mss add for the blind And if the blind guide the blind, both will fall into a pit.”#Mal 2:8; Mt 23:16,24; Lk 6:39
15Then Peter said, “Explain this parable to us.”#Mt 13:36; Mk 7:17
16 “Do you still lack understanding?” he#15:16 Other mss read Jesus asked. 17“Don’t you realize#15:17 Other mss add yet that whatever goes into the mouth passes into the stomach and is eliminated?#15:17 Lit and goes out into the toilet 18But what comes out of the mouth comes from the heart, and this defiles a person.#Mt 12:34; Jms 3:6 19For from the heart come evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, sexual immoralities, thefts, false testimonies,#Eph 4:31; Col 3:8; 1Tm 6:4 slander.#Ex 20:13–16; Gl 5:19–21; Jms 2:4 20These are the things that defile a person; but eating with unwashed hands does not defile a person.”#Mt 11:18; Mk 7:2,5; 1Co 6:9–10
A Gentile Mother’s Faith
21When Jesus left there,#Mk 7:24–30 he withdrew to the area of Tyre and Sidon.#Mt 11:21; Mk 7:24 22Just then a Canaanite woman from that region came and kept crying out,#15:22 Other mss read and cried out to him “Have mercy on me, Lord, Son of David! My daughter is severely tormented by a demon.”#Gn 10:15,19; Jdg 1:30–33; Mt 4:24; 9:27
23Jesus did not say a word to her. His disciples#Mt 10:1; 26:56; Mk 3:7; 16:20; Lk 6:13; Jn 12:16 approached him and urged him, “Send her away because she’s crying out after us.”
24He replied, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.”#Mt 10:6,23; Jn 4:22; Rm 15:8
25But she came, knelt before him, and said, “Lord, help me!”
26He answered, “It isn’t right to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs.”#Ex 22:31; 2Kg 9:10; Mt 8:2; Php 3:2
27“Yes, Lord,” she said, “yet even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters’ table.”
28Then Jesus replied to her, “Woman, your faith is great. Let it be done for you as you want.” And from that moment#15:28 Lit hour her daughter was healed.#Mt 9:22; 17:18; Jn 4:52–53
Healing Many People
29Moving on from there,#Mk 7:31–37 Jesus passed along the Sea of Galilee.#Mt 9:8; 18:8; Mk 9:43 He went up on a mountain and sat there, 30and 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. 31So the crowd was amazed when they saw those unable to speak talking, the crippled restored, the lame walking, and the blind seeing,#Is 29:23; Lk 1:68; Ac 13:17 and they gave glory to the God of Israel.
Feeding of the Four Thousand
32Jesus called his disciples and said,#Mt 14:14–21; Mk 8:1–10 “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.”
33The disciples said to him, “Where could we get enough bread in this desolate place#Mk 8:4; 2Co 11:26; Heb 11:38 to feed such a crowd?”
34 “How many loaves do you have?” Jesus asked them.
“Seven,” they said, “and a few small fish.”
35After commanding the crowd to sit down on the ground, 36he 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.#Mt 26:27; Lk 22:17; Jn 6:11,23; Ac 27:35; Rm 14:6; 1Co 10:30 37They all ate and were satisfied. They collected the leftover pieces — seven large baskets full. 38Now there were four thousand men who had eaten, besides women and children. 39After dismissing the crowds, he got into the boat and went to the region of Magadan.#15:39 Other mss read Magdala#Mk 3:9; 8:10
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Matthew 15: CSB
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© 2017 Holman Bible Publishers
S. Matthew 15
15
1Then there come to Jesus from Jerusalem Pharisees and scribes, saying, 2Why do thy disciples transgress the tradition of the elders? for they wash not their hands when they eat bread. 3And he answered and said unto them, Why do ye also transgress the commandment of God because of your tradition? 4For God said, Honour thy father and thy mother: and, He that speaketh evil of father or mother, let him die the death. 5But ye say, Whosoever shall say to his father or his mother, That wherewith thou mightest have been profited by me is given to God; 6he shall not honour his father. And ye have made void the word of God because of your tradition. 7Ye hypocrites, well did Isaiah prophesy of you, saying, 8This people honoureth me with their lips; But their heart is far from me. 9But in vain do they worship me, Teaching as their doctrines the precepts of men.
10And he called to him the multitude, and said unto them, Hear, and understand: 11Not that which entereth into the mouth defileth the man; but that which proceedeth out of the mouth, this defileth the man. 12Then came the disciples, and said unto him, Knowest thou that the Pharisees were offended, when they heard this saying? 13But he answered and said, Every plant which my heavenly Father planted not, shall be rooted up. 14Let them alone: they are blind guides. And if the blind guide the blind, both shall fall into a pit. 15And Peter answered and said unto him, Declare unto us the parable. 16And he said, Are ye also even yet without understanding? 17Perceive ye not, that whatsoever goeth into the mouth passeth into the belly, and is cast out into the draught? 18But the things which proceed out of the mouth come forth out of the heart; and they defile the man. 19For out of the heart come forth evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, railings: 20these are the things which defile the man: but to eat with unwashen hands defileth not the man.
21And Jesus went out thence, and withdrew into the parts of Tyre and Sidon. 22And behold, a Canaanitish woman came out from those borders, and cried, saying, Have mercy on me, O Lord, thou son of David; my daughter is grievously vexed with a devil. 23But he answered her not a word. And his disciples came and besought him, saying, Send her away; for she crieth after us. 24But he answered and said, I was not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel. 25But she came and worshipped him, saying, Lord, help me. 26And he answered and said, It is not meet to take the children's bread and cast it to the dogs. 27But she said, Yea, Lord: for even the dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from their masters' table. 28Then Jesus answered and said unto her, O woman, great is thy faith: be it done unto thee even as thou wilt. And her daughter was healed from that hour.
29And Jesus departed thence, and came nigh unto the sea of Galilee; and he went up into the mountain, and sat there. 30And there came unto him great multitudes, having with them the lame, blind, dumb, maimed, and many others, and they cast them down at his feet; and he healed them: 31insomuch that the multitude wondered, when they saw the dumb speaking, the maimed whole, and the lame walking, and the blind seeing: and they glorified the God of Israel. 32And Jesus called unto him his disciples, and said, I have compassion on the multitude, because they continue with me now three days and have nothing to eat: and I would not send them away fasting, lest haply they faint in the way. 33And the disciples say unto him, Whence should we have so many loaves in a desert place, as to fill so great a multitude? 34And Jesus saith unto them, How many loaves have ye? And they said, Seven, and a few small fishes. 35And he commanded the multitude to sit down on the ground; 36and he took the seven loaves and the fishes; and he gave thanks and brake, and gave to the disciples, and the disciples to the multitudes. 37And they did all eat, and were filled: and they took up that which remained over of the broken pieces, seven baskets full. 38And they that did eat were four thousand men, beside women and children. 39And he sent away the multitudes, and entered into the boat, and came into the borders of Magadan.
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historical text maintained by the British and Foreign Bible Society