Matthew 15:1-4

Breaking Human Traditions

15:1 Then Pharisees 1  and experts in the law 2  came from Jerusalem 3  to Jesus and said, 4  15:2 “Why do your disciples disobey the tradition of the elders? For they don’t wash their 5  hands when they eat.” 6  15:3 He answered them, 7  “And why do you disobey the commandment of God because of your tradition? 15:4 For God said, 8  ‘Honor your father and mother’ 9  and ‘Whoever insults his father or mother must be put to death.’ 10 

1 sn See the note on Pharisees in 3:7.

2 tn Or “and the scribes.” See the note on the phrase “experts in the law” in 2:4.

3 map For location see Map5-B1; Map6-F3; Map7-E2; Map8-F2; Map10-B3; JP1-F4; JP2-F4; JP3-F4; JP4-F4.

4 tn The participle λέγοντες (legontes) has been translated as a finite verb so that its telic (i.e., final or conclusive) force can be more easily detected: The Pharisees and legal experts came to Jesus in order to speak with him.

5 tc ‡ Although most witnesses read the genitive plural pronoun αὐτῶν (autwn, “their”), it may have been motivated by clarification (as it is in the translation above). Several other authorities do not have the pronoun, however (א B Δ 073 Ë1 579 700 892 1424 pc f g1); the lack of an unintentional oversight as the reason for omission strengthens their combined testimony in this shorter reading. NA27 has the pronoun in brackets, indicating doubts as to its authenticity.

6 tn Grk “when they eat bread.”

9 tn Grk “But answering, he said to them.”

13 tc Most mss (א*,2 C L W 0106 33 Ï) have an expanded introduction here; instead of “For God said,” they read “For God commanded, saying” (ὁ γὰρ θεὸς ἐνετείλατο λέγων, Jo gar qeo" eneteilato legwn). But such expansions are generally motivated readings; in this case, most likely it was due to the wording of the previous verse (“the commandment of God”) that caused early scribes to add to the text. Although it is possible that other witnesses reduced the text to the simple εἶπεν (eipen, “[God] said”) because of perceived redundancy with the statement in v. 3, such is unlikely in light of the great variety and age of these authorities (א1 B D Θ 073 Ë1,13 579 700 892 pc lat co, as well as other versions and fathers).

14 sn A quotation from Exod 20:12; Deut 5:16.

15 sn A quotation from Exod 21:17; Lev 20:9.