Matthew 15:1

Breaking Human Traditions

15:1 Then Pharisees ¹  and experts in the law ²  came from Jerusalem ³  to Jesus and said, ⁴ 

Matthew 15:8-10

15:8 ‘This people honors me with their lips,

but their heart ⁵  is far from me,

15:9 and they worship me in vain,

teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’” ⁶ 

True Defilement

15:10 Then he called the crowd to him and said, ⁷  “Listen and understand.

[15:1]  ¹ sn See the note on Pharisees in 3:7.

[15:1]  ² tn Or “and the scribes.” See the note on the phrase “experts in the law” in 2:4.

[15:1]  ³ map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.

[15:1]  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.

[15:8]  ⁵ tn The term “heart” is a collective singular in the Greek text.

[15:9]  ⁹ sn A quotation from Isa 29:13.

[15:10]  ¹³ tn Grk “And calling the crowd, he said to them.” The participle προσκαλεσάμενος (proskalesamenos) has been translated as attendant circumstance. The emphasis here is upon Jesus’ speaking to the crowd.