Matthew 15:2-5

15:2 “Why do your disciples disobey the tradition of the elders? For they don’t wash their ¹  hands when they eat.” ²  15:3 He answered them, ³  “And why do you disobey the commandment of God because of your tradition? 15:4 For God said, ⁴  ‘Honor your father and mother’ ⁵  and ‘Whoever insults his father or mother must be put to death.’ ⁶  15:5 But you say, ‘If someone tells his father or mother, “Whatever help you would have received from me is given to God,” ⁷ 

[15:2]  ¹ 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 ˹ 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.

[15:2]  ² tn Grk “when they eat bread.”

[15:3]  ³ tn Grk “But answering, he said to them.”

[15:4]  ⁴ 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 Ë^1,13 579 700 892 pc lat co, as well as other versions and fathers).

[15:4]  ⁵ sn A quotation from Exod 20:12; Deut 5:16.

[15:4]  ⁶ sn A quotation from Exod 21:17; Lev 20:9.

[15:5]  ⁷ tn Grk “is a gift,” that is, something dedicated to God.