Matthew 15:1-9 - Human Traditions And God's Commandments

¹ Then Pharisees and experts in the law came from Jerusalem to Jesus and said, ² "Why do your disciples disobey the tradition of the elders? For they don't wash their hands when they eat."

³ He answered them, "And why do you disobey the commandment of God because of your tradition? ⁴ For God said, 'Honor your father and mother' and 'Whoever insults his father or mother must be put to death.'

⁵ But you say, 'If someone tells his father or mother, "Whatever help you would have received from me is given to God," ⁶ he does not need to honor his father.' You have nullified the word of God on account of your tradition. ⁷ Hypocrites! Isaiah prophesied correctly about you when he said,

⁸ This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me, ⁹ and they worship me in vain, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.'"

¹ Now the Pharisees and some of the experts in the law who came from Jerusalem gathered around him. ² And they saw that some of Jesus' disciples ate their bread with unclean hands, that is, unwashed. ³ (For the Pharisees and all the Jews do not eat unless they perform a ritual washing, holding fast to the tradition of the elders. ⁴ And when they come from the marketplace, they do not eat unless they wash. They hold fast to many other traditions: the washing of cups, pots, kettles, and dining couches.) ⁵ The Pharisees and the experts in the law asked him, "Why do your disciples not live according to the tradition of the elders, but eat with unwashed hands?"

⁶ He said to them, "Isaiah prophesied correctly about you hypocrites, as it is written: 'This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me. ⁷ They worship me in vain, teaching as doctrine the commandments of men.'

⁸ Having no regard for the command of God, you hold fast to human tradition." ⁹ He also said to them, "You neatly reject the commandment of God in order to set up your tradition. ¹⁰ For Moses said, 'Honor your father and your mother,' and, 'Whoever insults his father or mother must be put to death.'

¹¹ But you say that if anyone tells his father or mother, 'Whatever help you would have received from me is corban' (that is, a gift for God), ¹² then you no longer permit him to do anything for his father or mother. ¹³ Thus you nullify the word of God by your tradition that you have handed down. And you do many things like this."