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<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "//www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="//www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><head><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8" /><meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1" /><title>Matthew 15:2 "Why do Your disciples break the tradition of the elders? They do not wash their hands before they eat."</title><link rel="canonical" href="https://biblehub.com/matthew/15-2.htm" /><link rel="stylesheet" href="/new9.css" type="text/css" media="Screen" /><meta property="og:image" content="https://biblehub.com/visuals/2/40_Mat_15_02.jpg" /><meta property="og:title" content="Matthew 15:2 - Tradition and Worship" /><meta property="og:site_name" content="Bible Hub" /><meta property="og:description" content="Why do Your disciples break the tradition of the elders? 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They don&#8217t wash their hands before they eat!&#8221 <a href="/nlt/matthew/15.htm">New Living Translation</a> “Why do your disciples disobey our age-old tradition? For they ignore our tradition of ceremonial hand washing before they eat.” <a href="/esv/matthew/15.htm">English Standard Version</a> “Why do your disciples break the tradition of the elders? For they do not wash their hands when they eat.” <a href="/bsb/matthew/15.htm">Berean Standard Bible</a> “Why do Your disciples break the tradition of the elders? They do not wash their hands before they eat.” <a href="/blb/matthew/15.htm">Berean Literal Bible</a> "Why do Your disciples break the tradition of the elders? For they do not wash their hands when they shall eat bread." <a href="/kjv/matthew/15.htm">King James Bible</a> Why do thy disciples transgress the tradition of the elders? for they wash not their hands when they eat bread. <a href="/nkjv/matthew/15.htm">New King James Version</a> “Why do Your disciples transgress the tradition of the elders? For they do not wash their hands when they eat bread.” <a href="/nasb_/matthew/15.htm">New American Standard Bible</a> “Why do Your disciples break the tradition of the elders? For they do not wash their hands when they eat bread.” <a href="/nasb/matthew/15.htm">NASB 1995</a> &#8220Why do Your disciples break the tradition of the elders? For they do not wash their hands when they eat bread.&#8221 <a href="/nasb77/matthew/15.htm">NASB 1977 </a> “Why do Your disciples transgress the tradition of the elders? For they do not wash their hands when they eat bread.” <a href="/lsb/matthew/15.htm">Legacy Standard Bible </a> “Why do Your disciples break the tradition of the elders? For they do not wash their hands when they eat bread.” <a href="/amp/matthew/15.htm">Amplified Bible</a> “Why do Your disciples violate the tradition (religious laws) handed down by the [Jewish] elders? For Your disciples do not [ceremonially] wash their hands before they eat.” <a href="/csb/matthew/15.htm">Christian Standard Bible</a> “Why do your disciples break the tradition of the elders? For they don’t wash their hands when they eat.” <a href="/hcsb/matthew/15.htm">Holman Christian Standard Bible</a> Why do Your disciples break the tradition of the elders? For they don&#8217t wash their hands when they eat!&#8221 <a href="/asv/matthew/15.htm">American Standard Version</a> Why do thy disciples transgress the tradition of the elders? for they wash not their hands when they eat bread. <a href="/cev/matthew/15.htm">Contemporary English Version</a> "Why don't your disciples obey what our ancestors taught us to do? They don't even wash their hands before they eat." <a href="/erv/matthew/15.htm">English Revised Version</a> Why do thy disciples transgress the tradition of the elders? for they wash not their hands when they eat bread. <a href="/gwt/matthew/15.htm">GOD'S WORD® Translation</a> "Why do your disciples break the traditions of our ancestors? They do not wash their hands before they eat." <a href="/gnt/matthew/15.htm">Good News Translation</a> "Why is it that your disciples disobey the teaching handed down by our ancestors? They don't wash their hands in the proper way before they eat!" <a href="/isv/matthew/15.htm">International Standard Version</a> "Why do your disciples disregard the tradition of the elders? They don't wash their hands when they eat." <a href="/msb/matthew/15.htm">Majority Standard Bible</a> ?Why do Your disciples break the tradition of the elders? They do not wash their hands before they eat.? <a href="/net/matthew/15.htm">NET Bible</a> "Why do your disciples disobey the tradition of the elders? For they don't wash their hands when they eat." <a href="/nheb/matthew/15.htm">New Heart English Bible</a> "Why do your disciples disobey the Tradition of the Elders? For they do not wash their hands when they eat bread." <a href="/wbt/matthew/15.htm">Webster's Bible Translation</a> Why do thy disciples transgress the tradition of the elders? for they wash not their hands when they eat bread. <a href="/wey/matthew/15.htm">Weymouth New Testament</a> "Why do your disciples transgress the tradition of the Elders by not washing their hands before meals?" <a href="/web/matthew/15.htm">World English Bible</a> “Why do your disciples disobey the tradition of the elders? For they don’t wash their hands when they eat bread.” <div class="vheading2">Literal Translations</div><a href="/lsv/matthew/15.htm">Literal Standard Version</a> “Why do Your disciples transgress the tradition of the elders? For they do not wash their hands when they may eat bread.” <a href="/blb/matthew/15.htm">Berean Literal Bible</a> "Why do Your disciples break the tradition of the elders? For they do not wash their hands when they shall eat bread." <a href="/ylt/matthew/15.htm">Young's Literal Translation</a> 'Wherefore do thy disciples transgress the tradition of the elders? for they do not wash their hands when they may eat bread.' <a href="/slt/matthew/15.htm">Smith's Literal Translation</a> Wherefore do thy disciples pass by the tradition of the elders? for they wash not their hands when they eat bread.<div class="vheading2">Catholic Translations</div><a href="/drb/matthew/15.htm">Douay-Rheims Bible</a> Why do thy disciples trangress the tradition of the ancients? For they wash not their hands when they eat bread. <a href="/cpdv/matthew/15.htm">Catholic Public Domain Version</a> “Why do your disciples transgress the tradition of the elders? For they do not wash their hands when they eat bread.” <a href="/nabre/matthew/15.htm">New American Bible</a> “Why do your disciples break the tradition of the elders? They do not wash [their] hands when they eat a meal.” <a href="/nrsvce/matthew/15.htm">New Revised Standard Version</a> “Why do your disciples break the tradition of the elders? For they do not wash their hands before they eat.”<div class="vheading2">Translations from Aramaic</div><a href="/lamsa/matthew/15.htm">Lamsa Bible</a> Why do your disciples disregard the tradition of the elders, and they do not wash their hands when they eat food? <a href="/aramaic-plain-english/matthew/15.htm">Aramaic Bible in Plain English</a> “Why do your disciples violate the tradition of the Elders? They do not wash their hands whenever they eat bread.”<div class="vheading2">NT Translations</div><a href="/anderson/matthew/15.htm">Anderson New Testament</a> Why do your disciples transgress the tradition of the elders? for they do not wash their hands when they eat bread. <a href="/godbey/matthew/15.htm">Godbey New Testament</a> Wherefore do thy disciples transgress the traditions of the elders? for they do not wash their hands when they eat bread. <a href="/haweis/matthew/15.htm">Haweis New Testament</a> Why do thy disciples transgress the tradition of the elders? for they wash not their hands when they eat bread? <a href="/mace/matthew/15.htm">Mace New Testament</a> why do your disciples violate the tradition of our ancestors, in not washing their hands when they eat bread? <a href="/wey/matthew/15.htm">Weymouth New Testament</a> "Why do your disciples transgress the tradition of the Elders by not washing their hands before meals?" <a href="/worrell/matthew/15.htm">Worrell New Testament</a> "Why do Thy disciples transgress the tradition of the elders? for they do not wash their hands, when they eat bread!" <a href="/worsley/matthew/15.htm">Worsley New Testament</a> Why do thy disciples transgress the tradition of the elders? for they wash not their hands when they eat. <a href="/parallel/matthew/15-2.htm">Additional Translations ...</a></div></div></div><div id="centbox"><div class="padcent"><a name="audio" id="audio"></a><div class="vheadingv">Audio Bible</div><iframe width="100%" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/hriiyJYqzvc?start=4242" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe> <div class="vheadingv">Context</div><a href="/bsb/matthew/15.htm">Tradition and Worship</a> 1Then some Pharisees and scribes came to Jesus from Jerusalem and asked, 2<a href="/greek/1223.htm" title="1223: Dia (Prep) -- A primary preposition denoting the channel of an act; through.">“Why do</a> <a href="/greek/5101.htm" title="5101: ti (IPro-ANS) -- Who, which, what, why. Probably emphatic of tis; an interrogative pronoun, who, which or what."></a> <a href="/greek/4771.htm" title="4771: sou (PPro-G2S) -- You. The person pronoun of the second person singular; thou.">Your</a> <a href="/greek/3588.htm" title="3588: hoi (Art-NMP) -- The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the."></a> <a href="/greek/3101.htm" title="3101: mathētai (N-NMP) -- A learner, disciple, pupil. From manthano; a learner, i.e. Pupil.">disciples</a> <a href="/greek/3845.htm" title="3845: parabainousin (V-PIA-3P) -- To transgress, violate, depart, desert. From para and the base of basis; to go contrary to, i.e. Violate a command.">break</a> <a href="/greek/3588.htm" title="3588: tēn (Art-AFS) -- The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.">the</a> <a href="/greek/3862.htm" title="3862: paradosin (N-AFS) -- An instruction, tradition. From paradidomi; transmission, i.e. a precept; specially, the Jewish traditionary law.">tradition</a> <a href="/greek/3588.htm" title="3588: tōn (Art-GMP) -- The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.">of the</a> <a href="/greek/4245.htm" title="4245: presbyterōn (Adj-GMP) -- Comparative of presbus; older; as noun, a senior; specially, an Israelite Sanhedrist or Christian presbyter.">elders?</a> <a href="/greek/1063.htm" title="1063: gar (Conj) -- For. A primary particle; properly, assigning a reason."></a> <a href="/greek/3756.htm" title="3756: ou (Adv) -- No, not. Also ouk, and ouch a primary word; the absolute negative adverb; no or not."></a> <a href="/greek/3538.htm" title="3538: niptontai (V-PIM-3P) -- To wash; mid. I wash my own (hands, etc.). To cleanse; ceremonially, to perform ablution.">They do not wash</a> <a href="/greek/846.htm" title="846: autōn (PPro-GM3P) -- He, she, it, they, them, same. From the particle au; the reflexive pronoun self, used of the third person, and of the other persons.">their</a> <a href="/greek/3588.htm" title="3588: tas (Art-AFP) -- The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the."></a> <a href="/greek/5495.htm" title="5495: cheiras (N-AFP) -- A hand. ">hands</a> <a href="/greek/3752.htm" title="3752: hotan (Conj) -- When, whenever. From hote and an; whenever; also causatively inasmuch as.">before</a> <a href="/greek/2068.htm" title="2068: esthiōsin (V-PSA-3P) -- Strengthened for a primary edo; used only in certain tenses, the rest being supplied by phago; to eat.">they eat.”</a> <a href="/greek/740.htm" title="740: arton (N-AMS) -- Bread, a loaf, food. From airo; bread or a loaf."></a> 3Jesus replied, “And why do you break the command of God for the sake of your tradition?…<div class="cred"><a href="//berean.bible">Berean Standard Bible</a> · <a href="//berean.bible/downloads.htm">Download</a></div> <a name="crossref" id="crossref"></a><div class="vheading">Cross References</div><div id="crf"><a href="/mark/7-5.htm">Mark 7:5</a> So the Pharisees and scribes questioned Jesus: “Why do Your disciples not walk according to the tradition of the elders? Instead, they eat with defiled hands.” <a href="/matthew/23-23.htm">Matthew 23:23-28</a> Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You pay tithes of mint, dill, and cumin. But you have disregarded the weightier matters of the law: justice, mercy, and faithfulness. You should have practiced the latter, without neglecting the former. / You blind guides! You strain out a gnat but swallow a camel. / Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence. ... <a href="/colossians/2-8.htm">Colossians 2:8</a> See to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deception, which are based on human tradition and the spiritual forces of the world rather than on Christ. <a href="/galatians/1-14.htm">Galatians 1:14</a> I was advancing in Judaism beyond many of my contemporaries and was extremely zealous for the traditions of my fathers. <a href="/isaiah/29-13.htm">Isaiah 29:13</a> Therefore the Lord said: “These people draw near to Me with their mouths and honor Me with their lips, but their hearts are far from Me. Their worship of Me is but rules taught by men. <a href="/mark/7-8.htm">Mark 7:8-9</a> You have disregarded the commandment of God to keep the tradition of men.” / He went on to say, “You neatly set aside the command of God to maintain your own tradition. <a href="/luke/11-38.htm">Luke 11:38-39</a> But the Pharisee was surprised to see that Jesus did not first wash before the meal. / Then the Lord said, “Now you Pharisees clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside you are full of greed and wickedness. <a href="/galatians/2-16.htm">Galatians 2:16</a> know that a man is not justified by works of the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ. So we, too, have believed in Christ Jesus, that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by works of the law, because by works of the law no one will be justified. <a href="/acts/15-10.htm">Acts 15:10</a> Now then, why do you test God by placing on the necks of the disciples a yoke that neither we nor our fathers have been able to bear? <a href="/romans/14-17.htm">Romans 14:17</a> For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit. <a href="/exodus/20-12.htm">Exodus 20:12</a> Honor your father and mother, so that your days may be long in the land that the LORD your God is giving you. <a href="/deuteronomy/4-2.htm">Deuteronomy 4:2</a> You must not add to or subtract from what I command you, so that you may keep the commandments of the LORD your God that I am giving you. <a href="/deuteronomy/5-16.htm">Deuteronomy 5:16</a> Honor your father and your mother, as the LORD your God has commanded you, so that your days may be long and that it may go well with you in the land that the LORD your God is giving you. <a href="/1_samuel/15-22.htm">1 Samuel 15:22</a> But Samuel declared: “Does the LORD delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obedience to His voice? Behold, obedience is better than sacrifice, and attentiveness is better than the fat of rams. <a href="/isaiah/1-11.htm">Isaiah 1:11-17</a> “What good to Me is your multitude of sacrifices?” says the LORD. “I am full from the burnt offerings of rams and the fat of well-fed cattle; I take no delight in the blood of bulls and lambs and goats. / When you come to appear before Me, who has required this of you—this trampling of My courts? / Bring your worthless offerings no more; your incense is detestable to Me. New Moons, Sabbaths, and convocations—I cannot endure iniquity in a solemn assembly. ...</div> <a name="tsk" id="tsk"><div class="vheading">Treasury of Scripture</div>Why do your disciples transgress the tradition of the elders? for they wash not their hands when they eat bread.transgress.<a href="/mark/7-2.htm">Mark 7:2,5</a> And when they saw some of his disciples eat bread with defiled, that is to say, with unwashen, hands, they found fault… <a href="/genesis/1-14.htm">Genesis 1:14</a> And God said, Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and years:<a href="/colossians/2-8.htm">Colossians 2:8,20-23</a> Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ… tradition.<div class="vheading">Jump to Previous</div><a href="/matthew/5-33.htm">Ancients</a> <a href="/matthew/14-17.htm">Bread</a> <a href="/matthew/12-20.htm">Break</a> <a href="/matthew/11-27.htm">Delivered</a> <a href="/matthew/14-26.htm">Disciples</a> <a href="/ezekiel/20-38.htm">Disobey</a> <a href="/matthew/14-21.htm">Eat</a> <a href="/joel/2-16.htm">Elders</a> <a href="/matthew/10-21.htm">Fathers</a> <a href="/matthew/14-21.htm">Food</a> <a href="/matthew/14-36.htm">Hands</a> <a href="/jeremiah/52-33.htm">Meals</a> <a href="/matthew/13-54.htm">Teaching</a> <a href="/1_peter/1-18.htm">Tradition</a> <a href="/habakkuk/1-11.htm">Transgress</a> <a href="/mark/7-5.htm">Unwashed</a> <a href="/matthew/6-17.htm">Wash</a> <a href="/ezekiel/23-40.htm">Washing</a> <a href="/matthew/14-31.htm">Wherefore</a><div class="vheading2">Jump to Next</div><a href="/mark/7-3.htm">Ancients</a> <a href="/matthew/15-26.htm">Bread</a> <a href="/matthew/15-3.htm">Break</a> <a href="/matthew/17-22.htm">Delivered</a> <a href="/matthew/15-12.htm">Disciples</a> <a href="/matthew/15-3.htm">Disobey</a> <a href="/matthew/15-20.htm">Eat</a> <a href="/matthew/16-21.htm">Elders</a> <a href="/matthew/23-30.htm">Fathers</a> <a href="/matthew/15-20.htm">Food</a> <a href="/matthew/15-20.htm">Hands</a> <a href="/mark/6-31.htm">Meals</a> <a href="/matthew/15-3.htm">Teaching</a> <a href="/matthew/15-3.htm">Tradition</a> <a href="/matthew/15-3.htm">Transgress</a> <a href="/matthew/15-20.htm">Unwashed</a> <a href="/matthew/23-25.htm">Wash</a> <a href="/mark/7-3.htm">Washing</a> <a href="/matthew/15-3.htm">Wherefore</a><div class="vheading2">Matthew 15</div>1. <a href="/matthew/15-1.htm">Jesus reproves the Scribes and Pharisees </a> 7. <a href="/matthew/15-7.htm">for transgressing God's commandments through their own traditions;</a> 10. <a href="/matthew/15-10.htm">teaches how that which goes into the mouth does not defile a man.</a> 21. <a href="/matthew/15-21.htm">He heals the daughter of the woman of Canaan,</a> 29. <a href="/matthew/15-29.htm">and other great multitudes;</a> 32. <a href="/matthew/15-32.htm">and with seven loaves and a few small fish feeds four thousand men</a> </div></div><div id="mdd"><div align="center"><div class="bot2"><table align="center" width="100%"><tr><td><div align="center"> <script id="3d27ed63fc4348d5b062c4527ae09445"> (new Image()).src = 'https://capi.connatix.com/tr/si?token=51ce25d5-1a8c-424a-8695-4bd48c750f35&cid=3a9f82d0-4344-4f8d-ac0c-e1a0eb43a405'; </script> <script id="b817b7107f1d4a7997da1b3c33457e03"> (new Image()).src = 'https://capi.connatix.com/tr/si?token=cb0edd8b-b416-47eb-8c6d-3cc96561f7e8&cid=3a9f82d0-4344-4f8d-ac0c-e1a0eb43a405'; </script>  <div id='div-gpt-ad-1529103594582-2'> </div>  <div id='div-gpt-ad-1529103594582-0' style='max-width: 300px;'> </div>  <div id='div-gpt-ad-1529103594582-3'> </div>  <div id='div-gpt-ad-1529103594582-1' style='max-width: 300px;'> </div>  <div align="center" id='div-gpt-ad-1531425649696-0'> </div> <ins class="adsbygoogle" style="display:inline-block;width:200px;height:200px" data-ad-client="ca-pub-3753401421161123" data-ad-slot="3592799687"></ins> <script> (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); </script> </div> </td></tr></table></div></div></div><div id="combox"><div class="padcom"><a name="study" id="study"></a><div class="vheading"><table width="100%"><tr><td width="99%" valign="top"><a href="/study/matthew/15.htm">Study Bible</a></td><td width="1%" valign="top"><a href="/study/matthew/" title="Book Summary and Study">Book ◦</a> <a href="/study/chapters/matthew/15.htm" title="Chapter summary and Study">Chapter </a></tr></table></div>Why do Your disciples break the tradition of the elders? This question is posed by the Pharisees and scribes, religious leaders who were deeply concerned with maintaining Jewish traditions. The "tradition of the elders" refers to the oral laws and interpretations that had been developed over generations to help Jews adhere to the written Law of Moses. These traditions were highly esteemed and considered authoritative by the Pharisees. The question highlights a tension between Jesus' teachings and the established religious practices of the time. This reflects a broader theme in the Gospels where Jesus challenges human traditions that overshadow the core commandments of God (<a href="/mark/7-8.htm">Mark 7:8-9</a>). The Pharisees' focus on tradition can be seen as a type of legalism that Jesus often rebukes, emphasizing the spirit of the law over the letter (<a href="/matthew/23-23.htm">Matthew 23:23</a>).They do not wash their hands before they eat. The practice of handwashing before meals was not merely about hygiene but was a ritual purification act rooted in Jewish tradition. This ritual was not explicitly commanded in the Torah but was part of the oral traditions that had developed. The Pharisees viewed this as essential for maintaining ceremonial purity. In the cultural and historical context, such practices were seen as a way to separate the Jewish people from Gentile practices and maintain holiness. However, Jesus uses this moment to teach that true defilement comes from within a person, not from external factors (<a href="/matthew/15-11.htm">Matthew 15:11</a>). This teaching aligns with Old Testament prophecies that emphasize the importance of inner purity and a heart aligned with God's will (<a href="/isaiah/29-13.htm">Isaiah 29:13</a>). Jesus' response to the Pharisees underscores His role as the fulfillment of the Law and the Prophets, bringing a new understanding of purity and righteousness.<div class="vheading2">Persons / Places / Events</div>1. <a href="/topical/j/jesus.htm">Jesus</a> - The central figure in the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus is the one being questioned by the Pharisees and scribes in this passage. 2. <a href="/topical/p/pharisees_and_scribes.htm">Pharisees and Scribes</a> - Religious leaders of the time who are questioning Jesus about His disciples' practices. 3. <a href="/topical/d/disciples.htm">Disciples</a> - Followers of Jesus who are being criticized for not following traditional handwashing rituals. 4. <a href="/topical/j/jerusalem.htm">Jerusalem</a> - The city from which the Pharisees and scribes came to question Jesus, indicating the importance and seriousness of their inquiry. 5. <a href="/topical/t/tradition_of_the_elders.htm">Tradition of the Elders</a> - The oral traditions and interpretations of the Law that were highly regarded by the Pharisees and scribes.<div class="vheading2">Teaching Points</div><a href="/topical/u/understanding_tradition_vs._commandment.htm">Understanding Tradition vs. Commandment</a> Traditions can be valuable, but they should never supersede the commandments of God. Evaluate traditions in light of Scripture. <a href="/topical/h/heart_over_ritual.htm">Heart Over Ritual</a> God desires a heart that seeks Him genuinely rather than mere outward compliance with rituals. Focus on cultivating a sincere relationship with God. <a href="/topical/d/discernment_in_practice.htm">Discernment in Practice</a> Be discerning about which practices are biblically mandated and which are human traditions. Ensure that your faith practices align with Scripture. <a href="/topical/a/authority_of_scripture.htm">Authority of Scripture</a> Scripture should be the ultimate authority in guiding our beliefs and practices, not human traditions or interpretations. <a href="/topical/c/challenge_to_legalism.htm">Challenge to Legalism</a> Legalism can lead to a focus on external compliance rather than internal transformation. Strive for a faith that transforms the heart.<div class="vheading2">Lists and Questions</div><a href="/top10/lessons_from_matthew_15.htm">Top 10 Lessons from Matthew 15</a> <a href="/q/how_reconcile_jesus'_view_on_tradition.htm">How do we reconcile Jesus placing God’s command above human tradition with similar teachings about observance of ritual cleanliness in other scriptures (Matthew 15:3–9)?</a> <a href="/q/what_is_apostolic_succession.htm">What defines Apostolic Succession in Christianity?</a> <a href="/q/does_jesus_contradict_jewish_laws_in_matt._15.htm">Is Jesus contradicting established Jewish laws by declaring that eating with unwashed hands does not defile a person (Matthew 15:1–11)? </a> <a href="/q/who_can_perform_a_baptism.htm">Who is authorized to perform a baptism?</a><a name="commentary" id="commentary"></a><div class="vheading2"><a href="/commentaries/ellicott/matthew/15.htm">Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers</a></div>(2) They wash not their hands when they eat bread.--St. Mark (<a href="/context/mark/7-3.htm" title="For the Pharisees, and all the Jews, except they wash their hands oft, eat not, holding the tradition of the elders.">Mark 7:3-4</a>), writing for Gentiles, explains the nature of the tradition more fully. What the Pharisees insisted on was not cleanliness as such, but the avoidance of ceremonial pollution. They shrank not from dirt, but from defilement. If they had been in the market, they might have come in contact with the heathen or the publican. If they ate or drank out of a metal or earthenware cup, the last lip that touched it might have been that of a heathen, and therefore that too needed purification. The pride which led them to stand aloof from the rest of mankind showed itself in this, as in all their other traditions. Indifference to their rules in peasants and fishermen, as such--as belonging to the crowd whom they scorned as the brute "people of the earth"--they could afford to tolerate. What shocked them was to see the disciples of One who claimed to be a Prophet or a Rabbi indulging in that indifference. According to their traditions, the act of which they complained stood on the same level as sexual impurity, and exposed those who were guilty of it to the excommunication of the Sanhedrin, or great Council.<div class="vheading2"><a href="/commentaries/pulpit/matthew/15.htm">Pulpit Commentary</a></div>Verse 2. - Thy disciples. They had watched our Lord and his followers partaking of some meal, and doubtless Christ had acted in the same manner as his disciples. Open houses and food partaken of in public allowed this close observation without any infringement of Eastern courtesy. They come to Christ with the insidious question, because they consider him answerable for his disciples' doings (comp. <a href="/matthew/9-14.htm">Matthew 9:14</a>; <a href="/matthew/12-2.htm">Matthew 12:2</a>). They imply that his teaching has led to thee transgression on which they animadvert. Doubtless the apostles, from Christ's instruction and example, were learning to free themselves from the endless rules and restrictions which were no help to religion, and to attend more to the great realities of vital piety and holiness. The omission of the outward acts, rabbinically enjoined, was readily marked and censured. The tradition. This formed a vast collection of additions, explanations, etc., of the original Law, partly, as was affirmed, delivered orally by Moses, and handed down from generation to generation; and partly accumulated by successive expounders. St. Paul refers to this when he speaks of himself before his conversion as being "exceedingly jealous for the tradition or my fathers" (<a href="/galatians/1-14.htm">Galatians 1:14</a>). From it, in the course of time. was formed the Talmud, with its text (Mishna) and its commentary (Gemara). It was not put into writing till after our Lord's time (hence called ἄγραφος διδασκαλία), but was taught authoritatively by accredited teachers who, while retaining the letter of the Law abrogated its spirit, nullifying the broad line of God's commandments by enforcing minute observances and puerile restrictions which were a burden and impediment to purity and devotion, rather than an aid and encouragement. The elders (τῶν πρεσβυτέρων); the ancients. The older expositors and rabbis, whose commentaries had been orally handed down.. Such traditions were regarded with more respect than the letter of Scripture, and the latter had to give way when it seemed to be antagonistic to the former. Wash not their hands when they eat bread. To eat bread means to take food of any kind. The fear of legal defilement led to a multitude of rabbinical rules of the most vexatious and troublesome nature, the infringement of any of which endangered a man's ceremonial purity (see <a href="/mark/7-3.htm">Mark 7:3, 4</a>). These frivolous regulations had been built upon the plain Mosaical enactments of <a href="/leviticus/11.htm">Leviticus 11</a>, etc. St. Matthew, writing for those who were well acquainted with these glosses, enters into no details; St. Mark is more explicit. It is to be remarked that the Pharisees were extending and enforcing these traditions just when the Law was to be superseded by something more spiritual and doing so in spite of the interdiction "Ye shall not add unto the word which I command you" (<a href="/deuteronomy/4-2.htm">Deuteronomy 4:2</a>). <a href="/commentaries/matthew/15-2.htm">Parallel Commentaries ...</a> <a name="lexicon" id="lexicon"></a><div class="vheading">Greek</div>“Why {do} Διὰ (Dia) Preposition <a href="/greek/strongs_1223.htm">Strong's 1223: </a> A primary preposition denoting the channel of an act; through. Your σου (sou) Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive 2nd Person Singular <a href="/greek/strongs_4771.htm">Strong's 4771: </a> You. The person pronoun of the second person singular; thou. disciples μαθηταί (mathētai) Noun - Nominative Masculine Plural <a href="/greek/strongs_3101.htm">Strong's 3101: </a> A learner, disciple, pupil. From manthano; a learner, i.e. Pupil. break παραβαίνουσιν (parabainousin) Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person Plural <a href="/greek/strongs_3845.htm">Strong's 3845: </a> To transgress, violate, depart, desert. From para and the base of basis; to go contrary to, i.e. Violate a command. the τὴν (tēn) Article - Accusative Feminine Singular <a href="/greek/strongs_3588.htm">Strong's 3588: </a> The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the. tradition παράδοσιν (paradosin) Noun - Accusative Feminine Singular <a href="/greek/strongs_3862.htm">Strong's 3862: </a> An instruction, tradition. From paradidomi; transmission, i.e. a precept; specially, the Jewish traditionary law. of the τῶν (tōn) Article - Genitive Masculine Plural <a href="/greek/strongs_3588.htm">Strong's 3588: </a> The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the. elders? πρεσβυτέρων (presbyterōn) Adjective - Genitive Masculine Plural <a href="/greek/strongs_4245.htm">Strong's 4245: </a> Comparative of presbus; older; as noun, a senior; specially, an Israelite Sanhedrist or Christian 'presbyter'. They do not wash νίπτονται (niptontai) Verb - Present Indicative Middle - 3rd Person Plural <a href="/greek/strongs_3538.htm">Strong's 3538: </a> To wash; mid. I wash my own (hands, etc.). To cleanse; ceremonially, to perform ablution. their αὐτῶν (autōn) Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive Masculine 3rd Person Plural <a href="/greek/strongs_846.htm">Strong's 846: </a> He, she, it, they, them, same. From the particle au; the reflexive pronoun self, used of the third person, and of the other persons. hands χεῖρας (cheiras) Noun - Accusative Feminine Plural <a href="/greek/strongs_5495.htm">Strong's 5495: </a> A hand. when ὅταν (hotan) Conjunction <a href="/greek/strongs_3752.htm">Strong's 3752: </a> When, whenever. From hote and an; whenever; also causatively inasmuch as. they eat.” ἐσθίωσιν (esthiōsin) Verb - Present Subjunctive Active - 3rd Person Plural <a href="/greek/strongs_2068.htm">Strong's 2068: </a> Strengthened for a primary edo; used only in certain tenses, the rest being supplied by phago; to eat. <div class="vheading">Links</div><a href="/niv/matthew/15-2.htm">Matthew 15:2 NIV</a> <a href="/nlt/matthew/15-2.htm">Matthew 15:2 NLT</a> <a href="/esv/matthew/15-2.htm">Matthew 15:2 ESV</a> <a href="/nasb/matthew/15-2.htm">Matthew 15:2 NASB</a> <a href="/kjv/matthew/15-2.htm">Matthew 15:2 KJV</a> <a href="//bibleapps.com/matthew/15-2.htm">Matthew 15:2 BibleApps.com</a> <a href="//bibliaparalela.com/matthew/15-2.htm">Matthew 15:2 Biblia Paralela</a> <a href="//holybible.com.cn/matthew/15-2.htm">Matthew 15:2 Chinese Bible</a> <a href="//saintebible.com/matthew/15-2.htm">Matthew 15:2 French Bible</a> <a href="/catholic/matthew/15-2.htm">Matthew 15:2 Catholic Bible</a> <a href="/matthew/15-2.htm">NT Gospels: Matthew 15:2 Why do your disciples disobey the tradition (Matt. Mat Mt) </a></div></div></td></tr></table></div><div id="left"><a href="/matthew/15-1.htm" onmouseover='lft.src="/leftgif.png"' onmouseout='lft.src="/left.png"' title="Matthew 15:1"><img src="/left.png" name="lft" border="0" alt="Matthew 15:1" /></a></div><div id="right"><a href="/matthew/15-3.htm" onmouseover='rght.src="/rightgif.png"' onmouseout='rght.src="/right.png"' title="Matthew 15:3"><img src="/right.png" name="rght" border="0" alt="Matthew 15:3" /></a></div><div id="botleft"><a href="#" onmouseover='botleft.src="/botleftgif.png"' onmouseout='botleft.src="/botleft.png"' title="Top of Page"><img src="/botleft.png" name="botleft" border="0" alt="Top of Page" /></a></div><div id="botright"><a href="#" onmouseover='botright.src="/botrightgif.png"' onmouseout='botright.src="/botright.png"' title="Top of Page"><img src="/botright.png" name="botright" border="0" alt="Top of Page" /></a></div><div id="bot"><iframe width="100%" height="1500" scrolling="no" src="/botmenubhnew2.htm" frameborder="0"></iframe></div></td></tr></table></div></body></html>