Matthew 15:2
in Matthew 15“Why do Your disciples break the tradition of the elders? They do not wash their hands before they eat.”
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
Why do thy disciples transgress the tradition of the elders? for they wash not their hands when they eat bread.
KJV
Why do thy disciples transgress the tradition of the elders? for they wash not their hands when they eat bread.
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This verse in Matthew 15
Commentary
15 notes on this verseOf what kind these traditions were, Mark shows when he says, The Pharisees and all the Jews, except they wash their hands oft, eat not. (Mark 7:3.) Here then also they find fault with the disciples, saying, For they wash not their hands when they eat bread. Or the Pharisees found fault with the Lord's disciples, not concerning that washing which we do from ordinary habit, and of necessity, but of that superfluous washing which was invented by the tradition of the elders.
This site's exposition
scribes and Pharisees, which were of Jerusalem
on Matthew 15:1-2
This delegation has traveled the whole distance from Jerusalem to Galilee, a sign that the capital's leadership is now watching Jesus with organized concern rather than casual curiosity. Their complaint concerns netilat yadayim, a ceremonial hand washing that later rabbinic sources trace to the sages rather than to the Torah itself, so the charge is not that the disciples broke Moses' law but that they ignored an oral enactment built around it. Gill and Lightfoot both note that the Mishnah's own tractate on the subject treats this washing as a fence around the law, a protective custom, not a commandment of God.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers5 voices
But the hands that are to be washed are the acts not of the body, but of the mind; that the word of God may be done in them.
Among other observations, some of the Jewish elders ruled that a person should not take or eat food unless he first washed his hands. This observation, however, reveals a particular custom that is human and produces no beneficial effect. Therefore this tradition of the elders …
A commentator
John ChrysostomHomily on the Gospel of Matthew 51 · Written in the 5th century.
proposed
But mark, I pray thee, how even by the question itself they are convicted; in not saying, "Why do they transgress the law of Moses," but, "the tradition of the elders." Whence it is evident that the priests were inventing many novelties, although Moses, with much terror and with much threatening, had enjoined neither to add nor take away. For "ye shall not add," saith he, "unto the word which I command you this day, and ye shall not take away from it." But not the less were they innovating; as in this instance, that one ought not to eat with unwashen hands, that we must wash cups and brazen vessels, that we must wash also ourselves. Thus, when men were henceforth, as time advanced, to be freed from their observances, at that very time they bound them with the same in more and more instances, fearing lest any one should take away their power, and wishing to strike more dread, as though they were themselves also lawgivers. The thing in fact proceeded so far in enormity, that while their own commandments were kept, those of God were transgressed; and they so far prevailed, that the matter had actually become a ground of accusation. Which was a twofold charge against them, in that they both invented novelties, and were so strict exactors on their own account, while of God they made no reckoning.
A commentator
John ChrysostomHomily on the Gospel of Matthew 51 · Written in the 5th century.
proposed
But it were meet first to inquire, why the disciples ate with unwashen hands. Wherefore then did they so eat? Not as making a point of it, but as overlooking henceforth the things that are superfluous, and attending to such as are necessary; having no law to wash or not to wash, but doing either as it happened. For they that despised even their own necessary food, how were they to hold these things worth much consideration? This then having often happened unintentionally,-for instance, when they ate in the wilderness, when they plucked the ears of corn,-is now put forward as a charge by these persons, who are always transgressing in the great things, and making much account of the superfluous.
(Vers. 1, 2.) For they do not wash their hands when they eat bread. Hands, that is, works, are to be washed, not of the body for sure, but of the soul, so that the word of God may be made in them.
8 more voices on this verse
The Medieval Church3 voices
Then is presented that in which they accused them: why do your disciples transgress the traditions of the ancients? It was commanded, as is found in Deut. 4:2: you shall not add to the word that I speak to you, neither shall you take away …
Although there were scribes and Pharisees in every place, those in Jerusalem were the most honored. Hence they envied Christ all the more as they were the most vainglorious. As a custom from ancient tradition, the Jews did not eat with unwashed hands. Seeing the …
(in Marc. 7, 1.) Taking carnally those words of the Prophets, in which it is said, Wash, and he ye clean, they, observed it only in washing the body; (Is. 1:16.) hence they had laid it down that we ought not to eat with unwashen hands.
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
Why do thy disciples transgress the tradition of the elders?....
Here is Christ's answer to this cavil, and his justification of the disciples in that which was charged upon them as a transgression. Note, While we stand fast in the liberty wherewith Christ has made us free, he will be sure to bear us out in it. Two ways Christ replies upon them;
The Nineteenth Century3 voices
Elders - Rulers and magistrates among the Jews. For they wash not their hands - What frivolous nonsense! These Pharisees had nothing which their malice could fasten on in the conduct or doctrine of our blessed Lord and his disciples, and therefore they must dispute about washing of hands! All sorts of Pharisees are troublesome people in religious society; and the reason is, they take more pleasure in blaming others than in amending themselves.
We have in these verses a conversation between our Lord Jesus Christ and certain scribes and Pharisees. The subject of it may seem, at first sight, of little interest in modern days; but it is not so in reality. The principles of the Pharisees are principles that never die. There are truths laid down here which are of deep importance. We learn for one thing that hypocrites generally attach great importance to mere outward things in religion. The complaint of the scribes and Pharisees in this place is a striking case in point.
We have in these verses a conversation between our Lord Jesus Christ and certain scribes and Pharisees. The subject of it may seem, at first sight, of little interest in modern days; but it is not so in reality. The principles of the Pharisees are principles that never die. There are truths laid down here which are of deep importance. We learn for one thing that hypocrites generally attach great importance to mere outward things in religion. The complaint of the scribes and Pharisees in this place is a striking case in point. They brought an accusation to our Lord against his disciples, but what was its nature? It was not that they were covetous or self-righteous. It was not that they were untruthful or uncharitable. It was not that they had broken any part of the law of God. But they transgressed the traditions of the elders. They did not wash their hands when they ate bread!” They did not observe a rule of merely human authority, which some old Jew had invented! This was the head and front of their offense! Do we see nothing of the spirit of the Pharisees in the present day? Unhappily we see only too much. There are thousands of professing Christians who seem to care nothing about the religion of their neighbors provided that it agrees in outward matters with their own. Does their neighbor worship according to their particular form? Can he repeat their shibboleth, and talk a little about their favorite doctrines? If he can, they are satisfied, though there is no evidence that he is converted. If he cannot, they are always finding fault, and cannot speak peaceably of him, though he may be serving Christ better than themselves. Let us beware of this spirit: it is the very essence of hypocrisy. Let our principle be, “The kingdom of God is not a meat and drink, but righteousness, and peace and joy in the Holy Ghost.” ( Romans 14:17 ).
How the passage was read
On Matthew 15:1-20On Matthew 15:1-20
Handwashing, korban, and which tradition weighs more
“Why do thy disciples transgress the tradition of the elders? for they wash not their hands when they eat bread.” The washing in question is netilat yadayim, a ritual pouring of water over the hands before eating bread. It was never about hygiene: it extends to the ordinary table the purity washing the Torah requires of priests before they eat holy food, one more piece of the Pharisaic program to make every table an altar. The Mishnah devotes a whole tractate to it (Yadayim 1:1 opens with the required quantity of water), and observant homes keep the practice before bread to this day.
Jesus answers with a harder case from the same tradition: korban. Property declared korban (“an offering”) was barred from ordinary use as if dedicated to God, and the vow formula could be used to lock a son's goods away from his own parents; the Mishnah records the substitute formulas people spoke (Nedarim 1:2). Jesus weighs that vow against the commandment “honor thy father and mother” and rules that no vow can cancel it. The tradition itself wrestled with the same tension: its vow-release discussions include a debated question about opening a release by appeal to the parents' honor (Nedarim 9:1 records the rabbis divided over exactly that move). Jesus' ruling cuts where the tradition circled.
This section is reception history: how the passage was read and kept in the Jewish tradition. Where a reading parts from an essential of the Christian faith, the section says so at that point.
Sources: Mishnah Yadayim 1:1 (the handwashing rite) · Mishnah Nedarim 1:2 (the korban formulas) · Mishnah Nedarim 9:1 (release of vows and the parents' honor, a recorded dispute)
The words behind it
19 Greek wordsEvery Greek word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Greek | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| διὰ | dia | Because of | G1223 → | 664 times |
| τί | ti | why | G5101 → | 563 times |
| οἱ | hoi | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| μαθηταί | mathetai | disciples | G3101 → | 260 times |
| σου | sou | of You | G4771 → | 2973 times |
| παραβαίνουσιν | parabainousin | break | G3845 → | |
| τὴν | ten | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| παράδοσιν | paradosin | tradition | G3862 → | 13 times |
| τῶν | ton | of the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| πρεσβυτέρων; | presbuteron | elders? | G4245 → | 65 times |
| οὐ | ou | Not | G3756 → | 1664 times |
| γὰρ | gar | for | G1063 → | 1039 times |
| νίπτονται | niptontai | they wash | G3538 → | |
| τὰς | tas | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| χεῖρας | cheiras | hands | G5495 → | 175 times |
| αὐτῶν | auton | of them | G846 → | 5565 times |
| ὅταν | hotan | when | G3752 → | 123 times |
| ἄρτον | arton | bread | G740 → | 97 times |
| ἐσθίωσιν.¶ | esthiosin | they may eat. | G2068 → | 65 times |
διὰBecause of
diaG1223 →664 times
τίwhy
tiG5101 →563 times
οἱthe
hoiG3588 →19766 times
μαθηταίdisciples
mathetaiG3101 →260 times
σουof You
souG4771 →2973 times
παραβαίνουσινbreak
parabainousinG3845 →
τὴνthe
tenG3588 →19766 times
παράδοσινtradition
paradosinG3862 →13 times
τῶνof the
tonG3588 →19766 times
πρεσβυτέρων;elders?
presbuteronG4245 →65 times
οὐNot
ouG3756 →1664 times
γὰρfor
garG1063 →1039 times
νίπτονταιthey wash
niptontaiG3538 →
τὰςthe
tasG3588 →19766 times
χεῖραςhands
cheirasG5495 →175 times
αὐτῶνof them
autonG846 →5565 times
ὅτανwhen
hotanG3752 →123 times
ἄρτονbread
artonG740 →97 times
ἐσθίωσιν.¶they may eat.
esthiosinG2068 →65 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Colossians 2:8See 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.
it leads to
- 1 Timothy 6:20
O Timothy, guard what has been entrusted to you. Avoid irreverent, empty chatter and the opposing arguments of so-called “knowledge,”
- Ephesians 5:6
Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of such things the wrath of God is coming on the sons of disobedience.
- Matthew 7:15
Beware of false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves.
- Galatians 4:9
But now that you know God, or rather are known by God, how is it that you are turning back to those weak and worthless principles? Do you wish to be enslaved by them…
- 1 Corinthians 3:18–19
Let no one deceive himself. If any of you thinks he is wise in this age, he should become a fool, so that he may become wise.
- 1 Timothy 6:20
Through
Mark 7:2and they saw some of His disciples eating with hands that were defiled—that is, unwashed.
it leads to
- Acts 10:28
He said to them, “You know how unlawful it is for a Jew to associate with a foreigner or visit him. But God has shown me that I should not call any man impure…
- Acts 10:28
Through
Luke 11:38But the Pharisee was surprised to see that Jesus did not first wash before the meal.
it leads to
- Matthew 15:2–3
“Why do Your disciples break the tradition of the elders? They do not wash their hands before they eat.”
- Matthew 15:2–3
Through
Mark 7:5So 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.”
it leads to
- 2 Thessalonians 3:6
Now we command you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, to keep away from any brother who leads an undisciplined life that is not in keeping with the tradition you received…
- 2 Thessalonians 3:6
Where this verse is studied
On this page
About Matthew
This page draws on 14 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Bede, Catena Aurea by Aquinas; Chromatius of Aquileia, TRACTATE ON MATTHEW 53.1; J.C. Ryle, Expository Thoughts on the Gospels: Matthew; Jerome, Catena Aurea by Aquinas; Jerome, Commentary on Matthew; John Chrysostom, Homily on the Gospel of Matthew 51; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament (1746-1748); John Lightfoot, Horae Hebraicae et Talmudicae on Matthew; Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible; Remigius of Rheims, Catena Aurea by Aquinas; Theophylact of Ohrid, Commentary on Matthew and Thomas Aquinas, Commentary on Matthew.