“Why do Your disciples transgress the tradition of the elders? For they do not wash their hands when they eat bread.”
Parallel translations
- WEB “Why do your disciples disobey the tradition of the elders? For they don’t wash 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.
- BSB “Why do Your disciples break the tradition of the elders? They do not wash their hands before they eat.”
- NASB “Why do Your disciples break the tradition of the elders? For they do not wash their hands when they eat bread.”
- NLT “Why do your disciples disobey our age-old tradition? For they ignore our tradition of ceremonial hand washing before they eat.”
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
They accuse Jesus' disciples of breaking the elders' tradition by not washing hands before eating. The complaint exposes their reverence for human tradition over God's law.
Overview
The Pharisees and scribes object that Jesus' disciples ignore the ceremonial handwashing required by the tradition of the elders. Their concern is ritual purity defined by human custom, not the moral law of God. This challenge prompts Jesus to expose how their traditions actually nullify God's commandments, teaching that true defilement comes from the heart, not unwashed hands.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 7
- Luke 11:38When the Pharisee saw it, he marveled that he had not first washed himself before dinner.
- Mark 7:2Now when they saw some of his disciples eating bread with defiled, that is unwashed, hands, they found fault.
- Col 2:20–23If you died with Christ from the elements of the world, why, as though living in the world, do you subject yourselves to ordinances,
- Col 2:8Be careful that you don’t let anyone rob you through his philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the elements of the world, and not after Christ.
- Mark 7:5The Pharisees and the scribes asked him, “Why don’t your disciples walk according to the tradition of the elders, but eat their bread with unwashed hands?”
- 1 Pet 1:18knowing that you were redeemed, not with corruptible things, with silver or gold, from the useless way of life handed down from your fathers,
- Gen 1:14God said, “Let there be lights in the expanse of the sky to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs to mark seasons, days, and years;
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Christ at the center
Matthew presents Jesus as the promised King — son of David, son of Abraham — the new Moses and true Israel in whom every prophecy reaches 'that it might be fulfilled.'
How Matthew 15:2 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
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