He answered and said to them, “Why do you also transgress the commandment of God because of your tradition?
Parallel translations
- WEB He answered them, “Why do you also disobey the commandment of God because of your tradition?
- KJV But he answered and said unto them, Why do ye also transgress the commandment of God by your tradition?
- BSB Jesus replied, “And why do you break the command of God for the sake of your tradition?
- NASB And He answered and said to them, “Why do you yourselves also break the commandment of God for the sake of your tradition?
- NLT Jesus replied, “And why do you, by your traditions, violate the direct commandments of God?
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
Jesus turns the Pharisees' criticism back on them, charging that their man-made traditions actually lead them to break God's commandments. It matters because it exposes the danger of elevating human rules above God's word.
Overview
The Pharisees had accused Jesus' disciples of breaking the tradition of the elders by not ceremonially washing their hands. Jesus answers their challenge with a sharper counter-charge: their traditions cause them to transgress the actual commandments of God. He establishes a principle that runs through this whole passage—Scripture, not human custom, is the final authority. Christ himself perfectly honored the Father's commandments where the religious leaders failed.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 6
- Col 2:23Which things indeed appear like wisdom in self-imposed worship, and humility, and severity to the body; but aren’t of any value against the indulgence of the flesh.
- Titus 1:14not paying attention to Jewish fables and commandments of men who turn away from the truth.
- Mark 7:6–8He answered them, “Well did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written, ‘This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me.
- 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 7:13making void the word of God by your tradition, which you have handed down. You do many things like this.”
- Matt 7:3–5Why do you see the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but don’t consider the beam that is in your own eye?
Themes, concepts, people & topics
Resources, by level
Commentaries & study tools
Free animated overview and word-study videos for this book.
Sermons and teaching on this passage from across YouTube.
Clear, readable, conservative exposition — the best free place to start on any passage.
Matthew Henry, Barnes, Gill, the Pulpit Commentary, Ellicott, Cambridge, and more — stacked on one page for this exact verse.
The beloved Puritan exposition of this whole book — warm, devotional, and verse by verse (free, CCEL).
Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.
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 15:3 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
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Greek word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.