he is not to honor his father or mother.’ And by this you have invalidated the word of God for the sake of your tradition.
Parallel translations
- WEB he shall not honor his father or mother.’ You have made the commandment of God void because of your tradition.
- KJV And honour not his father or his mother, he shall be free. Thus have ye made the commandment of God of none effect by your tradition.
- BSB he need not honor his father or mother with it. Thus you nullify the word of God for the sake of your tradition.
- NKJV then he need not honor his father or mother.’ Thus you have made the commandment of God of no effect by your tradition.
- NLT In this way, you say they don’t need to honor their parents. And so you cancel the word of God for the sake of your own tradition.
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 concludes that by such tradition they have nullified God's word. It matters because it shows that human rules, when set above Scripture, can empty God's commands of their force.
Overview
The Corban practice meant a son could justify not honoring his parents, directly overturning the commandment. Jesus says bluntly that they have 'made the commandment of God void' for the sake of their tradition. This is the heart of his indictment: tradition had become a tool to circumvent obedience rather than to serve it. The principle stands as a permanent caution that no human teaching may be allowed to cancel the plain teaching of God's word.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 10
- 1 Tim 5:8But if anyone doesn’t provide for his own, and especially his own household, he has denied the faith, and is worse than an unbeliever.
- Jer 8:8“‘How do you say, “We are wise, and Yahweh’s law is with us?” But, behold, the false pen of the scribes has worked falsely.
- Ps 119:126It is time to act, Yahweh, for they break your law.
- Mark 7:13making void the word of God by your tradition, which you have handed down. You do many things like this.”
- Mal 2:7–9For the priest’s lips should keep knowledge, and they should seek the law at his mouth; for he is the messenger of Yahweh of Armies.
- Hos 4:6My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. Because you have rejected knowledge, I will also reject you, that you may be no priest to me. Because you have forgotten your God’s law, I will also forget your children.
- Ps 119:139My zeal wears me out, because my enemies ignore your words.
- 1 Tim 5:3–4Honor widows who are widows indeed.
- Rom 3:31Do we then nullify the law through faith? May it never be! No, we establish the law.
- 1 Tim 5:16If any man or woman who believes has widows, let them relieve them, and don’t let the assembly be burdened; that it might relieve those who are widows indeed.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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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 15:6 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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