This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me.
Parallel translations
- WEB ‘These people draw near to me with their mouth, and honor me with their lips; but their heart is far from me.
- BSB ‘These people honor Me with their lips, but their hearts are far from Me.
- NKJV ‘Thesepeople draw near to Me with their mouth, And honor Me with their lips, But their heart is far from Me.
- NASB ‘This people honors Me with their lips, But their heart is far away from Me.
- NLT ‘These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me.
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
Quoting Isaiah, Jesus says these people honor God with their lips while their hearts remain far from him. It matters because it shows that God cares about inward devotion, not mere outward words.
Overview
Jesus applies Isaiah 29:13 to the Pharisees: their religion is verbal and external, not heartfelt. True worship flows from a heart genuinely near to God, not from lips reciting the right phrases. This exposes the perennial danger of religion reduced to ritual and reputation. The gospel addresses exactly this need, for Christ came to give his people new hearts that draw truly near to God.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 8
- Isa 29:13Wherefore the Lord said, Forasmuch as this people draw near me with their mouth, and with their lips do honour me, but have removed their heart far from me, and their fear toward me is taught by the precept of men:
- Ezek 33:31And they come unto thee as the people cometh, and they sit before thee as my people, and they hear thy words, but they will not do them: for with their mouth they shew much love, but their heart goeth after their covetousness.
- Acts 8:21Thou hast neither part nor lot in this matter: for thy heart is not right in the sight of God.
- 1 Pet 3:10For he that will love life, and see good days, let him refrain his tongue from evil, and his lips that they speak no guile:
- Jer 12:2Thou hast planted them, yea, they have taken root: they grow, yea, they bring forth fruit: thou art near in their mouth, and far from their reins.
- Prov 23:26My son, give me thine heart, and let thine eyes observe my ways.
- Heb 3:12Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God.
- John 1:47Jesus saw Nathanael coming to him, and saith of him, Behold an Israelite indeed, in whom is no guile!
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 15:8 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.