Matthew 15:2
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“Why do Your disciples break the tradition of the elders? They do not wash their hands before they eat.”
Commentaries
Excerpts gathered from published commentaries to ground the reading.
Why do thy disciples transgress the tradition of the elders? for they wash not their hands when they eat bread.
Open source ↗In this chapter, we have our Lord Jesus, as the great Prophet teaching, as the great Physician healing, and as the great Shepherd of the sheep feeding; as the Father of spirits instructing them; as the Conqueror of Satan dispossessing him; and as concerned for the bodies of his people, providing for them. Here is, I. Christ's discourse with the scribes and Pharisees about human traditions and injunctions (Mat 15:1-9). II. His discourse with the multitude, and with his disciples, concerning the things that defile a man (Mat 15:10-20). III. His casting of the devil out of the woman of Canaan's daughter (Mat 15:21-28). IV. His healing of all that were brought to him (Mat 15:29-31). V. His feeding of four thousand men, with seven loaves and a few little fishes (Mat 15:32-39).
Open source ↗15:2 The Jewish teachers’ age-old tradition sought to apply the written Torah to common circumstances in the ordinary course of life. This tradition was memorized and passed on orally from teacher to student (cp. 1 Cor 11:23; 15:1-5). • To ignore the tradition of . . . hand washing (see Mark 7:2-4; Luke 11:38) was considered disobedient to the Torah and unfaithful to God’s will for Israel (cp. Matt 23:25-26).
Open source ↗Cross-references
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and they saw some of His disciples eating with hands that were defiled—that is, unwashed.
But the Pharisee was surprised to see that Jesus did not first wash before the meal.
See 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.
So 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.”
For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life you inherited from your forefathers,
And God said, “Let there be lights in the expanse of the sky to distinguish between the day and the night, and let them be signs to mark the seasons and days and years.