Matthew15

Jesus confronts the Pharisees regarding their traditions, asserting that internal defilement from the heart, not external rituals, truly pollutes a man. He then travels to Tyre and Sidon, where He commends the great faith of a Canaanite woman and heals her daughter. Returning to Galilee, Jesus performs numerous healings and miraculously feeds four thousand people with seven loaves and a few fishes.

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Tradition vs. God's Command

Then there come to Jesus from Jerusalem Pharisees and scribes, saying,

Why do thy disciples transgress the tradition of the elders? for they wash not their hands when they eat bread.

And he answered and said unto them, Why do ye also transgress the commandment of God because of your tradition?

For God said, Honor thy father and thy mother: and, He that speaketh evil of father or mother, let him die the death.

But ye say, Whosoever shall say to his father or his mother, That wherewith thou mightest have been profited by me is given to God;

he shall not honor his father. And ye have made void the word of God because of your tradition.

Ye hypocrites, well did Isaiah prophesy of you, saying,

This people honoreth me with their lips; But their heart is far from me.

But in vain do they worship me, Teachingas theirdoctrines the precepts of men.

What Truly Defiles a Person

And he called to him the multitude, and said unto them, Hear, and understand:

Not that which entereth into the mouth defileth the man; but that which proceedeth out of the mouth, this defileth the man.

Then came the disciples, and said unto him, Knowest thou that the Pharisees were offended, when they heard this saying?

But he answered and said, Every plant which my heavenly Father planted not, shall be rooted up.

Let them alone: they are blind guides. And if the blind guide the blind, both shall fall into a pit.

And Peter answered and said unto him, Declare unto us the parable.

And he said, Are ye also even yet without understanding?

Perceive ye not, that whatsoever goeth into the mouth passeth into the belly, and is cast out into the draught?

But the things which proceed out of the mouth come forth out of the heart; and they defile the man.

For out of the heart come forth evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, railings:

these are the things which defile the man; but to eat with unwashen hands defileth not the man.

The Faith of a Canaanite Woman

And Jesus went out thence, and withdrew into the parts of Tyre and Sidon.

And behold, a Canaanitish woman came out from those borders, and cried, saying, Have mercy on me, O Lord, thou son of David; my daughter is grievously vexed with a demon.

But he answered her not a word. And his disciples came and besought him, saying, Send her away; for she crieth after us.

But he answered and said, I was not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel.

But she came and worshipped him, saying, Lord, help me.

And he answered and said, It is not meet to take the children’s bread and cast it to the dogs.

But she said, Yea, Lord: for even the dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from their masters’ table.

Then Jesus answered and said unto her, O woman, great is thy faith: be it done unto thee even as thou wilt. And her daughter was healed from that hour.

Jesus Feeds Four Thousand

And Jesus departed thence, and came nigh unto the sea of Galilee; and he went up into the mountain, and sat there.

And there came unto him great multitudes, having with them the lame, blind, dumb, maimed, and many others, and they cast them down at his feet; and he healed them:

insomuch that the multitude wondered, when they saw the dumb speaking, the maimed whole, and the lame walking, and the blind seeing: and they glorified the God of Israel.

And Jesus called unto him his disciples, and said, I have compassion on the multitude, because they continue with me now three days and have nothing to eat: and I would not send them away fasting, lest haply they faint on the way.

And the disciples say unto him, Whence should we have so many loaves in a desert place as to fill so great a multitude?

And Jesus said unto them, How many loaves have ye? And they said, Seven, and a few small fishes.

And he commanded the multitude to sit down on the ground;

and he took the seven loaves and the fishes; and he gave thanks and brake, and gave to the disciples, and the disciples to the multitudes.

And they all ate, and were filled: and they took up that which remained over of the broken pieces, seven baskets full.

And they that did eat were four thousand men, besides women and children.

And he sent away the multitudes, and entered into the boat, and came into the borders of Magadan.

Study Notes for Matthew 15

Verse 1

This confrontation identifies Jesus' most powerful opposition: Scribes and Pharisees from Jerusalem, the center of religious authority, who challenge Jesus' interpretation of purity laws.

Verse 2

The 'tradition of the elders' refers to the oral law, later codified in the Mishnah. This ritual washing was for ceremonial purity before meals, considered binding by the religious elite, but not explicitly mandated in the Torah.

Verse 3

Jesus turns the accusation back on them, establishing the critical distinction between divine written law ('commandment of God') and humanly devised regulations ('your tradition').

Verse 5

This verse describes the practice of *Corban* (a gift dedicated to God). By dedicating funds, a person could circumvent the responsibility of supporting their parents, thereby violating the Fifth Commandment.

Verse 6

Jesus asserts that their legalistic system prioritized human tradition and personal gain over the clear moral demands of the Torah, demonstrating their hypocrisy.

Verse 8

Jesus quotes Isaiah 29:13, diagnosing the root issue: the Pharisees were focused on external observance and outward piety while lacking genuine internal commitment to God.

Verse 10

Jesus shifts the teaching from the religious leaders to the common people, emphasizing that spiritual truth requires internal understanding ('Hear, and understand').

Verse 11

This radical statement challenges centuries of Jewish dietary and purity laws, establishing that moral purity is internal (from the heart) rather than external or ritualistic (from food or physical contact).

Verse 12

The disciples recognize the political danger of Jesus' teaching, as challenging the traditions of the elders was seen as an attack on the authority of the religious establishment.

Verse 13

This metaphor suggests that the Pharisees' teachings and authority structure are not divinely instituted and will ultimately be uprooted and destroyed.

Verse 14

Jesus instructs the disciples to ignore the Pharisees, calling them 'blind leaders.' This is a strong condemnation of their spiritual guidance, indicating they lead their followers toward spiritual ruin.

Verse 17

Jesus explains the physiological fact that food is temporary and processed by the body, thus it cannot affect the soul's purity or defile a person spiritually.

Verse 18

The things that truly defile (evil actions and words) originate in the heart, which the Bible understands as the seat of will, intellect, and moral character.

Verse 19

This catalog of sins demonstrates the corrupted state of the human heart, contrasting sharply with the external ritual concerns over unwashed hands.

Verse 21

Jesus intentionally moves outside Jewish territory into the Gentile regions of Tyre and Sidon, signaling the future expansion of his ministry beyond Israel’s borders.

Verse 22

Calling Jesus 'Lord, thou Son of David' is a Messianic title, significant because it comes from a Gentile woman (a Canaanite, descended from Israel’s ancient enemies).

Verse 23

Jesus’ initial silence and refusal test the woman's faith and highlight the primary, immediate focus of his earthly ministry: the 'lost sheep of the house of Israel' (v. 24).

Verse 26

The term 'dogs' (Greek: *kynaria*) is a diminutive, meaning 'little dogs' or household pets. This softens the comparison while maintaining the priority of Israel ('the children') in the plan of salvation.

Verse 27

Her humble and persistent reply shows profound faith. She accepts her subordinate status yet argues for the availability of God’s grace even to outsiders.

Verse 28

Jesus praises her 'great faith,' a rare commendation, demonstrating that sincere faith transcends ethnic and religious boundaries and secures God's blessing.

Verse 29

Jesus returns to the Sea of Galilee area, likely the eastern, more Gentile-mixed side (the Decapolis region), where the second large-scale feeding miracle takes place.

Verse 31

The crowds, witnessing the scope of the healing ministry (including the lame and blind), recognized this power and glorified 'the God of Israel,' acknowledging God’s covenant work.

Verse 32

This miracle is distinct from the feeding of the 5,000. The duration ('three days') indicates the depth of the multitude’s commitment to Jesus’ teaching.

Verse 36

The ritual actions (taking, giving thanks, breaking, distributing) mirror those used in the feeding of the 5,000 and anticipate the pattern of the Lord’s Supper.

Verse 37

The amount of leftover food (seven baskets full) emphasizes the abundance of the provision. The number seven often symbolizes completeness or perfection in biblical numerology.

Verse 39

Jesus departs for Magdala (or Magadan), a town on the western shore of the Sea of Galilee, concluding this period of ministry in the region.

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Matthew15

Tradition vs. God's Command

What Truly Defiles a Person

The Faith of a Canaanite Woman

Jesus Feeds Four Thousand

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