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 came to Jesus scribes and Pharisees, which were of Jerusalem, saying,

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

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

For God commanded, saying, Honour thy father and mother: and, He that curseth father or mother, let him die the death.

But ye say, Whosoever shall say to his father or his mother, It is a gift, by whatsoever thou mightest be profited by me;

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.

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

This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me.

But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.

What Truly Defiles a Person

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

Not that which goeth into the mouth defileth a man; but that which cometh out of the mouth, this defileth a man.

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

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

Let them alone: they be blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch.

Then answered Peter and said unto him, Declare unto us this parable.

And Jesus said, Are ye also yet without understanding?

Do not ye yet understand, that whatsoever entereth in at the mouth goeth into the belly, and is cast out into the draught?

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

For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies:

These are the things which defile a man: but to eat with unwashen hands defileth not a man.

The Faith of a Canaanite Woman

¶ Then Jesus went thence, and departed into the coasts of Tyre and Sidon.

And, behold, a woman of Canaan came out of the same coasts, and cried unto him, saying, Have mercy on me, O Lord, thou Son of David; my daughter is grievously vexed with a devil.

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 am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel.

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

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

And she said, Truth, Lord: yet 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 unto thee even as thou wilt. And her daughter was made whole from that very hour.

Jesus Feeds Four Thousand

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

And great multitudes came unto him, having with them those that were lame, blind, dumb, maimed, and many others, and cast them down at Jesus' feet; and he healed them:

Insomuch that the multitude wondered, when they saw the dumb to speak, the maimed to be whole, the lame to walk, and the blind to see: and they glorified the God of Israel.

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

And his disciples say unto him, Whence should we have so much bread in the wilderness, as to fill so great a multitude?

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

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

And he took the seven loaves and the fishes, and gave thanks, and brake them, and gave to his disciples, and the disciples to the multitude.

And they did all eat, and were filled: and they took up of the broken meat that was left seven baskets full.

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

And he sent away the multitude, and took ship, and came into the coasts of Magdala.

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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