These are [the things] which defile a man: but to eat with unwashen hands defileth not a man.
These {G5023} are {G2076} the things which {G3588} defile {G2840} a man {G444}: but {G1161} to eat {G5315} with unwashen {G449} hands {G5495} defileth {G2840} not {G3756} a man {G444}.
These are what really make a person unclean, but eating without doing n'tilat-yadayim does not make a person unclean."
These are what defile a man, but eating with unwashed hands does not defile him.”
these are the things which defile the man; but to eat with unwashen hands defileth not the man.
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Mark 7:3
For the Pharisees, and all the Jews, except they wash [their] hands oft, eat not, holding the tradition of the elders. -
Mark 7:4
And [when they come] from the market, except they wash, they eat not. And many other things there be, which they have received to hold, [as] the washing of cups, and pots, brasen vessels, and of tables. -
1 Corinthians 6:9
¶ Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, -
1 Corinthians 6:11
And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God. -
Luke 11:38
And when the Pharisee saw [it], he marvelled that he had not first washed before dinner. -
Luke 11:40
[Ye] fools, did not he that made that which is without make that which is within also? -
Matthew 23:25
Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye make clean the outside of the cup and of the platter, but within they are full of extortion and excess.
Context
This verse concludes Jesus' powerful teaching on true defilement, following a direct confrontation with the Pharisees and scribes. They had challenged Jesus' disciples for not observing the "tradition of the elders" concerning ceremonial handwashing before meals (Matthew 15:2). In response, Jesus accused them of nullifying God's commandment for the sake of their human traditions (Matthew 15:6). He then proceeded to explain that defilement does not come from external sources or physical actions like eating with unwashed hands, but from the wicked thoughts and intentions that originate in the human heart. Verses Matthew 15:18-19 explicitly list the evils that truly defile a person, such as "evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies." Matthew 15:20 serves as a summary statement, reiterating that internal moral corruption, not external ritual impurity, is what truly makes a person unclean before God.
Key Themes
Linguistic Insights
The key word in this verse is "defile" (KJV), from the Greek verb koinōi (κοινοῖ). This term means to make common, unholy, or unclean. In a Jewish context, it often referred to ceremonial impurity. Jesus, however, redefines its primary meaning to refer to moral and spiritual uncleanness, distinguishing it sharply from physical or ritual defilement. He argues that true defilement is not about violating ceremonial purity laws but about a corrupted inner state that produces evil actions.
Practical Application
Matthew 15:20 serves as a profound call to self-examination and spiritual authenticity. It challenges believers to look beyond outward appearances and religious observances to the true condition of their hearts. This verse encourages us to: