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Matthew 15

1Then Pharisees and scribes from Jerusalem approached Jesus, saying, 2“Why do your disciples transgress the tradition of the elders? For they do not wash their hands when they eat bread.” 3He answered them, “Why do you too transgress God's commandment because of your tradition? 4For God said, ‘Honor your father and mother,’ and, ‘Whoever speaks evil of father or mother must be put to death.’ 5But you say, ‘Whoever says to his father or mother, “Whatever benefit you might have received from me is a gift,” 6need not honor his father.’ So you have nullified God's word because of your tradition. 7Hypocrites! Isaiah prophesied rightly about you when he said:

8‘This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me. 9In vain they worship me, teaching human commandments as teachings.’”

10He called the crowd to him and said to them, “Listen and understand. 11What goes into the mouth does not defile a person; what comes out of the mouth is what defiles a person.” 12Then the disciples approached and said to him, “Do you know that the Pharisees took offense when they heard this saying?” 13He answered, “Every plant that my heavenly Father did not plant will be uprooted. 14Leave them alone. They are blind guides of the blind. If a blind person guides a blind person, both will fall into a pit.” 15Peter answered him, “Explain this parable to us.” 16He said, “Are you too still without understanding? 17Do you not understand that everything that goes into the mouth passes into the stomach and is expelled into the latrine? 18But what comes out of the mouth comes from the heart, and that defiles a person. 19For from the heart come evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, sexual immoralities, thefts, false testimonies, and slanders. 20These are what defile a person; but eating with unwashed hands does not defile a person.”

21Jesus left there and withdrew to the region of Tyre and Sidon. 22And look, a Canaanite woman came out from that territory and cried out, “Have mercy on me, Lord, Son of David! My daughter is terribly afflicted by a demon.” 23But he did not answer her a word. His disciples approached and asked him, “Send her away, because she is crying out after us.” 24He answered, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” 25But she came and bowed before him, saying, “Lord, help me.” 26He answered, “It is not right to take the children's bread and throw it to the little dogs.” 27She said, “Yes, Lord, for even the little dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters' table.” 28Then Jesus answered her, “Woman, your faith is great! Let it happen for you as you wish.” And her daughter was healed from that hour.

29Jesus moved on from there and came alongside the Sea of Galilee. He went up the mountain and sat there. 30Large crowds approached him, bringing with them people who could not speak, blind people, lame people, maimed people, and many others. They laid them at his feet, and he healed them, 31so that the crowd marveled to see those who could not speak speaking, the maimed restored, the lame walking, and the blind seeing. And they gave glory to the God of Israel.

32Jesus called his disciples to him and said, “I have compassion for the crowd, because they have already stayed with me three days and have nothing to eat. I do not want to send them away hungry, lest they faint on the road.” 33The disciples said to him, “Where can we find enough loaves in a deserted place to fill such a crowd?” 34Jesus said to them, “How many loaves do you have?” They said, “Seven, and a few small fish.” 35He instructed the crowd to recline on the ground, 36took the seven loaves and the fish, gave thanks, broke them, and gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the crowds. 37They all ate and were filled, and they collected seven large baskets full of the leftover pieces. 38Those who ate were four thousand men, besides women and children. 39After sending the crowds away, he got into the boat and came to the territory of Magadan.

Translation notes 6

15:2–6 — Tradition and the gift. The handwashing dispute concerns ritual practice. “Gift” refers to property dedicated to God, though “to God” is not expressed. “Need not honor” gives the claimed exemption from supporting a parent; the Greek more literally says “will certainly not honor.” The base names only the father in verse 6 and has “God's word,” not “God's commandment.”

15:8–9 — Lips and heart. The quotation recalls Isaiah 29:13. The lip/heart contrast is retained. “Teachings” does not imply that all human teaching is automatically condemned; the passage concerns human requirements presented with religious authority.

15:11–20 — Defilement. The verb concerns making someone unclean, not physical dirt alone. The bodily route to a latrine is explicit in the Greek. The heart is the source of thoughts and actions in the list, not merely emotions. “Slanders” can also include insulting speech against God.

15:22–28 — Canaanite; little dogs. Matthew's ethnic designation is retained. The Greek uses a diminutive for dogs, fitting the household table scene; it does not remove the severity of the children/dogs distinction. No “first” is added to Jesus' statement. The woman's answer works within the image, and her great faith and the healing remain the narrative's conclusion.

15:30–31 — Healing list. The order in verse 30 follows the base, which differs from other printed editions. “Maimed” can describe damaged or impaired limbs; it does not require us to picture an amputated limb in every case.

15:37–39 — Baskets and Magadan. The Greek word for the baskets differs from 14:20; “large baskets” marks that difference. The men's count again excludes women and children. “Magadan” is the base's place-name; another reading has Magdala.