Matthew 15:8

Matthew 15:8 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me.
• New International Version (NIV)“ ‘These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me.
• English Standard Version (ESV)"'This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me;
• New King James Version (NKJV)‘These people draw near to Me with their mouth, And honor Me with their lips, But their heart is far from Me.

Context of Matthew 15:8

6he is not to honor his father or his mother [by helping them with their need].’ So by this you have invalidated the word of God [depriving it of force and authority and making it of no effect] for the sake of your tradition [handed down by the elders]. 7You hypocrites (play-actors, pretenders), rightly did Isaiah prophesy of you when he said, ‘This people honors Me with their lips, But their heart is far away from Me. 9But in vain do they worship Me, For they teach as doctrines the precepts of men.’ ” 10After Jesus called the crowd to Him, He said, “Listen and understand this:

Matthew 15:8 word by word

Ὁ λαὸς οὗτος τοῖς χείλεσίν με τιμᾷ, ἡ δὲ καρδία αὐτῶν πόρρω ἀπέχει ἀπ᾽ ἐμοῦ.Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• ·ὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• Thisοὗτοςhoutos houtoi hautē hautai · this/he/she/itG3778
• peopleλαόςlaos · a peopleG2992
• draweth nighἐγγίζωeggizō · to come nearG1448
• unto meἐγώegō · I/weG1473
• withστόμαstoma · mouthG4750
• theirαὐτόςautos · it/s/heG846
• andκαίkai · andG2532
• honourethτιμάωtimaō · to honorG5091
• withχεῖλοςcheilos · lipG5491
• butδέde · thenG1161
• heartκαρδίαkardia · heartG2588
• isἀπέχωapechō · to have in fullG568
• farπόρρωporrhō · far (away)G4206
• fromἀπόapo · away fromG575

Cross-references for Matthew 15:8

• Isaiah 29:13Then the Lord said, “Because this nation approaches [Me only] with their words And honors Me [only] with their lip service, But they remove their hearts far from Me, And their reverence for Me is a tradition that is learned by rote [without any regard for its meaning],
• Ezekiel 33:31They come to you as people come, and they sit before you as My people, and they hear your words, but they do not practice them; for with their mouth they express loving devotion, but their heart goes after their (unlawful) gain.
• John 1:47Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward Him, and said of him, “Here is an Israelite indeed [a true descendant of Jacob], in whom there is no guile nor deceit nor duplicity!”
• 1 Peter 3:10For, “The one who wants to enjoy life and see good days [good—whether apparent or not], Must keep his tongue free from evil and his lips from speaking guile (treachery, deceit).
• Proverbs 23:26My son, give me your heart And let your eyes delight in my ways,
• Jeremiah 12:2You have planted them, they have also taken root; They grow, they have even produced fruit. You are honored by their [hypocritical] lips But [You are] far from their heart and mind.
• Acts 8:21You have no part or share in this matter, because your heart (motive, purpose) is not right before God.
• Hebrews 3:12Take care, brothers and sisters, that there not be in any one of you a wicked, unbelieving heart [which refuses to trust and rely on the Lord, a heart] that turns away from the living God.

Commentaries on Matthew 15:8

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 8Their heart is far from me - The true worship of God consists in the union of the heart to him - where this exists not, a particle of the spirit of devotion cannot be found. This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth - This clause, which is taken from Isaiah 29:13, is omitted by several excellent MSS., and by several versions and fathers. Erasmus, Mill, Drusius, and Bengel, approve of the omission, and Griesbach has left it out of the text; but as…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 1-9Verses 1-9 See also Mark 7:1-9. Then came to Jesus … - Mark says that they saw the disciples of Jesus eating with unwashed hands. Matthew 15:2 Transgress the tradition of the elders - The world “elders” literally means “old men.” Here it means the “ancients,” or their “ancestors.” The “tradition of the elders” meant something handed down from one to another by memory; some precept or custom not commanded in the written law, but which scribes and Pharisees…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 1-20Jesus accused the Pharisees of disobeying God's law because of their focus on preserving traditions.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 88. This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, &c.--By putting the commandments of men on a level with the divine requirements, their whole worship was rendered vain--a principle of deep moment in the service of God. "For," it is added in Mr 7:8, "laying aside the commandment of God, ye hold the tradition of men, as the washing of pots and cups; and many other such like things ye do." The drivelling nature of their multitudinous observances is here…Read the comment

Topics related to Matthew 15:8

• Commandments
• Ecclesiasticism
• Formalism
• Government
• Hypocrisy
• Jesus, the Christ
• Pharisees
• Quotations and Allusions
• Sin
• Teachers
• Tradition

In the dictionaries

• Capernaum
• Commandment
• Continue
• Draught
• Fill
• Pharisees
• Release
• Sin
• Teach
• Tradition

Commentaries on Matthew 15

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Calvin’s Commentaries
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Catena Aurea
• Illustrated New Testament
• Burkitt’s Expository Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Family Bible Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• John Lightfoot Commentary
• Luther’s Commentary on Selected Bible Passages
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• The People’s New Testament
• Robertson’s Word Pictures
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• The Fourfold Gospel and Commentary on Acts
• Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings