Amplified Bible
Matthew 15:9
9But in vain do they worship Me, For they teach as doctrines the precepts of men.’ ”
Matthew 15:9 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.
- New International Version (NIV)They worship me in vain; their teachings are merely human rules.’ ”
- English Standard Version (ESV)in vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.'"
- New King James Version (NKJV)And in vain they worship Me, Teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’ ”
Context of Matthew 15:9
7You hypocrites (play-actors, pretenders), rightly did Isaiah prophesy of you when he said, 8‘This people honors Me with their lips, But their heart is far away from Me. But 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: 11It is not what goes into the mouth of a man that defiles and dishonors him, but what comes out of the mouth, this defiles and dishonors him.”
Read all of Matthew 15Matthew 15:9 word by word
μάτην δὲ σέβονταί με διδάσκοντες διδασκαλίας, ἐντάλματα ἀνθρώπων.¶Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
Cross-references for Matthew 15:9
- Exodus 20:7“You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain [that is, irreverently, in false affirmations or in ways that impugn the character of God]; for the Lord will not hold guiltless nor leave unpunished the one who takes His name in vain [disregarding its reverence and its power].
- Leviticus 26:16I, in turn, will do this to you: I will appoint over you sudden terror, consumption, and fever that will waste away the eyes and cause the soul to languish also. And you will sow your seed uselessly, for your enemies will eat what you plant.
- 1 Samuel 25:21Now David had said, “Surely in vain I have protected and guarded all that this man has in the wilderness, so that nothing was missing of all that belonged to him; and he has repaid me evil for good.
- Psalms 39:6Surely every man walks around like a shadow [in a charade]; Surely they make an uproar for nothing; Each one builds up riches, not knowing who will receive them.
- Psalms 73:13Surely then in vain I have cleansed my heart And washed my hands in innocence.
- Ecclesiastes 5:2Do not be hasty with your mouth [speaking careless words or vows] or impulsive in thought to bring up a matter before God. For God is in heaven and you are on earth; therefore let your words be few.
- Isaiah 1:13Do not bring worthless offerings again, [Your] incense is repulsive to Me; [Your] New Moon and Sabbath [observances], the calling of assemblies— I cannot endure wickedness [your sin, your injustice, your wrongdoing] and [the squalor of] the festive assembly.
- Isaiah 58:1“Cry aloud, do not hold back; Lift up your voice like a trumpet, And declare to My people their transgression And to the house of Jacob their sins.
- Malachi 3:14You have said, ‘It is useless to serve God. What profit is it if we keep His ordinances, and walk around like mourners before the Lord of hosts?
- Mark 7:7They worship Me in vain [their worship is meaningless and worthless, a pretense], Teaching the precepts of men as doctrines [giving their traditions equal weight with the Scriptures].’
- 1 Corinthians 15:2By this faith you are saved [reborn from above—spiritually transformed, renewed, and set apart for His purpose], if you hold firmly to the word which I preached to you, unless you believed in vain [just superficially and without complete commitment].
- James 2:20But are you willing to recognize, you foolish [spiritually shallow] person, that faith without [good] works is useless?
- Deuteronomy 12:32“Everything I command you, you shall be careful to do it; you shall not add to it nor take away from it.
- Proverbs 30:5Every word of God is tested and refined [like silver]; He is a shield to those who trust and take refuge in Him.
- 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],
- Colossians 2:18Let no one defraud you of your prize [your freedom in Christ and your salvation] by insisting on mock humility and the worship of angels, going into detail about visions [he claims] he has seen [to justify his authority], puffed up [in conceit] by his unspiritual mind,
Commentaries on Matthew 15:9
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 9In vain they do worship me, etc. - By the traditions of the elders, not only the word of God was perverted, but his worship also was greatly corrupted. But the Jews were not the only people who have acted thus: whole Christian Churches, as well as sects and parties, have acted in the same way. Men must not mould the worship of God according to their fancy - it is not what they think will do - is proper, innocent, etc., but what God himself has prescribed…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. 1-20The time of this section was after that Passover which was nigh at hand when our Lord fed the five thousand (Joh 6:4)--the third Passover, as we take it, since His public ministry began, but which He did not keep at Jerusalem for the reason mentioned in Joh 7:1. 1. Then came to Jesus scribes and Pharisees, which were of Jerusalem--or "from Jerusalem." Mark (Mr 7:1) says they "came from" it: a deputation probably sent from the capital expressly to watch…Read the comment
Topics related to Matthew 15:9
In the dictionaries
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
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