Matthew 15:18

Matthew 15:18 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)But those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart; and they defile the man.
• New International Version (NIV)But the things that come out of a person’s mouth come from the heart, and these defile them.
• English Standard Version (ESV)But what comes out of the mouth proceeds from the heart, and this defiles a person.
• New King James Version (NKJV)But those things which proceed out of the mouth come from the heart, and they defile a man.

Context of Matthew 15:18

16Jesus replied, ‘I am surprised that you still do not understand what I am saying. 17You should understand that food first goes into people's mouths. Then it goes into their stomach, and then it passes out of their body. The words that people speak come from their thoughts. It is what comes out of their mouths that makes them unclean. 19Evil thoughts come out from people's minds. As a result, they do wrong things. They murder people. They have sex with another man's wife. They have sex in other wrong ways. They rob people. They tell lies about other people. They insult people. 20It is these bad things that make people unclean. But if people eat food when they have not washed their hands in the right way, that will not make them unclean.’

Matthew 15:18 word by word

τὰ δὲ ἐκπορευόμενα ἐκ τοῦ στόματος ἐκ τῆς καρδίας ἐξέρχεται, κἀκεῖνα κοινοῖ τὸν ἄνθρωπον.Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• ·ὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• Butδέde · thenG1161
• those things which proceedἐκπορεύωekporeuomai · to departG1607
• outἐκek ex · out fromG1537
• of the mouthστόμαstoma · mouthG4750
• come forthἐξέρχομαιexerchomai · to go outG1831
• the heartκαρδίαkardia · heartG2588
• and theyκἀκεῖνοςkakeinos · and that oneG2548
• defileκοινόωkoinoō · to profaneG2840
• the manἄνθρωποςanthrōpos · a humanG444

Cross-references for Matthew 15:18

• Matthew 15:11It is not food that goes into people's mouths that makes them unclean. Instead, what comes out of people's mouths is important. It may show that what is inside them is unclean.’
• Matthew 12:34You are like the children of dangerous snakes. You cannot say good things when your thoughts are bad. When you speak, your words show what is in your mind.
• 1 Samuel 24:13You know the proverb, “Evil people do evil things.” But I will never try to hurt you.
• Psalms 36:3He speaks wicked things to deceive people. He does nothing that is wise or good.
• Proverbs 6:12A useless, wicked person is always deceiving people.
• Proverbs 10:32Righteous people say kind things. But wicked people say things that hurt others.
• Proverbs 15:2When wise people speak, they show that knowledge is good. But when fools speak, they only say foolish things.
• Luke 19:22The king replied, “You are a very bad servant! I will use your own words to show you that you have done the wrong thing. You say that I tell people what they should do all the time. That I take things that I did not work for. That I take food from fields where I did not plant any seed. Did you know all that about me?
• James 3:6A person's tongue is like a fire. It has the power of everything in the world that is wrong. It is a small part of the body but it can spoil the whole person. Like a fire, it can destroy all of a person's life. It is a fire that comes from the fire of hell itself.
• Revelation 13:5The wild animal received authority to rule people for 42 months. It could speak proud words and insult God.

Commentaries on Matthew 15:18

• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 15-20Verses 15-20 See also Mark 7:17-23. Then answered Peter, and said unto him, Declare unto us this parable - See the notes at Matthew 13:3. The word “parable” sometimes means a dark or obscure saying, Psalm 78:2. Peter meant, “Explain to us more fully this obscure and novel doctrine.” To us, now, it is plain; to the disciples, just coming out of Judaism, the doctrine of Jesus was obscure. Mark says that the disciples asked him. There is no contradiction…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 10-20Verses 10-20 Christ shows that the defilement they ought to fear, was not from what entered their mouths as food, but from what came out of their mouths, which showed the wickedness of their hearts. Nothing will last in the soul but the regenerating graces of the Holy Spirit; and nothing should be admitted into the church but what is from above; therefore, whoever is offended by a plain, seasonable declaration of the truth, we should not be troubled at…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. 17-1817-18. Do not ye yet understand that whatsoever entereth in at the mouth, &c.--Familiar though these sayings have now become, what freedom from bondage to outward things do they proclaim, on the one hand; and on the other, how searching is the truth which they express--that nothing which enters from without can really defile us; and that only the evil that is in the heart, that is allowed to stir there, to rise up in thought and affection, and to flow…Read the comment

Topics related to Matthew 15:18

• Commandments
• Ecclesiasticism
• Heart
• Jesus, the Christ
• Sin
• Teachers
• Tradition

In the dictionaries

• Capernaum
• Commandment
• Continue
• Draught
• Fill
• Heart
• 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