Matthew 15:20

Matthew 15:20 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)These are the things which defile a man: but to eat with unwashen hands defileth not a man.
• New International Version (NIV)These are what defile a person; but eating with unwashed hands does not defile them.”
• English Standard Version (ESV)These are what defile a person. But to eat with unwashed hands does not defile anyone."
• New King James Version (NKJV)These are the things which defile a man, but to eat with unwashed hands does not defile a man.”

Context of Matthew 15:20

18The 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. It 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.’ 21Then, Jesus left that place. He went away to some places near to the cities called Tyre and Sidon. 22A woman was living in this part of the country. She was one of the Canaanite people. She came to see Jesus. She was shouting with a loud voice, ‘Son of David, help me, sir! A bad spirit is living inside my daughter. It is giving her much pain.’

Matthew 15:20 word by word

ταῦτά ἐστιν τὰ κοινοῦντα τὸν ἄνθρωπον· τὸ δὲ ἀνίπτοις χερσὶν φαγεῖν οὐ κοινοῖ τὸν ἄνθρωπον.¶Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• ·ὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• Theseοὗτοςhoutos houtoi hautē hautai · this/he/she/itG3778
• areεἰμίeimi · to beG1510
• which defileκοινόωkoinoō · to profaneG2840
• a manἄνθρωποςanthrōpos · a humanG444
• butδέde · thenG1161
• to eatφαγεῖνphagō · to eatG5315
• withχείρcheir · handG5495
• unwashenἄνιπτοςaniptos · unwashedG449
• notοὐou · noG3756

Cross-references for Matthew 15:20

• 1 Corinthians 3:16You surely know that you are like God's special house. As God's people, God's Spirit lives in you.
• 1 Corinthians 6:9People who do wrong things like that will never belong to God's kingdom. You surely know that. Do not think that people like this will receive God's good things: People who have sex in wrong ways. People who worship idols. People who have sex with anyone that they are not married to. Men who have sex with other men.
• Ephesians 5:3So, as God's people, you must never have sex with anyone that you are not married to. Do not do any kind of disgusting thing like that. Do not want many things for yourselves, just to make you happy. That is not how God's people should live.
• Revelation 21:8But I will punish other people. They include: people who are afraid of trouble; people who do not believe in Jesus; people who do disgusting things; people who murder other people; people who have sex in a wrong way; people who use magic to hurt people; people who worship idols; people who tell lies. All these people will go into the lake of fire that burns with sulphur. That is the second death for people.’
• Matthew 15:2They said, ‘Our leaders in past times taught us the right way to do everything. But your disciples do not obey the things that our leaders taught us. They do not wash their hands in the right way before they eat a meal. Why is that?’
• Matthew 23:25It will be very bad for you, teachers of God's Law and Pharisees. You are hypocrites! You always clean the outside of your cups and plates very carefully. You only clean the outside part that people can see. But on the inside, everything is still dirty. Inside you, your minds are full of bad thoughts. You want to have more things for yourself. You hurt other people to get what you want.
• Mark 7:3(The Pharisees and all the Jews do not eat food until they have washed their hands carefully. They do this because of what their leaders taught them.
• Luke 11:38Jesus did not wash his hands before he ate the meal. This surprised the Pharisee.

Commentaries on Matthew 15:20

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 20These - defile a man - Our Lord's argument is very plain. What goes into the mouth descends into the stomach and other intestines; - part is retained for the nourishment of the body, and part is ejected, as being improper to afford nourishment. Nothing of this kind defiles the soul, because it does not enter into it; but the evil principles that are in it, producing evil thoughts, murders, etc., these defile the soul, because they have their seat and…Read the comment
• 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. 2020. These are the things which defile a man: but to eat with unwashen hands defileth not a man--Thus does our Lord sum up this whole searching discourse. For the exposition, see on Mr 7:24-30.Read the comment

Topics related to Matthew 15:20

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

In the dictionaries

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

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