English Standard Version
Matthew 15:9
9in vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines the commandments 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.’ ”
- New King James Version (NKJV)And in vain they worship Me, Teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’ ”
- New Living Translation (NLT)Their worship is a farce, for they teach man-made ideas as commands from God.’ ”
Context of Matthew 15:9
7You hypocrites! Well did Isaiah prophesy of you, when he said: 8"'This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me; in vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.'" 10And he called the people to him and said to them, "Hear and understand: 11it is not what goes into the mouth that defiles a person, but what comes out of the mouth; this defiles a person."
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, for the Lord will not hold him guiltless who takes his name in vain.
- Leviticus 26:16then I will do this to you: I will visit you with panic, with wasting disease and fever that consume the eyes and make the heart ache. And you shall sow your seed in vain, for your enemies shall eat it.
- 1 Samuel 25:21Now David had said, "Surely in vain have I guarded all that this fellow has in the wilderness, so that nothing was missed of all that belonged to him, and he has returned me evil for good.
- Psalms 39:6Surely a man goes about as a shadow! Surely for nothing they are in turmoil; man heaps up wealth and does not know who will gather!
- Psalms 73:13All in vain have I kept my heart clean and washed my hands in innocence.
- Ecclesiastes 5:2Be not rash with your mouth, nor let your heart be hasty to utter a word before God, for God is in heaven and you are on earth. Therefore let your words be few.
- Isaiah 1:13Bring no more vain offerings; incense is an abomination to me. New moon and Sabbath and the calling of convocations— I cannot endure iniquity and solemn assembly.
- Isaiah 58:1"Cry aloud; do not hold back; lift up your voice like a trumpet; declare to my people their transgression, to the house of Jacob their sins.
- Malachi 3:14You have said, 'It is vain to serve God. What is the profit of our keeping his charge or of walking as in mourning before the Lord of hosts?
- Mark 7:7in vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.'
- 1 Corinthians 15:2and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you—unless you believed in vain.
- James 2:20Do you want to be shown, you foolish person, that faith apart from works is useless?
- Deuteronomy 12:32"Everything that I command you, you shall be careful to do. You shall not add to it or take from it.
- Proverbs 30:5Every word of God proves true; he is a shield to those who take refuge in him.
- Isaiah 29:13And the Lord said: "Because this people draw near with their mouth and honor me with their lips, while their hearts are far from me, and their fear of me is a commandment taught by men,
- Colossians 2:18Let no one disqualify you, insisting on asceticism and worship of angels, going on in detail about visions, puffed up without reason by his sensuous 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
English Standard Version — © 2001 Crossway Bibles
Commentaries