God’s Word Translation
Matthew 15:9
9Their worship of me is pointless, because their teachings are rules made by humans.’ ”
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! Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you: 8‘These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. Their worship of me is pointless, because their teachings are rules made by humans.’ ” 10Then he called the crowd and said to them, “Listen and try to understand! 11What goes into a person’s mouth doesn’t make him unclean. It’s what comes out of the mouth that makes a person unclean.”
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“Never use the name of the Lord your God carelessly. The Lord will make sure that anyone who carelessly uses his name will be punished.
- Leviticus 26:16then this is what I will do to you: I will terrorize you with disease and fever. You will suffer from eye problems and depression. You will plant your crops and get nothing because your enemies will eat them.
- 1 Samuel 25:21David had thought, “I guarded this man’s stuff in the desert for nothing! Not one of his possessions was missing. Yet, he has paid me back with evil when I was good to him.
- Psalms 39:6Each person who walks around is like a shadow. They are busy for no reason. They accumulate riches without knowing who will get them.”
- Psalms 73:13I’ve received no reward for keeping my life pure and washing my hands of any blame.
- Ecclesiastes 5:2Don’t be in a hurry to talk. Don’t be eager to speak in the presence of God. Since God is in heaven and you are on earth, limit the number of your words.
- Isaiah 1:13Don’t bring any more worthless grain offerings. Your incense is disgusting to me, so are your New Moon Festivals, your days of rest—holy days, and the assemblies you call. I can’t stand your evil assemblies.
- Isaiah 58:1Cry aloud! Don’t hold back! Raise your voice like a ram’s horn. Tell my people about their rebellion and the descendants of Jacob about their sins.
- Malachi 3:14“You have said, ‘It’s pointless to serve God. What do we gain if we meet his standards or if we walk around feeling sorry for what we’ve done?
- Mark 7:7Their worship of me is pointless, because their teachings are rules made by humans.’
- 1 Corinthians 15:2In addition, you are saved by this Good News if you hold on to the doctrine I taught you, unless you believed it without thinking it over.
- James 2:20You fool! Do you have to be shown that faith which does nothing is useless?
- Deuteronomy 12:32Be sure to do everything I command you. Never add anything to it or take anything away from it.
- Proverbs 30:5“All of God’s word has proven to be true. He is a shield to those who come to him for protection.
- Isaiah 29:13The Lord says, “These people worship me with their mouths and honor me with their lips. But their hearts are far from me, and their worship of me is ⌞based on⌟ rules made by humans.
- Colossians 2:18Let no one who delights in ⌞false⌟ humility and the worship of angels tell you that you don’t deserve a prize. Such a person, whose sinful mind fills him with arrogance, gives endless details of the visions he has seen.
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
God’s Word Translation — © 1995 God’s Word to the Nations Bible Society
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