New King James Version
Matthew 15:9
9And in vain 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.’ ”
- English Standard Version (ESV)in vain do 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
7Hypocrites! Well did Isaiah prophesy about you, saying: 8‘These people draw near to Me with their mouth, And honor Me with their lips, But their heart is far from Me. And in vain they worship Me, Teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’ ” 10When He had called the multitude to Himself, He said to them, “Hear and understand: 11Not what goes into the mouth defiles a man; but what comes out of the mouth, this defiles a man.”
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 26:16I also will do this to you: I will even appoint terror over you, wasting disease and fever which shall consume the eyes and cause sorrow of heart. And you shall sow your seed in vain, for your enemies shall eat it.
- 1 Samuel 25:21Now David had said, “Surely in vain I have protected all that this fellow has in the wilderness, so that nothing was missed of all that belongs to him. And he has repaid me evil for good.
- Psalms 39:6Surely every man walks about like a shadow; Surely they busy themselves in vain; He heaps up riches, And does not know who will gather them.
- Psalms 73:13Surely I have cleansed my heart in vain, And washed my hands in innocence.
- Ecclesiastes 5:2Do not be rash with your mouth, And let not your heart utter anything hastily before God. For God is in heaven, and you on earth; Therefore let your words be few.
- Isaiah 1:13Bring no more futile sacrifices; Incense is an abomination to Me. The New Moons, the Sabbaths, and the calling of assemblies— I cannot endure iniquity and the sacred meeting.
- Isaiah 58:1“Cry aloud, spare not; Lift up your voice like a trumpet; Tell My people their transgression, And the house of Jacob their sins.
- Malachi 3:14You have said, ‘It is useless to serve God; What profit is it that we have kept His ordinance, And that we have walked as mourners Before the Lord of hosts?
- Mark 7:7And in vain they worship Me, Teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’
- 1 Corinthians 15:2by which also you are saved, if you hold fast that word which I preached to you—unless you believed in vain.
- James 2:20But do you want to know, O foolish man, that faith without works is dead?
- Deuteronomy 12:32“Whatever I command you, be careful to observe it; you shall not add to it nor take away from it.
- Proverbs 30:5Every word of God is pure; He is a shield to those who put their trust in Him.
- Isaiah 29:13Therefore the Lord said: “Inasmuch as these people draw near with their mouths And honor Me with their lips, But have removed their hearts far from Me, And their fear toward Me is taught by the commandment of men,
- Colossians 2:18Let no one cheat you of your reward, taking delight in false humility and worship of angels, intruding into those things which he has not seen, vainly puffed up by his fleshly 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
New King James Version — © 1982 Thomas Nelson, Inc
Commentaries