Matthew 15:14

Matthew 15:14 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)Let them alone: they be blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch.
• New International Version (NIV)Leave them; they are blind guides. If the blind lead the blind, both will fall into a pit.”
• English Standard Version (ESV)Let them alone; they are blind guides. And if the blind lead the blind, both will fall into a pit."
• New King James Version (NKJV)Let them alone. They are blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind leads the blind, both will fall into a ditch.”

Context of Matthew 15:14

12Then the disciples came to him and asked, “Do you realize you offended the Pharisees by what you just said?” 13Jesus replied, “Every plant not planted by my heavenly Father will be uprooted, so ignore them. They are blind guides leading the blind, and if one blind person guides another, they will both fall into a ditch.” 15Then Peter said to Jesus, “Explain to us the parable that says people aren’t defiled by what they eat.” 16“Don’t you understand yet?” Jesus asked.

Matthew 15:14 word by word

ἄφετε αὐτούς· τυφλοί εἰσιν ὁδηγοί τυφλῶν. τυφλὸς δὲ τυφλὸν ἐὰν ὁδηγῇ, ἀμφότεροι εἰς βόθυνον πεσοῦνται.Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Letἀφίημιaphiēmi · to release: leaveG863
• themαὐτόςautos · it/s/heG846
• they beεἰμίeimi · to beG1510
• blindτυφλόςtuphlos · blindG5185
• leadersὁδηγόςhodēgos · guide/leaderG3595
• Andδέde · thenG1161
• ifἐάνean · ifG1437
• leadὁδηγέωhodēgeō · to guideG3594
• bothἀμφότεροςamphoteros · bothG297
• shall fallπίπτωpiptō petō · to collapseG4098
• intoεἰςeis · towardG1519
• the ditchβόθυνοςbothunos · pitG999

Cross-references for Matthew 15:14

• Hosea 4:17Leave Israel alone, because she is married to idolatry.
• 1 Timothy 6:5These people always cause trouble. Their minds are corrupt, and they have turned their backs on the truth. To them, a show of godliness is just a way to become wealthy.
• Matthew 23:16“Blind guides! What sorrow awaits you! For you say that it means nothing to swear ‘by God’s Temple,’ but that it is binding to swear ‘by the gold in the Temple.’
• Isaiah 9:16For the leaders of the people have misled them. They have led them down the path of destruction.
• Isaiah 42:19Who is as blind as my own people, my servant? Who is as deaf as my messenger? Who is as blind as my chosen people, the servant of the Lord?
• Isaiah 56:10For the leaders of my people— the Lord’s watchmen, his shepherds— are blind and ignorant. They are like silent watchdogs that give no warning when danger comes. They love to lie around, sleeping and dreaming.
• Malachi 2:8But you priests have left God’s paths. Your instructions have caused many to stumble into sin. You have corrupted the covenant I made with the Levites,” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.
• Luke 6:39Then Jesus gave the following illustration: “Can one blind person lead another? Won’t they both fall into a ditch?
• Jeremiah 5:31the prophets give false prophecies, and the priests rule with an iron hand. Worse yet, my people like it that way! But what will you do when the end comes?
• Jeremiah 6:15Are they ashamed of their disgusting actions? Not at all—they don’t even know how to blush! Therefore, they will lie among the slaughtered. They will be brought down when I punish them,” says the Lord.
• Jeremiah 8:12Are they ashamed of these disgusting actions? Not at all—they don’t even know how to blush! Therefore, they will lie among the slaughtered. They will be brought down when I punish them, says the Lord.
• Ezekiel 14:9“‘And if a prophet is deceived into giving a message, it is because I, the Lord, have deceived that prophet. I will lift my fist against such prophets and cut them off from the community of Israel.
• Micah 3:6Now the night will close around you, cutting off all your visions. Darkness will cover you, putting an end to your predictions. The sun will set for you prophets, and your day will come to an end.
• 2 Peter 2:1But there were also false prophets in Israel, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will cleverly teach destructive heresies and even deny the Master who bought them. In this way, they will bring sudden destruction on themselves.
• Revelation 19:20And the beast was captured, and with him the false prophet who did mighty miracles on behalf of the beast—miracles that deceived all who had accepted the mark of the beast and who worshiped his statue. Both the beast and his false prophet were thrown alive into the fiery lake of burning sulfur.
• Revelation 22:15Outside the city are the dogs—the sorcerers, the sexually immoral, the murderers, the idol worshipers, and all who love to live a lie.

Commentaries on Matthew 15:14

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 14Let them alone - , give them up, or leave them. These words have been sadly misunderstood. Some have quoted them to prove that blind and deceitful teachers should not be pointed out to the people, nor the people warned against them; and that men should abide in the communion of a corrupt Church, because that Church had once been the Church of God, and in it they had been brought up; and to prove this they bring Scripture, for, in our present translation…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 10-14Verses 10-14 See also Mark 7:15-17. And he called the multitude - In opposition to the doctrines of the Pharisees, the Saviour took occasion to show them that the great source of pollution was the heart. They supposed that external things chiefly defiled a man. On this all their doctrines about purification were founded. This opinion of the Jews it was of great importance to correct. The Saviour took occasion, therefore, to direct the people to the true…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. 1414. Let them alone: they be blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch--Striking expression of the ruinous effects of erroneous teaching!Read the comment

Topics related to Matthew 15:14

• Blindness
• Commandments
• Ecclesiasticism
• Holy Spirit
• Jesus, the Christ
• Minister, Christian
• Reprobacy
• Sin
• Teachers
• Tradition
• Wicked (People)

In the dictionaries

• Blind
• Capernaum
• Commandment
• Continue
• Draught
• Fill
• 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