Matthew 15:2
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| Matthew 15:2 | |
|---|---|
← 15:1 15:3 → | |
_-_James_Tissot.jpg) " The Pharisees Question Jesus" by James Tissot (between 1886 and 1894). | |
| Book | Gospel of Matthew |
| Christian Bible part | New Testament |
Matthew 15:2 is a verse in the fifteenth chapter of the Gospel of Matthew in the New Testament.
In the original Greek according to Westcott-Hort for this verse is:
- Διὰ τί οἱ μαθηταί σου παραβαίνουσι τὴν παράδοσιν τῶν πρεσβυτέρων; Οὐ γὰρ νίπτονται τὰς χεῖρας αὐτῶν, ὅταν ἄρτον ἐσθίωσιν.
In the King James Version of the Bible the text reads:
- Why do thy disciples transgress the tradition of the elders? for they wash not their hands when they eat bread.
The New International Version translates the passage as:
- "Why do your disciples break the tradition of the elders? They don't wash their hands before they eat!"
Analysis
The Pharisees were known for their pious practices. However sometimes it seems their whole sanctity consisted in outward practices such as frequent washings before their meals, even when they were taking their food. It was for this reason, according to John 2:6, that at the wedding at Cana, six water-pots were present for these purificatory purposes. They would frequently wash their cups and basins and even their beds and tables (see Mark 7:4). They were thus careful, for fear the vessels, being polluted, should contaminate those who ate out of them. However this was done out of custom, since the law prescribed nothing of the sort.[1][2]
The word "their" (Greek: αυτων, autōn) in "their hands" is excluded by Westcott and Hort in their critical edition.[3]
