Matthew 15

Translator Notes

1. The detail 'from Jerusalem' (apo Hierosolymon) signals that this is an official delegation, not local Galilean opponents. Jerusalem was the center of religious authority, and their journey north to confront Jesus implies a deliberate investigation.

Translator Notes

1. The 'tradition of the elders' (paradosis ton presbyteron) refers to the oral Torah — interpretive traditions transmitted alongside the written law. Ritual handwashing before meals was not commanded in the Mosaic law but was a Pharisaic extension of priestly purity practices to ordinary Jews. The verb parabainousin ('transgress, cross over') is deliberately strong — they accuse the disciples of violation, not mere oversight.

Translator Notes

1. Jesus turns their accusation back on them using the same verb parabainete ('you break'). The contrast is sharp: they charge his disciples with violating human tradition; he charges them with violating God's commandment (entole tou theou). The phrase 'your tradition' (teen paradosin hymon) pointedly shifts ownership — it is their tradition, not God's.

Translator Notes

1. Jesus cites two Old Testament texts: Exodus 20:12 (the fifth commandment) and Exodus 21:17 (its judicial penalty). The verb kakologon ('speaks evil of, reviles') is broader than 'curses' — it includes any verbal dishonoring. The death penalty (thanato teleutato) underscores the seriousness with which the Torah treats parental honor.
2. [TCR Cross-Reference] Echoes Exodus 20:12. See the TCR's OT rendering for the Hebrew behind this passage and the translation rationale.
3. [TCR Cross-Reference] Echoes Exodus 21:17. See the TCR's OT rendering for the Hebrew behind this passage and the translation rationale.

Translator Notes

1. The Greek doron ('gift') refers to the practice of qorban — dedicating property or funds to the temple so they cannot be used for other purposes. The irony is that the dedication could be nominal; the person retained the use of the assets while declaring them unavailable for parental support. Jesus is exposing a legal fiction that allows financial self-interest to masquerade as piety.

Translator Notes

1. The verb ekyrosate ('you have nullified, voided, made invalid') is a legal term — their tradition has rendered God's commandment legally void. Matthew uses 'word of God' (ton logon tou theou) rather than 'commandment,' broadening the indictment: it is not merely a single rule they have circumvented but God's expressed will.

Translator Notes

1. The term hypokritai ('hypocrites') derives from Greek theater, meaning 'actors' — those who perform a role that does not reflect their true character. Jesus applies the term to religious leaders whose outward piety masks disobedience to God's actual commands. The adverb kalos ('rightly, well, fittingly') adds rhetorical force.

Translator Notes

1. Jesus quotes Isaiah 29:13 following the Septuagint text. The contrast between lips and heart is the core of the hypocrisy charge — external religious performance without internal devotion. The SBLGNT text omits 'draws near to me with their mouth' (found in the KJV, following the fuller Septuagint tradition and some later manuscripts).
2. [TCR Cross-Reference] References Isaiah 29:13 — the TCR OT rendering of that text provides the Hebrew source and explains the translation decisions involved.

Translator Notes

1. The adverb maten ('in vain, to no purpose') renders their entire worship project futile. The phrase entalmata anthropon ('commandments of people') directly contrasts with 'commandment of God' in verse 3, completing the rhetorical frame: human tradition has displaced divine command, and the resulting worship is empty.
2. [TCR Cross-Reference] Echoes Isaiah 29:13. See the TCR's OT rendering for the Hebrew behind this passage and the translation rationale.

Translator Notes

1. Jesus shifts from the Pharisees to the crowd, broadening his audience for a public teaching. The double imperative akouete kai syniete ('listen and understand') demands not just hearing but comprehension — the same call that appears in the parable discourse (13:13-15).

Key Terms

Translator Notes

1. The verb koinoi ('makes common, defiles') is a purity term — to make ritually unclean. Jesus reverses the direction of defilement: contamination flows outward from the heart, not inward from food. This principle, if followed to its logical conclusion, dismantles the entire system of dietary purity laws, though Matthew does not make this implication as explicit as Mark 7:19.

Translator Notes

1. The verb eskandalisthesan ('were scandalized, took offense') carries the sense of being tripped up, stumbling over something. The disciples' question reveals their concern about the political consequences of offending Jerusalem's delegation.

Translator Notes

1. The agricultural metaphor of planting and uprooting echoes Isaiah 5:1-7 (God's vineyard) and Jeremiah 1:10 (prophetic commission to uproot and plant). Jesus declares that the Pharisees' traditions, not having originated with God, will not endure. The phrase 'my heavenly Father' (ho pater mou ho ouranios) asserts Jesus's unique filial relationship.
2. [TCR Cross-Reference] References Isaiah 5:1-7 — the TCR OT rendering of that text provides the Hebrew source and explains the translation decisions involved.
3. [TCR Cross-Reference] References Jeremiah 1:10 — the TCR OT rendering of that text provides the Hebrew source and explains the translation decisions involved.

Translator Notes

1. The proverbial saying about blind guides (typhloi hodegoi typhlon) is a devastating dismissal of the Pharisees' claim to spiritual authority. The word hodegos ('guide, leader') implies someone who shows the way — their blindness is not physical but spiritual. The 'pit' (bothynon) represents disaster or ruin.

Translator Notes

1. Peter's request treats Jesus's statement in verse 11 as a parable (parabole) — an opaque saying requiring explanation. The verb phrason ('explain, make clear') indicates the disciples did not grasp the revolutionary implications of Jesus's teaching on defilement.

Translator Notes

1. The adverb akmen ('still, even now') conveys frustration — after all this time with Jesus, they remain asynetoi ('without understanding, lacking comprehension'). The 'also' (kai) links the disciples' incomprehension to that of the Pharisees and the crowds.

Translator Notes

1. Jesus makes his argument crudely physical: food follows a digestive path and exits the body. The word aphedrona ('latrine, toilet') is earthy and deliberate — Jesus is demystifying the Pharisees' elaborate purity system by pointing to basic biology. The implication is that food cannot reach or contaminate the heart.

Translator Notes

1. The heart (kardia) in biblical anthropology is the seat of will, thought, and intention — not merely emotion. Jesus locates the source of defilement in the human interior, the center of moral agency. Words reveal the heart's true condition.

Translator Notes

1. The vice list moves from internal (dialogismoi poneroi, 'evil thoughts/reasonings') to external acts. Several of the items echo the Ten Commandments: murder (sixth), adultery (seventh), theft (eighth), false testimony (ninth). The Greek porneiai ('sexual immorality') is broader than 'fornication' and covers any sexual conduct outside God's design. Blasphemiai here likely means 'slander' against others rather than blasphemy against God, given the context of interpersonal sins.

Translator Notes

1. Jesus circles back to the Pharisees' original complaint about handwashing (v. 2), now reframing it within his radical redefinition of defilement. The contrast is complete: moral corruption from the heart defiles; ritual omission does not. The adjective aniptois ('unwashed') appears only here and in Mark 7:2 in the New Testament.

Translator Notes

1. The verb anechoresen ('withdrew') suggests deliberate retreat, used previously for Jesus withdrawing from conflict (2:14, 12:15, 14:13). Tyre and Sidon were Gentile coastal cities in Phoenicia (modern Lebanon), outside Jewish territory. This is the only time in Matthew's Gospel that Jesus enters explicitly Gentile land.

Translator Notes

1. Matthew calls her 'Canaanite' (Chananaia) — an archaic term evoking Israel's ancient enemies, while Mark 7:26 calls her 'Syrophoenician.' Matthew's choice emphasizes the ethnic and religious gulf between her and Jesus. The imperfect ekrazen ('kept crying') indicates persistent, repeated calling. Her address 'Lord, Son of David' uses the Davidic messianic title — remarkable for a Gentile woman, suggesting she has heard of Jesus's identity.

Translator Notes

1. Jesus's silence (ouk apekrithe aute logon, literally 'he did not answer her a word') is striking and deliberate. The disciples' request apolyson auten ('send her away, dismiss her') is ambiguous — it could mean 'grant her request so she'll leave' or 'drive her away.' Their motivation is annoyance, not compassion.

Translator Notes

1. The passive apestaleen ('I was sent') points to the Father as the sender, and the restriction 'only' (ei me, 'except') to Israel echoes the mission charge of 10:5-6. This statement reflects Jesus's understanding of his earthly mission's scope within Matthew's Gospel. The universal commission does not come until 28:19. The metaphor of 'lost sheep' (ta probata ta apolalota) recalls Ezekiel 34, where God condemns Israel's shepherds and promises to shepherd the flock himself.
2. [TCR Cross-Reference] Echoes Ezekiel 34. See the TCR's OT rendering for the Hebrew behind this passage and the translation rationale.

Translator Notes

1. The verb prosekynei ('worshipped, knelt before, prostrated') can indicate full worship or respectful supplication. The imperfect tense suggests ongoing action — she kept prostrating herself. Her plea is reduced to three words in Greek (kyrie, boethei moi) — stripped of all argument, pure appeal to mercy.

Translator Notes

1. The diminutive kynariois ('little dogs, household dogs') is slightly softer than the full kyon ('dog'), which was a standard Jewish epithet for Gentiles. But the force is still dismissive — the 'children' (tekna) are Israel, and the Gentiles are compared to household pets. The word artos ('bread') anticipates the feeding miracle later in this chapter. Whether Jesus is testing her faith, teaching the disciples, or expressing genuine reluctance is debated; the narrative resolution suggests the exchange serves to display her extraordinary faith.

Translator Notes

1. Her reply is a masterpiece of rhetorical persistence. She accepts the metaphor ('Yes, Lord') but turns it: even within the hierarchy Jesus has described, the dogs receive something. The word psichion ('crumb, small piece') suggests that what she asks for is not the full portion but the overflow — Israel's blessings are so abundant that even the surplus is enough to heal her daughter. She does not challenge Jesus's priority of Israel; she simply claims the excess.

Key Terms

Translator Notes

1. The exclamation O gynai ('O woman') with megale sou he pistis ('great is your faith') is one of only two times Jesus explicitly praises someone's faith as 'great' — the other is the centurion, also a Gentile (8:10). The pattern is remarkable: Gentiles display the faith that Israel's leaders lack. The passive genetheto ('let it be done') mirrors the divine creative language of Genesis 1 in the Septuagint. The healing is instantaneous and at a distance, emphasizing the power of the word alone.
2. [TCR Cross-Reference] References Genesis 1 — the TCR OT rendering of that text provides the Hebrew source and explains the translation decisions involved.

Translator Notes

1. The definite article to oros ('the mountain') may indicate a specific well-known location or may simply reflect Semitic narrative style. Jesus sitting (ekatheto) is the posture of a teacher in Jewish tradition. The setting — a mountain by the sea — creates a tableau of authority reminiscent of Moses.

Translator Notes

1. The verb erripsan ('threw, cast down') is vivid — the sick were deposited urgently at Jesus's feet. The list of afflictions (lame, blind, crippled, mute) echoes the messianic promises of Isaiah 35:5-6, where the coming of God brings healing to the blind, deaf, lame, and mute. The location in predominantly Gentile territory gives this healing ministry a universal scope.
2. [TCR Cross-Reference] This verse quotes Isaiah 35:5-6 — see the TCR rendering of that passage for the Hebrew source text and translation decisions.

Translator Notes

1. The phrase 'the God of Israel' (ton theon Israel) is significant — if this crowd were Jewish, the phrase would be redundant. Its presence suggests that Matthew understands the crowd as at least partly Gentile, glorifying Israel's God in response to Jesus's miracles. This echoes the prophetic vision of Gentiles coming to worship Israel's God (Isaiah 2:2-4, 60:1-6).
2. [TCR Cross-Reference] Quotes Isaiah 2:2-4. The TCR rendering of that OT passage preserves the Hebrew source text and documents the translation decisions behind it.

Key Terms

Translator Notes

1. The verb splanchnizomai ('I have compassion') derives from splanchna ('intestines, gut') — it describes a visceral, gut-level response, not a mild sentiment. The three-day stay indicates the crowd's persistence in remaining with Jesus despite having no provisions. Jesus takes the initiative here, unlike the feeding of the five thousand where the disciples raised the problem (14:15).

Translator Notes

1. Despite having witnessed the feeding of the five thousand (14:13-21), the disciples express the same helplessness. The word eremia ('desolate place, wilderness') echoes the wilderness feeding traditions of Exodus 16 (manna) and Numbers 11 (quail). Matthew does not comment on the disciples' apparent failure to remember the previous miracle.
2. [TCR Cross-Reference] References Exodus 16 — the TCR OT rendering of that text provides the Hebrew source and explains the translation decisions involved.
3. [TCR Cross-Reference] References Numbers 11 — the TCR OT rendering of that text provides the Hebrew source and explains the translation decisions involved.

Translator Notes

1. The diminutive ichthydia ('small fish') indicates these are not large catches but modest provisions. The number seven often symbolizes completeness in biblical numerology, contrasting with the five loaves of the earlier feeding.

Translator Notes

1. The verb parangeelas ('commanded, directed') carries authority. The verb anapesein ('to recline, sit down') is the standard term for taking a meal position. Unlike the five thousand fed on grass (14:19), this crowd sits on bare ground (teen gen), consistent with a more desolate location.

Translator Notes

1. The sequence — took, gave thanks (eucharistesas), broke, gave — follows the same pattern as the feeding of the five thousand (14:19) and anticipates the Last Supper (26:26). The verb eucharisteo ('to give thanks') is the root of 'Eucharist,' though Matthew does not draw explicit sacramental connections here. The disciples serve as intermediaries, distributing what Jesus provides.

Translator Notes

1. The verb echortasthesan ('were satisfied, were filled to satisfaction') indicates not mere survival but abundance. The word spyridas ('large baskets') differs from the kophinous ('small baskets') of the five thousand feeding (14:20). The spyris was a large rope basket, possibly big enough to hold a person (cf. Acts 9:25, where Paul is lowered in a spyris). Seven full large baskets of surplus from seven loaves declares overwhelming abundance.

Translator Notes

1. As with the feeding of the five thousand (14:21), only men (andres) are counted; the total number including women and children would have been significantly larger. The number four thousand, combined with the predominantly Gentile setting, may carry symbolic weight — four often represents universality (four corners of the earth, four winds).

Translator Notes

1. The SBLGNT reads 'Magadan' (Magadan) rather than 'Magdala' (as in some manuscripts and the KJV). The location is uncertain — it may be the same as Magdala (home of Mary Magdalene) on the western shore of the Sea of Galilee, or a variant name for the same area. Mark's parallel (8:10) reads 'Dalmanutha,' another otherwise unknown location. Jesus returns from Gentile territory to the Jewish side of the lake.