Clean and Unclean
They worship Me in vain; they teach as doctrine the precepts of men.’” Matthew 15:9 · Berean Standard Bible
Their worship is pointless because they teach human rules as if they were God's commands. Going through the motions without God's truth is worship that goes nowhere.
This challenges you to examine what you believe and why. Are your convictions rooted in God's Word or in traditions you've never questioned?
Jesus finishes quoting Isaiah's devastating critique.
The prophetic indictment is complete. When human teachings replace God's truth, even worship becomes meaningless.
The conclusion of the Isaiah citation declares their worship matēn ('in vain/empty'). Teaching entalmata anthrōpōn ('precepts of men') as divine doctrine constitutes the fundamental error.
This verse articulates the theological principle that human religious innovations, however well-intentioned, cannot substitute for divine revelation. It became a key Reformation text.
Jesus continues the Isaiah quotation, completing the prophetic indictment.
The prophetic word delivers its final blow: worship that elevates human tradition to the level of divine command is empty, no matter how sincere it appears.
7You hypocrites! Isaiah prophesied correctly about you:
8‘These people honor Me with their lips, but their hearts are far from Me.
9They worship Me in vain; they teach as doctrine the precepts of men.’”
10Jesus called the crowd to Him and said, “Listen and understand.
11A man is not defiled by what enters his mouth, but by what comes out of it.”
Read all of Matthew 15 — Jesus dismantles the purity codes the Pharisees have built and shows that what defiles a person comes from within, not without.
This page covers one. BibleKey does all 31,102 — tap any verse for its meaning, any word for its Hebrew or Greek root, and keep reading without leaving the chapter.
Not just the famous ones. BibleKey is free on iPhone and iPad.
Download on the App StoreFree on iPhone & iPad