Matthew 15:9

But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men. BUT IN VAIN THEY DO WORSHIP ME, TEACHING FOR DOCTRINES THE COMMANDMENTS OF MEN. By putting the commandments of men on a level with the divine requirements, their whole worship was rendered vain-a principle of deep moment in the service of God. "For," it is added in , "laying aside the commandment of God, ye hold the tradition of men, as the washing of pots and cups; and many other such like things ye do." [Tregelles brackets all the words after "men" in this verse as of doubtful authority; but we see no ground for this: Tischendorf inserts the whole as in the receives text.] The drivelling nature of their multitudinous observances is here pointedly exposed, in contrast with the manly observance of "the commandment of God;" and when our Lord says, "Many other such like things ye d...

9._But in vain do they worship me _The words of the prophet run literally thus: _their fear toward me has been taught by the precept of men. _But Christ has faithfully and accurately given the meaning, that _in vain is God worshipped, _when the will of men is substituted in the room of doctrine. By these words, all kinds of _will-worship, _( ἐθελοθζησκεία,) as Paul calls it, ( Colossians 2:23,) are plainly condemned. For, as we have said, since God chooses to be worshipped in no other way than according to his own appointment, he cannot endure new modes of worship to be devised. As soon as men allow themselves to wander beyond the limits of the Word of God, the more labor and anxiety they display in worshipping him, the heavier is the condemnation which they draw down upon themselves; for by such inventions religion is dishonored....

1-9 Additions to God's laws reflect upon his wisdom, as if he had left out something which was needed, and which man could supply; in one way or other they always lead men to disobey God. How thankful ought we to be for the written word of God! Never let us think that the religion of the Bible can be improved by any human addition, either in doctrine or practice. Our blessed Lord spoke of their traditions as inventions of their own, and pointed out one instance in which this was very clear, that of their transgressing the fifth commandment. When a parent's wants called for assistance, they pleaded, that they had devoted to the temple all they could spare, even though they did not part with it, and therefore their parents must expect nothing from them. This was making the command of God of no effect. The doom of hypocrites is put in a little compass; "In vain do they worship me." It will...

Verse Matthew 15:9. _IN VAIN THEY DO WORSHIP ME, C._] 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_, c., but what God himself _has prescribed_, that he will acknowledge as his worship. However _sincere_ a man may be in a worship of his own invention, or of _man's commandment_, yet it profits him nothing. Christ himself says it is _in vain_. To condemn such, may appear to some illiberal but whatever may be said in behalf of sincere heathens, and others who have not had the advantages of Divine Revelation, there is no excuse for...

See also Mark 7:1. 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 held themselves bound to observe. They supposed that when Moses was on Mount Sinai two sets of laws were delivered to him: one, they said, was recorded, and is that contained in the Old Testament; the other was handed down

EXPOSITION MATTHEW 15:1 _Discourse concerning ceremonial pollution. _(Mark 7:1.) MATTHEW 15:1 THEN. This is after the third Passover, which whether our Lord attended or not, has been a matter of some dispute. Moral considerations would make us infer that he was present, fulfilling all righteousness, though there is no direct statement in our narratives on the subject. CAME TO JESUS SCRIBES AND PHARISEES, WHICH WERE OF JERUSALEM, SAYING. The Sinaitic, B, and some other manuscripts read, _Came to Jesus from Jerusalem scribes and Pharisees. _This, which is virtually the reading of the Revised Version, whether origina

BUT IN VAIN DO THEY WORSHIP ME,.... In the Hebrew text it is, "their fear towards me": which is rightly expressed here by "worship"; for the fear of God often intends the whole worship of God, both external and internal: here it only signifies external worship, which these men only attended to. They prayed in the synagogues, read, and, in their way, expounded the books of Moses, and the prophets, to the people, diligently observed the rituals of the ceremonial law, brought their offerings and sacrifices to the temple, and neglected nothing appertaining to the outward service of it; and yet it was all "in vain", and to no purpose; since the heart was wanting, no grace there, they acted from wrong principles, and with wrong views; their worship was merely outward, formal, and customary; and besides, they added doctrines and traditions of their own inventing and devising. The phrase, "in va...

Matthew 15:1. _Then came to Jesus scribes and Pharisees, which were of Jerusalem, saying, Why do thy disciples transgress the tradition of the elders? for they wash not their hands when they eat bread._ A very wonderful omission certainly, but it seems to have struck them as a very great crime. «They wash not their hands when they eat bread» as if the commands of God were not enough, men must overload us. with their own commands, and sometimes the very people who would see us break God's commands without being at all distressed are dreadfully shocked if we do not keep theirs, showing clearly that they have a higher estimate of themselves than they have of God. Matthew 15:3. But he answered and said unto them, Why do ye also transgress the commandment of God by your tradition? Fo

3. THE CORRUPTION OF THE SCRIBES AND PHARISEES; THE CANAANITISH WOMAN AND HER FAITH; THE MULTITUDES HEALED. CHAPTER 15 _ 1. The Question of the Scribes and Pharisees.(Matthew 15:1 .) 2. His Answer. (Matthew 15:3 .) 3. The Multitude Called.(Matthew 15:10 .) 4. The Disciples Instructed.(Matthew 15:12 .) 5. The Canaanitish Woman. (Matthew 15:21 .) 6. The Multitudes Healed. (Matthew 15:29 .)_ This chapter introduces us more fully

THE WASHING OF HANDS AND THE TRADITIONS OF THE ELDERS (Mark 7:1 *). Mt. is again briefer than Mk. He omits the parenthetical explanation Mark 7:3 f. and the technical term Corban, turns the statement of Mark 7:9 into a question (Matthew 15:3), and puts the quotation from Isaiah as a climax after the Corban passage. He also substitutes God (Matthew 15:4) for Moses (Mark 7:10) to heighten the antithesis with But _you_ say ...