Matthew 15:3

Jesus replied, “And why do you break the command of God for the sake of your tradition?

Berean Standard Bible

Study note

Setting — Jesus speaks to the Pharisees and scribes at the moment they confront Him over His disciples’ failure to perform the traditional hand-washing ritual before eating.

The words — ἀποκριθεὶς (apokritheis) literally means “answering” or “replying,” and διὰ (dia) translates to “because of” or “for the sake of.” These terms structure Jesus’ response as a direct counter-question that exposes the mechanism of their error.

The thread — The tension between divine command and human tradition runs through Mark 7:6, where Jesus cites Isaiah against ritual hypocrisy, and Titus 1:14, which warns against abandoning the truth for men’s commands.

Why it lands — The text states that prioritizing human tradition over God’s explicit command breaks divine instruction. Readers must identify where their own religious practices override or distort stated biblical commands.

Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.

The Greek words

ὉHo<the>δὲdeAnd ἀποκριθεὶςapokritheisanswering εἶπενeipenHe said αὐτοῖς·autoisto them;διὰdiaBecause of τίtiwhy καὶkaialso ὑμεῖςhumeisyou yourselves παραβαίνετεparabainetebreak τὴνtēnthe ἐντολὴνentolēncommandment τοῦtou<the>θεοῦtheouof God διὰdiaon account of τὴνtēnthe παράδοσινparadosintradition ὑμῶν;humōnof you?

King James Version

But he answered and said unto them, Why do ye also transgress the commandment of God by your tradition?

Cross-references

Colossians 2:23 Such restrictions indeed have an appearance of wisdom, with their self-prescribed worship, their false humility, and their harsh treatment of the body; but they are of no value against the indulgence of the flesh.
Titus 1:14 and will pay no attention to Jewish myths or to the commands of men who have rejected the truth.
Mark 7:6 Jesus answered them, “Isaiah prophesied correctly about you hypocrites, as it is written: ‘These people honor Me with their lips, but their hearts are far from Me.
Colossians 2:8 See to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deception, which are based on human tradition and the spiritual forces of the world rather than on Christ.
Matthew 7:3 Why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye but fail to notice the beam in your own eye?
Mark 7:13 Thus you nullify the word of God by the tradition you have handed down. And you do so in many such matters.”