# Matthew 15.3

<!-- type: passage | created: 2026-11-04 | updated: 2026-11-04 -->

**Book:** [Matthew](/codex/matthew/) · NASB95

## Immediate context (±2 verses)

**ASV** ([ASV](/codex/asv/))
> 1. Then there come to Jesus from Jerusalem Pharisees and scribes, saying, 2. Why do thy disciples transgress the tradition of the elders? for they wash not their hands when they eat bread.
>
> **3. And he answered and said unto them, <span class="rl-speech">Why do ye also transgress the commandment of God because of your tradition?</span>**
>
> 4. For God said, Honor thy father and thy mother: and, He that speaketh evil of father or mother, let him die the death. 5. But ye say, Whosoever shall say to his father or his mother, That wherewith thou mightest have been profited by me is given to God; (Matthew 15:1-5, ASV)

**WEB** ([WEB](/codex/web/))
> 1. Then Pharisees and scribes came to Jesus from Jerusalem, saying, 2. “Why do your disciples disobey the tradition of the elders? For they don’t wash their hands when they eat bread.”
>
> **3. He answered them, <span class="rl-speech">“Why do you also disobey the commandment of God because of your tradition?</span>**
>
> 4. <span class="rl-speech">For God commanded, ‘Honor your father and your mother,’ and, ‘He who speaks evil of father or mother, let him be put to death.’</span> 5. <span class="rl-speech">But you say, ‘Whoever may tell his father or his mother, “Whatever help you might otherwise have gotten from me is a gift devoted to God,”</span> (Matthew 15:1-5, WEB)

**KJV** ([KJV](/codex/kjv/))
> 1. Then came to Jesus scribes and Pharisees, which were of Jerusalem, saying, 2. Why do thy disciples transgress the tradition of the elders? for they wash not their hands when they eat bread.
>
> **3. But he answered and said unto them, <span class="rl-speech">Why do ye also transgress the commandment of God by your tradition?</span>**
>
> 4. <span class="rl-speech">For God commanded, saying, Honour thy father and mother: and, He that curseth father or mother, let him die the death.</span> 5. <span class="rl-speech">But ye say, Whosoever shall say to his father or his mother, It is a gift, by whatsoever thou mightest be profited by me;</span> (Matthew 15:1-5, KJV)

**YLT** ([YLT](/codex/ylt/))
> 1. Then come unto Jesus do they from Jerusalem, scribes and Pharisees, saying, 2. 'Wherefore do thy disciples transgress the tradition of the elders? for they do not wash their hands when they may eat bread.'
>
> **3. And he answering said to them, <span class="rl-speech">'Wherefore also do ye transgress the command of God because of your tradition?</span>**
>
> 4. <span class="rl-speech">for God did command, saying, Honour thy father and mother; and, He who is speaking evil of father or mother, let him die the death;</span> 5. <span class="rl-speech">but ye say, Whoever may say to father or mother, An offering [is] whatever thou mayest be profited by me;</span> (Matthew 15:1-5, YLT)

## Setting

- **Speaker:** _TBD_
- **Audience:** _TBD_
- **Location:** _TBD_
- **Time period:** _TBD_

## Theological reading

_Patristic / early-church-father exegesis, to be added._

## Key words

_Theologically-loaded Greek or Hebrew words in this verse may have entries in the lexicon. Curated to roughly 100 contested terms across the corpus, not every word._

- None of the words in this verse has its own lexicon entry yet.


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## Quoted in

**Arguments and defeaters:**

- [Matthew 15 Kill Your Children Objection Defeater](/codex/matthew-15-kill-your-children-objection-defeater/)
- [Mosaic Law Binding for True Israelites Objection Defeater](/codex/mosaic-law-binding-for-true-israelites-objection-defeater/), via [Matthew 15.1-20](/codex/matthew-15-1-20/)
- [Ritual Purity Laws Objection Defeater](/codex/ritual-purity-laws-objection-defeater/), via [Matthew 15.1-20](/codex/matthew-15-1-20/), [Matthew 15.1-9](/codex/matthew-15-1-9/)

**Concepts:**

- [Jesus Said](/codex/jesus-said/), via [Matthew 15](/codex/matthew-15/)
- [Ritual Purity Laws Objection](/codex/ritual-purity-laws-objection/), via [Matthew 15.1-20](/codex/matthew-15-1-20/)

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## Notes

_Your annotations._

## Why these four translations

ris3n chose ASV, WEB, KJV, and YLT for two reasons together. They are the **most literal English translations available** (formal-equivalence: word-for-word renderings that preserve the Hebrew and Greek grammar rather than smoothing it into modern dynamic-equivalence idiom). And they are in the **public domain in the United States**, which means fair-use quotation at any length requires no publisher license. Modern licensed translations (NASB95, ESV, NIV) restrict volume of quotation under their copyright terms, so they are not used at stub-level coverage here. NASB95 appears only on hand-curated rich passage hubs under Lockman Foundation's fair-use allowance.

The four:

- **[ASV](/codex/asv/)** (American Standard Version, 1901). The basis of the modern critical-text English tradition.
- **[WEB](/codex/web/)** (World English Bible, contemporary). Public-domain revision in the ASV line, in current English.
- **[KJV](/codex/kjv/)** (King James Version, 1611). Reformation-era, Textus Receptus base.
- **[YLT](/codex/ylt/)** (Young's Literal Translation, Robert Young, 1862). Hyper-literal preservation of Hebrew and Greek grammar; useful for word-study work even where English reads stiff.

See [Bibles](/codex/bibles/) for the full per-translation history, translators, textual basis, strengths, and weaknesses.