Exegesis of Matthew 15:5 and the Tradition of the Elders
Exegesis of Matthew 15:5 and the Tradition of the Elders
Matthew 15:5 quotes Jesus as saying, "But ye say, Whosoever shall say to his father or his mother, It is a gift, by whatsoever thou mightest be profited by me; and honour not his father or his mother, he shall be free" (KJV). This verse is part of a larger passage where Jesus confronts the Pharisees and scribes about their tradition of hand washing before eating [7].
The phrase "tradition of the elders" refers to the oral traditions and interpretations of the law that were passed down through generations of Jewish leaders. These traditions were considered authoritative and were used to guide daily life and worship [7]. In Matthew 15:2, the Pharisees and scribes ask Jesus why his disciples transgress this tradition.
The term "elders" refers to respected leaders and teachers within the Jewish community. In the New Testament, elders are often associated with governance and teaching within the church [1, 2]. The concept of honoring one's parents is rooted in the fifth commandment (Exodus 20:12), and Jesus' statement in Matthew 15:4 quotes this commandment.
The key issue in Matthew 15:5 is the practice of Corban, where a person could dedicate their resources to God and thereby avoid using them to support their parents. This practice was seen as a way to circumvent the commandment to honor one's parents [3]. Jesus argues that this tradition is not only unnecessary but also contrary to God's will, as it allows individuals to prioritize their own religious practices over their obligations to others.
The early church fathers saw Jesus' confrontation with the Pharisees as a critique of the excessive emphasis on tradition and human interpretation. Origen, for example, notes that the Apostles accommodated themselves to Jewish customs, but this did not mean they were bound by them [4].
The Reformed tradition has generally understood Jesus' statement as a rejection of the authority of tradition when it conflicts with Scripture. John Gill, a Baptist/Reformed commentator, notes that the traditions of the elders were "new and upstart notions" compared to the law of Moses [5, 6].
The Lutheran tradition, as represented by the Augsburg Confession, also sees Jesus' statement as a critique of human traditions that are not grounded in Scripture. The Confession quotes Matthew 15:14, "Let them alone; they be blind leaders of the blind," to argue that human traditions that are not rooted in God's word are to be rejected [8].
Sources
- I Peter “I Peter 5:1 (Geneva1599) — The elders which are among you, I beseech which am also an elder, and a witnesse of the sufferings of Christ, and also a partaker of the glory that shalbe reueiled,”
- I Timothy “I Timothy 5:17 (Geneva1599) — The Elders that rule well, let them be had in double honour, specially they which labour in the worde and doctrine,”
- Treasury of Scripture Knowledge “Matthew 15:5 cross-references: Leviticus 27:9, Proverbs 20:25, Amos 7:15, Matthew 23:16, Mark 7:10, Acts 4:19, Acts 5:29”
- Schaff ANF/NPNF (Patristic) “ANF Vol 9: Gospel of Peter, Diatessaron, Origen's Commentaries — 8. CONCERNING THE PHARISEES AND SCRIBES WHO CAME AND INQUIRED, WHY DO THY DISCIPLES TRANSGRESS THE TRADITION OF THE ELDERS? (part 2): Paul became a Jew to the Jews that he might gain Jews,(4) what strange thing is it that the Apostles, whose way of life was passed among the Jews, even though they understood the spiritual things in the law, should have used a spirit of accommodation, as Paul also did when he circumcised Timothy,(1) and offered sacrifice in accordance with a certain legal vow, as is written in the Acts of the Apost”
- Luke (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on Luke 5:35: And he spake also a parable unto them,.... The Scribes and Pharisees; illustrating what he had just now said: no man putteth a piece of a new garment upon an old; by "a piece of a new garment" meaning the new and upstart notions and traditions of the elders, which were so in comparison of the law of Moses; and by the "old", the robe of their own righteousness, wrought out in obedience to the moral and ceremonial law: and Christ suggests, that to join these together, in order to patch up a garment of righteousness, to appear in before God, was equally as weak and ridic”
- Mark (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on Mark 2:20: No man also seweth a piece of new cloth, The traditions of the elders are meant, particularly concerning eating and drinking, and fasting, things before spoken of; and which occasioned this parable, and which were new things in comparison of the commands of God: some of them were of very short standing, devised in, that age; and most, if not all of them, were since the times of Ezra. On an old garment; the moral and ceremonial righteousness of the Jews, in obedience to the law of God; signifying, that the former were not to be joined with these, to make up a justifyin”
- Matthew (Protestant academic) “Tyndale House on Matthew 15:2: 15:2 The Jewish teachers’ age-old tradition sought to apply the written Torah to common circumstances in the ordinary course of life. This tradition was memorized and passed on orally from teacher to student (cp. 1 Cor 11:23; 15:1-5). • To ignore the tradition of . . . hand washing (see Mark 7:2-4; Luke 11:38) was considered disobedient to the Torah and unfaithful to God’s will for Israel (cp. Matt 23:25-26).”
- Augsburg Confession (Lutheran) “Augsburg Confession (Lutheran, 1530), 47 And Christ, Matt. 15:14,13, says of those who require traditions:: 47 And Christ, Matt. 15:14,13, says of those who require traditions: Let them alone; they be blind leaders of the blind; 48 and He rejects such services: Every plant which My heavenly Father hath not planted shall be plucked up.”