he need not honor his father or mother with it.This phrase addresses the practice of Corban, where individuals would dedicate something to God, often to avoid using it for other obligations, such as supporting their parents. This practice is rooted in Jewish tradition, where dedicating possessions to God was seen as a pious act. However, Jesus criticizes this misuse, highlighting the Pharisees' hypocrisy in allowing traditions to override God's commandments. The command to honor one's parents is deeply embedded in the Ten Commandments (
Exodus 20:12), emphasizing its importance in Jewish law and culture. By prioritizing tradition over this commandment, the Pharisees were undermining the very law they claimed to uphold.
Thus you nullify the word of God for the sake of your tradition.
Here, Jesus condemns the Pharisees for elevating human traditions above divine commandments. The "word of God" refers to the Scriptures, which hold ultimate authority. By adhering to traditions that contradict God's commands, the Pharisees effectively render God's word void. This critique is consistent with Jesus' broader ministry, where He often challenges religious leaders for their legalism and lack of genuine faith. The tension between tradition and Scripture is a recurring theme in the New Testament, as seen in passages likeColossians 2:8, where Paul warns against being taken captive by human traditions. Jesus' rebuke serves as a reminder of the primacy of God's word over human customs, a principle that resonates throughout biblical teaching.
Persons / Places / Events
1.
Jesus ChristThe central figure in this passage, Jesus is addressing the Pharisees and scribes, challenging their adherence to human traditions over God's commandments.
2.
Pharisees and ScribesReligious leaders of the time who are known for their strict adherence to Jewish law and traditions. They are often depicted as opposing Jesus' teachings.
3.
Tradition of the EldersRefers to the oral traditions and interpretations of the law that the Pharisees and scribes held in high regard, sometimes even above the written Law of Moses.
4.
Commandment to Honor ParentsA direct reference to the Fifth Commandment found in the Ten Commandments, which emphasizes the importance of honoring one's father and mother.
5.
CorbanA practice where something is dedicated to God, which the Pharisees used as a loophole to avoid supporting their parents financially.
Teaching Points
The Supremacy of God's WordGod's commandments should always take precedence over human traditions. Believers must evaluate their practices to ensure they align with Scripture.
The Danger of LegalismLegalism can lead to a focus on external rituals rather than the heart's condition. True obedience to God involves a heart aligned with His will.
Honoring ParentsThe command to honor one's parents is timeless and should not be circumvented by cultural or religious practices. This principle extends to caring for family members in practical ways.
Heart Over RitualGod desires genuine devotion rather than mere ritualistic observance. Believers should examine their motivations and ensure their worship is heartfelt.
Tradition vs. CommandmentWhile traditions can be valuable, they should never contradict or override God's commandments. Believers must discern and prioritize accordingly.
Bible Study Questions and Answers
1.What is the meaning of Matthew 15:6?
2.How does Matthew 15:6 challenge us to prioritize God's commandments over traditions?
3.What traditions today might cause us to "nullify the word of God"?
4.How can we ensure our practices align with biblical teachings in Matthew 15:6?
5.In what ways does Matthew 15:6 connect with the Ten Commandments?
6.How can we apply Matthew 15:6 to honor God in our daily lives?
7.How does Matthew 15:6 challenge traditional views on honoring parents?
8.What does Matthew 15:6 reveal about human traditions versus God's commandments?
9.How does Matthew 15:6 address the authority of religious leaders?
10.What are the top 10 Lessons from Matthew 15?
11.What are the beliefs of Free Will Baptists?
12.How do Sola Scriptura and Solo Scriptura differ?
13.What defines The Last Reformation movement?
14.How do warnings against guaranteeing a neighbor's debt in Proverbs 6:1-5 align with Jesus's teachings on generosity (Matthew 5:42)?What Does Matthew 15:6 Mean
He need not honor his father or mother with itJesus is addressing a loophole the religious leaders had carved out through the practice sometimes called “Corban” (seeMark 7:11). By declaring possessions “given to God,” a son could refuse to use those resources to care for aging parents, even thoughExodus 20:12 andDeuteronomy 5:16 clearly command honor and support.
• Honor is more than respectful words; in Scripture it often includes material provision (1 Timothy 5:4, 8).
• The leaders turned what should have been a heartfelt gift into a legal escape clause, excusing neglect of family while appearing pious.
• Jesus affirms the literal intent of the fifth commandment: children remain responsible for parental care regardless of any vow they make.
Thus you nullify the word of GodBy endorsing this loophole, the leaders effectively canceled God’s command.
• “Nullify” pictures a law set aside or rendered void; their tradition held higher authority in practice than Scripture (compareMark 7:13).
•Isaiah 29:13, quoted in the same conversation (Matthew 15:8-9), warns of worship that is “in vain” when human rules replace divine truth.
• God’s word carries binding authority (Psalm 119:105;2 Timothy 3:16-17); whenever we sidestep its plain meaning, we undermine its power in our lives.
For the sake of your traditionTradition itself isn’t automatically wrong—Paul commends sound apostolic traditions in2 Thessalonians 2:15—but Jesus confronts traditions that contradict or overshadow Scripture.
•Colossians 2:8 cautions against being taken captive by “human tradition” instead of Christ.
•Galatians 1:14 shows how zeal for tradition can blind a person to God’s will.
•Acts 5:29 reminds believers to obey God rather than men when the two conflict.
The issue is priority: whenever custom, culture, or convenience dethrones God’s explicit commands, those traditions must yield.
summaryMatthew 15:6 exposes how a religious rule allowed people to dodge God’s clear command to honor parents. Jesus insists that no human tradition, however well-intentioned, can overrule Scripture. True obedience means letting God’s word stand as the final authority and aligning every practice—religious, cultural, or personal—under its unchanging truth.
(6)
He shall be free.--The words, as
the italics show, are not in the Greek, and if we follow the better reading, are not wanted to complete the sense. "Whosoever shall say to his father or his mother, It is a gift, by whatsoever thou mightest be profited by me,
he shall not honour(
i.e., shall not support)
his father or his mother." The "honour" which the commandment enjoined was identified with the duty which was its first and most natural expression.
By your tradition.--As before,for the sake of. They had inverted the right relation of the two, and made the tradition an end, and not a means. St. Mark (Mark 7:9) gives what we cannot describe otherwise than as a touch of grave and earnest irony, in the truest and best sense of that word, "Full well ye reject the commandment of God, that ye may keep your own traditions."
Verse 6. -
And honour not his father or his mother, he shall be free. The last clause is not in the Greek; it is supplied by our translators, as it was in Coverdale's version, to complete the apodosis. There are various methods of translating the passage. Retaining
καὶ at the beginning of the sentence, some make these words the continuation of the gloss, "Whosoever shall say," etc., the apodosis being found in the sentence following. Others conceive an aposiopesis after "be profited by me," as if Christ refrained from pronouncing the hypocritical and indeed blasphemous words which completed the gloss. In this case the apodosis follows in ver. 6,
καὶ,
then such a one will not honour (
τιμήα ει, not
τιμήσῃ), etc. The words are best taken as put into the Pharisees' mouth in the sense, "The man under those circumstances shall not honour," etc.; he is free from the obligation of helping his parents. The form of the sentence (
οὐ μὴ with the future verb) is prohibitory rather than predictive, and implies, "he is forbidden to honour." Christ thus sharply emphasizes the contradiction between God's Law and man's perversion thereof. St. Mark has, "Ye no longer suffer him to do aught for his father." Thus;
καὶ in the apodosis, removing the full stop before it in the Authorized Version. This is our Lord's own saying.
Made...of none effect. Evacuated its real force and spirit.
By; owing to, for the sake of, as St. Mark says, "that ye may keep your tradition." Our translators often mistake the meaning of the preposition
διὰ with the accusative, which never signifies "by means of."
Parallel Commentaries ...
Greek
he need not honorτιμήσει(timēsei)Verb - Future Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 5091:From timios; to prize, i.e. Fix a valuation upon; by implication, to revere.hisαὐτοῦ(autou)Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive Masculine 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 846:He, she, it, they, them, same. From the particle au; the reflexive pronoun self, used of the third person, and of the other persons.fatherπατέρα(patera)Noun - Accusative Masculine Singular
Strong's 3962:Father, (Heavenly) Father, ancestor, elder, senior. Apparently a primary word; a 'father'.orἢ(ē)Conjunction
Strong's 2228:Or, than. A primary particle of distinction between two connected terms; disjunctive, or; comparative, than.mother [with it].μητέρα(mētera)Noun - Accusative Feminine Singular
Strong's 3384:A mother. Apparently a primary word; a 'mother'.Thusκαὶ(kai)Conjunction
Strong's 2532:And, even, also, namely.you nullifyἠκυρώσατε(ēkyrōsate)Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 2nd Person Plural
Strong's 208:To annul, make of no effect, cancel. To invalidate.theτὸν(ton)Article - Accusative Masculine Singular
Strong's 3588:The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.wordλόγον(logon)Noun - Accusative Masculine Singular
Strong's 3056:From lego; something said; by implication, a topic, also reasoning or motive; by extension, a computation; specially, the Divine Expression.of GodΘεοῦ(Theou)Noun - Genitive Masculine Singular
Strong's 2316:A deity, especially the supreme Divinity; figuratively, a magistrate; by Hebraism, very.for the sake ofδιὰ(dia)Preposition
Strong's 1223:A primary preposition denoting the channel of an act; through.yourὑμῶν(hymōn)Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive 2nd Person Plural
Strong's 4771:You. The person pronoun of the second person singular; thou.tradition.παράδοσιν(paradosin)Noun - Accusative Feminine Singular
Strong's 3862:An instruction, tradition. From paradidomi; transmission, i.e. a precept; specially, the Jewish traditionary law.
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NT Gospels: Matthew 15:6 He shall not honor his father (Matt. Mat Mt) 
