Devine Scripture

Matthew 15:17

What does Matthew 15:17 mean?

A plain-English look at Matthew 15:17 in WEB alongside six other public-domain English translations, with cross-references and chapter context.

What Matthew 15:17 means

Jesus explains a basic biological process to illustrate His point: whatever food enters the mouth simply passes through the digestive system and is naturally expelled from the body. This physical process, He argues, does not spiritually impact a person. By focusing on the mechanics of digestion, Jesus aims to dismantle the false notion that external physical substances can inherently defile a person's soul or spirit. This helps clarify the first half of His statement in Matthew 15:11.

Parallel translations

WEB

World English Bible · 2000

Perceive ye not, that whatsoever goeth into the mouth passeth into the belly, and is cast out into the draught?

KJV

King James Version · 1611

Do not ye yet understand, that whatsoever entereth in at the mouth goeth into the belly, and is cast out into the draught?

ASV

American Standard Version · 1901

Perceive ye not, that whatsoever goeth into the mouth passeth into the belly, and is cast out into the draught?

BBE

Bible in Basic English · 1949

Do you not see that whatever goes into the mouth goes on into the stomach, and is sent out as waste?

YLT

Young's Literal Translation · 1862

do ye not understand that all that is going into the mouth doth pass into the belly, and into the drain is cast forth?

DRA

Douay-Rheims (Challoner) · 1752

Do you not understand, that whatsoever entereth into the mouth, goeth into the belly, and is cast out into the privy?

DBY

Darby Bible · 1890

Do ye not yet apprehend, that everything that enters into the mouth finds its way into the belly, and is cast forth into the draught?

Context

Building on the disciples' request for clarification (verse 15) and Jesus's gentle rebuke (verse 16), this verse begins Jesus's explicit explanation of His earlier teaching. It clarifies *why* food doesn't defile the man, by focusing on a simple biological process. This physical explanation sets the groundwork for contrasting it with the true source of defilement in the verses that follow.

v.16And he said, Are ye also even yet without understanding?

v.17This passage

v.18But the things which proceed out of the mouth come forth out of the heart; and they defile the man.

Cross references

Related passages from across Scripture, drawn from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge.

  • 1 Corinthians 6:13

    Meats for the belly, and the belly for meats: but God shall bring to nought both it and them. But the body is not for fornication, but for the Lord; and the Lord for the body:

  • 2 Kings 10:27

    And they brake down the pillar of Baal, and brake down the house of Baal, and made it a draught-house, unto this day.

  • Matthew 7:19

    Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.

  • Luke 6:45

    The good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good; and the evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth that which is evil: for out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh.

  • James 3:6

    And the tongue is a fire: the world of iniquity among our members is the tongue, which defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the wheel of nature, and is set on fire by hell.

  • Colossians 2:21

    Handle not, nor taste, nor touch

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