Matthew 15 15

Matthew 15:15 kjv

Then answered Peter and said unto him, Declare unto us this parable.

Matthew 15:15 nkjv

Then Peter answered and said to Him, "Explain this parable to us."

Matthew 15:15 niv

Peter said, "Explain the parable to us."

Matthew 15:15 esv

But Peter said to him, "Explain the parable to us."

Matthew 15:15 nlt

Then Peter said to Jesus, "Explain to us the parable that says people aren't defiled by what they eat."

Matthew 15 verses

Matthew 15 15 Meaning

Matthew 15:15 captures Peter, acting as a spokesperson for the disciples, asking Jesus for a clearer explanation of His recent teaching. This teaching asserted that true defilement originates from within the heart, rather than from external contact or lack of ceremonial handwashing, which directly challenged the Pharisees' tradition. Peter's request reveals the disciples' initial confusion and their struggle to grasp the profound, revolutionary shift from external religious observances to internal spiritual purity, indicating their need for further divine instruction on this core principle.

Matthew 15 15 Context

Matthew 15:15 immediately follows Jesus' radical teaching in Matthew 15:10-11: "Listen and understand: it is not what goes into the mouth that defiles a person, but what comes out of the mouth; this defiles a person." This statement was made to the crowd and then, significantly, in the presence of Pharisees and scribes who had earlier challenged Jesus and His disciples over their non-observance of the tradition of ceremonial handwashing (15:1-9). Jesus used this opportunity to expose the superficiality of their legalistic piety, emphasizing that true defilement comes from the evil thoughts and intentions of the human heart, not from external ritual impurity. Peter's subsequent request for an explanation (15:15) demonstrates that even Jesus' closest disciples found this teaching challenging to reconcile with their deeply ingrained Jewish traditions, where external purity laws were paramount.

Matthew 15 15 Word analysis

• Then (δὲ - _de_): A particle used to introduce a new statement or transition in the narrative, indicating a progression or shift in conversation. It connects Peter's response directly to Jesus' preceding controversial teaching and the disciples' previous, unstated confusion.
• Peter (ὁ Πέτρος - _ho Petros_): Simon Peter, one of Jesus' most prominent disciples. Often served as a spokesman for the twelve, known for his impulsiveness and leadership, but also his spiritual insight (e.g., confession in Mt 16:16) and occasional slowness to grasp (e.g., Mt 16:22). Here, his leadership manifests in voicing the collective disciples' perplexity.
• answered and said (ἀποκριθεὶς ... εἶπεν - _apokritheis ... eipen_): Literally "having answered, he said." This Greek idiom signifies a direct and often significant response to what has just been stated or occurred, not necessarily a formal question-answer sequence. It highlights the deliberateness of Peter's action.
• to Him (αὐτῷ - _autō_): Referring directly to Jesus, indicating Peter's appeal is specifically to the Lord, the authoritative teacher.
• “Explain (Φράσον - _Phrason_): An aorist imperative verb from φράζω (_phrazō_), meaning "to explain," "to make clear," "to interpret," "to declare plainly." This word expresses an urgent and direct request for elucidation, showing the disciples’ deep need to comprehend this challenging spiritual truth.
• this (ταύτην - _tautēn_): The demonstrative pronoun, pointing directly to the specific "parable" (teaching) Jesus had just uttered concerning external versus internal defilement (Mt 15:11).
• parable (τὴν παραβολὴν - _tēn parabolēn_): From _parabole_, meaning "a setting alongside" or "comparison," implying a metaphor or figurative teaching that requires interpretation to unlock its spiritual truth. While technically not a typical story-parable, Jesus' statement in 15:11 functions as one, employing metaphorical language to convey a deeper spiritual reality about purity, challenging their existing conceptual framework. It's an enigmatic statement requiring revelation.
• to us” (ἡμῖν - _hēmin_): The plural dative pronoun emphasizes that Peter speaks not only for himself but for the collective group of disciples. This indicates a shared difficulty among them in comprehending the revolutionary nature of Jesus’ teaching on defilement.

Words-group analysis:

• Peter answered and said to Him: This phrase underscores Peter's role as a leading voice and spokesman among the disciples. It implies a sense of shared confusion or struggle, prompting Peter to vocalize their collective need for clarity directly to Jesus, rather than just amongst themselves. His initiative is characteristic.
• Explain this parable to us: This plea highlights the disciples' intellectual and spiritual struggle. They recognize that Jesus’ teaching in 15:11—that internal impurity, not external things, defiles a person—was profound and counter-cultural. It challenged centuries of religious tradition and personal understanding, thus demanding direct divine interpretation to properly grasp its implications.

Matthew 15 15 Bonus section

This verse foreshadows the larger struggle the early church, and even Peter himself, would have in fully breaking away from the Jewish dietary laws and distinctions between clean and unclean, as seen vividly in Peter's vision in Acts 10. The shift from outward ritual purity to inward heart purity was a monumental theological leap that took time for even the apostles to fully grasp and apply. Matthew 15:15 shows this transformative process beginning right in their direct interactions with Jesus. It also subtly critiques a purely academic or superficial engagement with spiritual truth, emphasizing that genuine understanding often requires earnest inquiry and humility, recognizing one's own limits in grasping divine principles.

Matthew 15 15 Commentary

Matthew 15:15 serves as a crucial point where the disciples’ traditional understanding collides with Jesus’ radical spiritual insights. Peter's question reveals that even Jesus' inner circle, despite being privileged to direct teaching, initially struggled with the core principle that defilement is an internal matter of the heart, not an external issue of food or ritual washing. This moment highlights Jesus' patient teaching method; He distinguishes between parables spoken to the masses (often designed to obscure spiritual truth from the resistant) and the specific, clarifying instruction He provides to those genuinely seeking understanding. This verse sets the stage for Jesus' in-depth explanation in Matthew 15:16-20, which systematically dismantles the Old Covenant understanding of purity and re-establishes defilement as a product of evil thoughts, intentions, and deeds originating from the human heart. It is a fundamental shift from legalistic externalism to spiritual internalism, emphasizing that genuine purity stems from the transformed inner person, a truth vital for the burgeoning New Covenant. This ongoing need for spiritual understanding remains a lesson for believers today.