Matthew 15:14 - Printer Friendly

ESV: Let them alone; they are blind guides. And if the blind lead the blind, both will fall into a pit."

NIV: Leave them; they are blind guides. If the blind lead the blind, both will fall into a pit."

NASB: Leave them alone; they are blind guides of blind people. And if a person who is blind guides another who is blind, both will fall into a pit.'

CSB: Leave them alone! They are blind guides. And if the blind guide the blind, both will fall into a pit."

NLT: so ignore them. They are blind guides leading the blind, and if one blind person guides another, they will both fall into a ditch.'

KJV: Let them alone: they be blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch.

NKJV: Let them alone. They are blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind leads the blind, both will fall into a ditch.”

The disciples have reported to Jesus that the Pharisees were offended by something He said. He told the crowd that what goes into a person's mouth is not what defiles a person. Instead, it's what comes out of the mouth that defiles people (Matthew 15:10–12).

Jesus now tells His disciples to leave the Pharisees alone (Matthew 7:6). In other words, they aren't to debate with them, correct them, or worry about them (Titus 3:9–11). He calls them blind guides, using language found throughout Israel's scriptures to indicate a lack of understanding about what is true. In short, they don't get it. They don't understand the heart of God for His people or the true spirit of God as revealed in the Law. They are so focused on enforcing rule-keeping that they have missed what truly matters. They are spiritually blind, and all their leadership does is drag other blind people—the people of Israel—towards disaster.

This does not mean Jesus intends His followers to avoid all debates, with all people, for all time. This is in keeping with His prior comments about knowing when to stop wasting energy on the unwilling (Matthew 10:14). Scripture commands believers to be ready to answer those who challenge their faith (1 Peter 3:15–16). This specific group—the Pharisees of Jesus' day—are not going to listen to what the disciples say, so Christ does not want the disciples attempting to argue with them.

Jesus' words would have been difficult for His disciples to process. Their master is not expressing simple disagreement with the Pharisees about Scriptural doctrine. This is not the normal style of debate which went on between rabbis and their varied perspectives on the law of Moses. Jesus was thoroughly condemning and dismissing Israel's religious leaders. By implication, He was forcing His disciples and any who would follow Him to make a choice between Him and the religious leaders in charge of all of Judaism at this time.

Matthew 15:10–20 describes Jesus' expanded answer to a challenge from the Pharisees. Their concern is not about washing hands for health, but to follow religious rituals. He says these Pharisees will be uprooted and that they are blind guides. When asked, Jesus tells the disciples it's not what goes into a person's mouth that defiles him; it's the words that come out that reveal the sin in his heart. The defilement is already there, including all kinds of sin. He tells them flatly that eating with unwashed hands does not spiritually defile anyone.

Pharisees and scribes come from Jerusalem to challenge Jesus. They are offended that His disciples break the religious leaders' tradition about ritual handwashing before meals. Jesus turns that attack upside down, pointing out that His critics honor tradition above God's actual commands! He insists that nobody is defiled by what goes in the mouth—by the literal matter itself—but by the overflow of the spirit, such as the words that come out of the mouth. He and the disciples travel out of the country. Jesus casts a demon out of the daughter of a persistent Canaanite woman. They travel to the southeast side of the Sea of Galilee where Jesus feeds thousands of people from a few loaves and fishes. These last two events set up the eventual spread of the gospel beyond the people of Israel.

Matthew 15 begins with a confrontation between some Pharisees and Jesus. They ask why His disciples break the traditional practice of ritual handwashing. Pointedly, Jesus asks why they allow the obvious intent of God's commandments to be broken through their traditions. Jesus and the disciples travel out of Israel, encountering a Canaanite woman. He praises her faith and casts a demon from her daughter. They travel to the southeast side of the Sea of Galilee where Jesus heals more people and feeds thousands more from another few loaves and fishes. This sets up another confrontation with religious leaders, warnings about their teachings, and predictions of Jesus' death in the next chapter.

The Gospel of Matthew clearly shows the influence of its writer's background, and his effort to reach a specific audience. Matthew was one of Jesus' twelve disciples, a Jewish man, and a former tax collector. This profession would have required literacy, and Matthew may have transcribed some of Jesus' words as they were spoken. This book is filled with references to the Old Testament, demonstrating to Israel that Jesus is the Promised One. Matthew also includes many references to coins, likely due to his former profession. Matthew records extensive accounts of Jesus' teaching, more than the other three Gospels.