For God commanded, ‘Honor your father and your mother,’ and, ‘Whoever reviles father or mother must surely die.’
English Standard Version (ESV)
This verse isn't just about respecting parents; it reveals that "honoring" them also encompassed providing for their material needs. This means that neglecting to support a parent, especially when they are in need, is not a minor oversight but a serious violation, carrying the weight of a capital offense in the Old Testament.
For God commanded, ‘Honor your father and your mother,’ and, ‘Whoever reviles father or mother must surely die.’
English Standard Version (ESV)
Jesus is confronting religious leaders who are accusing his disciples of breaking tradition by not washing their hands before eating. He turns their accusation back on them, showing how their own man-made rules actually violate God's clear commandments. This verse is Jesus' direct appeal to God's law to expose the hypocrisy of the scribes and Pharisees who prioritized their traditions over honoring God and family.
Jesus uses a foundational command to expose a deep spiritual problem. What does it really mean to 'honor' your parents, and why is it so serious?
In Matthew 15:4, Jesus quotes the fifth commandment: "Honor your father and your mother." This isn't just about polite greetings or basic respect. The original Hebrew and Greek, along with commentary insights, reveal that 'honoring' parents includes:
This command is serious business. The second part of the verse, 'Whoever reviles father or mother must surely die,' isn't just a strong statement. As Barnes and Bengel note, it's a direct quote from the Law (Exodus 21:17) where the penalty for cursing or showing extreme disrespect was death. This underscores that failure to honor parents was seen as a grave offense against God's order.
The religious leaders of Jesus' day twisted God's commands with their own rules. See how their 'traditions' actually made God's law irrelevant.
The core conflict in Matthew 15:1-9 is between God's clear commands and the 'traditions of the elders' that the Pharisees held so dear. Jesus points out a devastating consequence: their traditions allowed people to obeying God's command to honor parents.
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Understand the original words
kāḇaḏ · Hebrew Verb
To show proper respect, reverence, and value toward someone. In the context of parents, it implies practical support, care, and high esteem, reflecting one's duty to acknowledge their God-given role.
kakologeō · Greek Verb
To treat with contempt, speak evil of, or curse. It denotes a severe violation of respect and is biblically categorized as a serious offense against God’s moral order.
Jesus directly confronts the Pharisees' traditions which allowed people to neglect their parents by dedicating their resources to God instead. This highlights how human traditions, even with good intentions, can dangerously undermine God's clear commands and the core duties of love and respect within families.
c. 1446 BC
Ten Commandments Given
At Mount Sinai, God gives the Ten Commandments to Moses, including the command to honor parents and the severe penalty for cursing them.
c. 1406 BC
Deuteronomy Law Codified
The laws, including those concerning familial honor and punishment for disrespect, are reiterated and expanded upon by Moses for the Israelites about to enter the Promised Land.
c. 586 BC
Babylonian Exile
Many Jewish traditions and interpretations of the Law developed or were solidified during the Babylonian exile, partly as a way to maintain identity in a foreign land.
c. 516 BC
Second Temple Period Begins
The return from exile and rebuilding of the Temple marked a new era of Jewish religious life, where rabbinic interpretation and tradition became increasingly important.
c. 100 BC - AD 30— this verse
Development of Oral Traditions
During the Second Temple period, the scribes and Pharisees developed extensive oral traditions and interpretations of the Law, some of which were later written down in the Mishnah. These traditions often became as authoritative, or even more so, than the written Law itself for many.
c. AD 28-30
Jesus' Ministry
Jesus confronts the religious leaders of his day, challenging their traditions when they obscure or nullify God's commands, including the command to honor parents.
This passage is the direct source of the commandment Jesus cites, establishing the foundational divine instruction to honor parents.
Deuteronomy 27:16This passage reinforces the gravity of the commandment by listing the curse upon anyone who dishonors their father or mother, echoing the severe penalty Jesus mentions.
Proverbs 23:22This proverb directly links the listener to heed their parents' instruction, aligning with the concept of 'honoring' them through obedience and attentiveness.
Ephesians 6:1-3This New Testament passage reiterates the commandment to honor parents, framing it as 'the first commandment with a promise,' thereby showing its enduring importance within the Christian faith.
Matthew 15:1-3This immediate context highlights Jesus' critique of the Pharisees, demonstrating how human traditions can make the clear commandment to honor parents void, underscoring the verse's significance in defending God's law.
vincentMatthew 15:4: "For God commanded, saying, Honour thy father and mother: and, He that curseth father or mother, let him die the death."
Die the death (θανάτῳ τελευτάτω)The Hebrew idiom is, he shall certainly be executed. The Greek is, lit., let him come to his end by death.
calvinMatthew 15:1-9: "Then came to Jesus scribes and Pharisees, which were of Jerusalem, saying,"
- Then scribes and Pharisees, who had come from Jerusalem, approach to Jesus, saying, 2. Why do thy disciples transgress the tradition of the elders? for they wash not their hands when they eat bread. 3. But he answering said to them, Why do you also transgress the commandment of God on account of [390] your tradition? 4. For God commanded, saying, Honor thy father and mother; and, He that curseth fath…
This verse isn't just about respecting parents; it reveals that "honoring" them also encompassed providing for their material needs. This means that neglecting to support a parent, especially when they are in need, is not a minor oversight but a serious violation, carrying the weight of a capital offense in the Old Testament.
Jesus is confronting religious leaders who are accusing his disciples of breaking tradition by not washing their hands before eating. He turns their accusation back on them, showing how their own man-made rules actually violate God's clear commandments. This verse is Jesus' direct appeal to God's law to expose the hypocrisy of the scribes and Pharisees who prioritized their traditions over honoring God and family.
Jesus is confronting religious leaders who are accusing his disciples of breaking tradition by not washing their hands before eating. He turns their accusation back on them, showing how their own man-made rules actually violate God's clear commandments. This verse is Jesus' direct appeal to God's law to expose the hypocrisy of the scribes and Pharisees who prioritized their traditions over honoring God and family.
"For God commanded, ‘Honor your father and your mother,’ and, ‘Whoever reviles father or mother must surely die.’" — This verse isn't just about respecting parents; it reveals that "honoring" them also encompassed providing for their material needs. This means that neglecting to support a parent, especially when th…
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Last reviewed October 2026