Matthew 15:4
For God commanded, ‘Honor your father and your mother,’ and, ‘Whoever reviles father or mother must surely die.’
English Standard Version (ESV)
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Jesus highlights that "honoring" your parents isn't just about respect and obedience, but also actively providing for their needs and support. The severe penalty for reviling a parent underscores that this command is deeply serious, not a minor suggestion, and failing to provide for them is a grave offense in God's eyes.
Jesus is challenged by religious leaders from Jerusalem about his disciples not following their traditions regarding ritual handwashing. In response, he accuses them of breaking God's commandments for the sake of their own traditions, citing the command to honor parents as an example of how their teachings devalued a core divine law.
When Jesus faces a challenge to His disciples' practices, He doesn't just defend them. He flips the script, revealing how tradition can actually sideline God's clear commands.
The scribes and Pharisees accused Jesus' disciples of breaking the 'tradition of the elders' because they didn't wash their hands before eating. Jesus’ response in Matthew 15:4 cuts to the core: God's commandment to honor parents is not up for debate.
The Divine Origin
Jesus states, 'For God commanded...' This isn't a suggestion or a cultural norm; it's a direct order from the Creator. The commandment to honor parents is part of the Ten Commandments given through Moses, underscoring its fundamental importance.
The Penalty for Disrespect
Jesus doesn't stop at the positive command to honor. He includes the severe penalty: 'Whoever reviles father or mother must surely die.' This Hebrew idiom, 'let him die the death,' signifies a guaranteed execution. This stark consequence shows that disrespect and abuse towards parents are not minor offenses in God's eyes. They strike at the very order God established.
Ever felt like following religious rules makes you miss the point? That's exactly what Jesus accused the religious leaders of doing.
Jesus uses the fifth commandment to expose the hypocrisy of the scribes and Pharisees. Their elaborate traditions, while perhaps having an outward show of piety, ultimately undermined God's clear commands.
The Corruption of Tradition
The religious leaders had developed a tradition (mentioned by Mark as the 'Corban' or 'gift' loophole) that allowed people to avoid financially supporting their parents. They could declare their money 'dedicated to God' and thus avoid their filial duty, while still keeping the money for themselves or other religious purposes. This tradition effectively nullified Jesus' statement in verse 4.
The Real Violation
Jesus declares, 'And you say, 'Whatever is a gift from me to father or mother is forbidden,'' (Matthew 15:5, implied by the context). This is how they 'annulled the commandment of God by your tradition' (Matthew 15:6). They prioritized human rules and interpretations over God's direct command to provide for and respect parents. Their worship, though perhaps outwardly impressive, was in vain because their hearts and practices were far from God's true will.
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 is directly confronting a specific religious controversy of his day, where Jewish leaders had developed traditions that, in practice, allowed people to neglect their duties to their parents, even when God's Law demanded they honor them.
c. 1440 BC
Ten Commandments Given
At Mount Sinai, God delivers the Ten Commandments to Moses, including the command to honor parents, which forms the basis of this teaching.
c. 1440 BC
Law of Recompense for Cursing Parents
The Law given through Moses specifies that cursing or reviling one's parents is a capital offense, punishable by death, reinforcing the seriousness of the commandment.
c. 5th-1st Century BC
Development of Oral Traditions
Over centuries, Jewish scribes and Pharisees developed extensive oral traditions and interpretations of the Law, which they considered authoritative alongside the written Law.
c. 25-30 AD
Jesus' Public Ministry Begins
Jesus begins his public ministry, teaching and healing, and frequently encountering opposition from the religious authorities who adhere strictly to their traditions.
This passage directly quotes the commandment Jesus refers to, establishing the foundation of the obligation to honor parents as a core part of God's law.
Deuteronomy 27:16This passage reiterates the severe penalty for disrespecting parents, reinforcing the gravity of the commandment and Jesus' point about its importance.
Proverbs 23:22This Proverb echoes the instruction to listen to and not despise one's parents, highlighting the lifelong value and expectation of honoring them beyond mere childhood obedience.
Colossians 3:20This New Testament passage directly instructs children to obey their parents 'in everything,' showing that the principle of honoring parents continues to be a vital Christian duty.
Matthew 15:3-6This immediately preceding context shows how the Pharisees' traditions nullified God's command to honor parents, providing the direct 'why' and 'how' behind Jesus' citation of the commandment here.
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…
Jesus highlights that "honoring" your parents isn't just about respect and obedience, but also actively providing for their needs and support. The severe penalty for reviling a parent underscores that this command is deeply serious, not a minor suggestion, and failing to provide for them is a grave offense in God's eyes.
Jesus is challenged by religious leaders from Jerusalem about his disciples not following their traditions regarding ritual handwashing. In response, he accuses them of breaking God's commandments for the sake of their own traditions, citing the command to honor parents as an example of how their teachings devalued a core divine law.
Jesus is challenged by religious leaders from Jerusalem about his disciples not following their traditions regarding ritual handwashing. In response, he accuses them of breaking God's commandments for the sake of their own traditions, citing the command to honor parents as an example of how their teachings devalued a core divine law.
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We often think of 'honoring' parents as just obeying or showing respect. But God's command goes much deeper, especially when they are in need.
The word 'honor' in the commandment isn't limited to outward displays of respect or simple obedience. It encompasses practical care and support, particularly when parents are elderly or in need.
Beyond Respectful Words
Commentators note that the Hebrew word for 'honor' includes the idea of providing for someone, nourishing them, and supporting them financially. This means that when parents lack the necessities of life, their children have a divine obligation to help.
A Divine Obligation Overrides Other Claims
The scribes and Pharisees created a loophole where people could dedicate resources to the temple ('Corban') thereby absolving themselves of the duty to support their parents. Jesus highlights the error here: a tradition that allows a child to neglect their parents' needs, even if they claim to be giving financially to God, is a violation of God's commandment. True honor involves tangible support.
c. 27-30 AD— this verse
Clash Over Corban Tradition
During Jesus' ministry, scribes and Pharisees from Jerusalem confront him and his disciples about not following their tradition of handwashing. Jesus uses this encounter to expose how their traditions annul God's commandment to honor parents.
"For God commanded, ‘Honor your father and your mother,’ and, ‘Whoever reviles father or mother must surely die.’" — Jesus highlights that "honoring" your parents isn't just about respect and obedience, but also actively providing for their needs and support. The severe penalty for reviling a parent underscores tha…
