MAT 15:18 Interlinear View

1. Greek word
2. Greek lemma
3. OET-LV words
4. OET-RV words
5. Strongs
6. Role/Morphology
7. OET Gloss
8. VLT Gloss
9. CAPS codes
10. Confidence
11. OET tags
12. OET word #
1. τά
2. ho
3. the things
4. the
5. 35880
6. R····NNP
7. the ‹things›
8. the ‹things›
9. -
10. Y32
11. 10243
1. Δέ
2. de
3. But
4. -
5. 11610
6. C·······
7. but
8. but
9. S
10. Y32
11. 10244
1. ἐκπορευόμενα
2. ekporeuō
3. going out
4. out
5. 16070
6. VPPM·NNP
7. going_out
8. going_out
9. -
10. Y32; F10254
11. 10245
1. ἐκ
2. ek
3. out of
4. of
5. 15370
6. P·······
7. out_of
8. out_of
9. -
10. Y32
11. 10246
1. τοῦ
2. ho
3. the
4. -
5. 35880
6. E····GNS
7. the
8. the
9. -
10. Y32
11. 10247
1. στόματος
2. stoma
3. mouth
4. mouth
5. 47500
6. N····GNS
7. mouth
8. mouth
9. -
10. Y32
11. 10248
1. ἐκ
2. ek
3. out of
4. -
5. 15370
6. P·······
7. out_of
8. out_of
9. -
10. Y32
11. 10249
1. τῆς
2. ho
3. the
4. -
5. 35880
6. E····GFS
7. the
8. the
9. -
10. Y32
11. 10250
1. καρδίας
2. kardia
3. heart
4. mind
5. 25880
6. N····GFS
7. heart
8. heart
9. -
10. Y32
11. 10251
1. ἐξέρχεται
2. exerχomai
3. is coming out
4. come are coming
5. 18310
6. VIPM3··S
7. ˓is˒ coming_out
8. ˓is˒ coming_out
9. -
10. Y32
11. 10252
1. ἐκεῖνα
2. ekeinos
3. -
4. -
5. 15650
6. R····NNP
7. those
8. those
9. -
10. -
11. 10253
1. κἀκεῖνα
2. kakeinos
3. and those
4. But and
5. 25480
6. R····NNP
7. and_those
8. and_those
9. -
10. Y32; R10245
11. 10254
1. κοινωνεῖ
2. koinōneō
3. -
4. -
5. 28410
6. VIPA3··S
7. ˓is˒ sharing
8. ˓is˒ sharing
9. -
10. -
11. 10255
1. κοινοῖ
2. koinoō
3. is defiling
4. defiles
5. 28400
6. VIPA3··S
7. ˓is˒ defiling
8. ˓is˒ defiling
9. -
10. Y32
11. 10256
1. τόν
2. ho
3. the
4. -
5. 35880
6. E····AMS
7. the
8. the
9. -
10. Y32
11. 10257
1. ἄνθρωπον
2. anthrōpos
3. person
4. person
5. 4440
6. N····AMS
7. person
8. person
9. -
10. Y32
11. 10258

SIL Open Translator’s Notes:

Section 15:1–20: The deeds that make someone unclean in God’s eyes

Over the years, Jewish religious leaders added many oral rules to God’s written laws. The Pharisees and teachers of the law considered these oral rules (also called traditions) to be as important as God’s written laws. One of their rules was that a person must wash his hands a certain way before he ate food. If a Jew did not follow this rule before he ate, they considered him ceremonially “unclean.” This meant that they did not allow him to worship God in public for a certain amount of time. Jesus made it clear that there was something far more important than how a person washed his hands. The important thing was the condition of his heart.

Here are some other possible headings for this section:

Jesus Challenges the Pharisees’ Traditions (GW)

Jesus Teaches about Inner Purity/Cleanliness

There are parallel passages for this section in Mark 7:1–23 and Luke 11:37–39.

15:18a

But the things that come out of the mouth come from the heart,

But the words that exit a person’s mouth comes from his heart/stomach.
But the evil things that people say come from what they think/feel.

But: There is a contrast here. The contrast is between what goes into a person’s mouth and what comes out of it. The BSB indicates this contrast with the conjunction But.

the things that come out of the mouth: This expression refers to the words that a person says. This verse starts with words similar to words in 15:17 so that the different results are emphasized.

Here are some other ways to translate this expression:

the words that come out of your mouth (CEV)

the evil/bad words that comes out of a person’s mouth

what people say with their mouths (NCV)

come from the heart: The Greek word that the BSB translates as come also means “comes out” (as in the NIV).

In Greek culture, the heart was the center and source of life. It is the inner part of a person that thinks, feels and makes decisions. Some languages refer to this part of a person as the throat, stomach, or liver. Use the expression that is natural in your language for this idea.

Here are some other ways to translate this phrase:

comes from within (GW)

comes from the stomach/liver

comes from the way they think (NCV)

comes from the mind/thoughts

comes from inside

15:18b

and these things defile a man.

It is the evil/bad words that make him unclean.
These are the things that make them unfit/unacceptable to God.

and these things: The Greek word that the BSB translates as these things refers to the words that a person says. Specifically, it is the bad/evil words that a person says. In some languages, it may be more natural to make this explicit. For example:

it is these bad things

it is these evil words

defile a man: The word man is general and refers to people, both men and women.

Here are some other ways to translate this phrase:

a person (ESV)

you (CEV)

defile: The Greek word that the BSB translates as defile means “make unclean or make something ritually unacceptable.” This same word occurs in 15:11a.

Here are some other ways to translate this word:

makes unclean

make you unfit to worship God (CEV)

uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: figures-of-speech / explicit

τὰ & ἐκπορευόμενα ἐκ τοῦ στόματος

(Some words not found in SR-GNT: τά Δέ ἐκπορευόμενα ἐκ τοῦ στόματος ἐκ τῆς καρδίας ἐξέρχεται κἀκεῖνα κοινοῖ τόν ἄνθρωπον)

Here Jesus is referring to words, which are what come out of people’s mouths. You could include this information if that would be helpful to your readers. See how you translated the similar phrase in [15:11](../15/11.md). Alternate translation: [the words that come out of the mouth]

Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / go

ἐκπορευόμενα & ἐξέρχεται

going_out & ˓is˒_coming_out

In a context such as this, your language might say “going” and “go” instead of coming and come. Alternate translation: [going out … go]

Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / genericnoun

τοῦ στόματος & τῆς καρδίας & τὸν ἄνθρωπον

the mouth & the heart & (Some words not found in SR-GNT: τά Δέ ἐκπορευόμενα ἐκ τοῦ στόματος ἐκ τῆς καρδίας ἐξέρχεται κἀκεῖνα κοινοῖ τόν ἄνθρωπον)

The phrases the mouth, the heart, and the man represent men, their mouths, and their hearts in general, not one particular man, his mouth, and his heart. If it would be helpful in your language, you could express the idea in another way. Alternate translation: [someone’s mouth … that person’s heart … that person]

Note 4 topic: figures-of-speech / metonymy

τῆς καρδίας

the heart

In the author’s culture, the heart is the place where humans think and feel. If it would be helpful in your language, you could translate heart by referring to the place where humans think and feel in your culture or by expressing the idea plainly. Alternate translation: [the mind] or [the thoughts]

Note 5 topic: figures-of-speech / gendernotations

τὸν ἄνθρωπον

Although the term man is masculine, Jesus is using the word in a generic sense that includes both men and women. If it would be helpful in your language, you could use a phrase that makes this clear. Alternate translation: [the person]

OET-LV English word order (‘Reverse’ interlinear)

1. OET-LV words
2. OET-RV words
3. Strongs
4. Greek word
5. Greek lemma
6. Role/Morphology
7. OET Gloss
8. VLT Gloss
9. CAPS codes
10. Confidence
11. OET tags
12. OET word #
1. But
2. -
3. 11610
4. S
5. de
6. C-·······
7. but
8. but
9. S
10. Y32
11. 10244
1. the things
2. the
3. 35880
5. ho
6. R-····NNP
7. the ‹things›
8. the ‹things›
9. -
10. Y32
11. 10243
1. going out
2. out
3. 16070
5. ekporeuō
6. V-PPM·NNP
7. going_out
8. going_out
9. -
10. Y32; F10254
11. 10245
1. out of
2. of
3. 15370
5. ek
6. P-·······
7. out_of
8. out_of
9. -
10. Y32
11. 10246
1. the
2. -
3. 35880
5. ho
6. E-····GNS
7. the
8. the
9. -
10. Y32
11. 10247
1. mouth
2. mouth
3. 47500
5. stoma
6. N-····GNS
7. mouth
8. mouth
9. -
10. Y32
11. 10248
1. is coming out
2. come are coming
3. 18310
5. exerχomai
6. V-IPM3··S
7. ˓is˒ coming_out
8. ˓is˒ coming_out
9. -
10. Y32
11. 10252
1. out of
2. -
3. 15370
5. ek
6. P-·······
7. out_of
8. out_of
9. -
10. Y32
11. 10249
1. the
2. -
3. 35880
5. ho
6. E-····GFS
7. the
8. the
9. -
10. Y32
11. 10250
1. heart
2. mind
3. 25880
5. kardia
6. N-····GFS
7. heart
8. heart
9. -
10. Y32
11. 10251
1. and those
2. But and
3. 25480
5. kakeinos
6. R-····NNP
7. and_those
8. and_those
9. -
10. Y32; R10245
11. 10254
1. is defiling
2. defiles
3. 28400
5. koinoō
6. V-IPA3··S
7. ˓is˒ defiling
8. ˓is˒ defiling
9. -
10. Y32
11. 10256
1. the
2. -
3. 35880
5. ho
6. E-····AMS
7. the
8. the
9. -
10. Y32
11. 10257
1. person
2. person
3. 4440
5. anthrōpos
6. N-····AMS
7. person
8. person
9. -
10. Y32
11. 10258

Note: The OET-RV is still only a first draft, and so far only a few words have been (mostly automatically) matched to the Hebrew or Greek words that they’re translated from.

Acknowledgements: The SR Greek text, lemmas, morphology, and VLT gloss are all thanks to the CNTR.

OET interlinear MAT 15:18

SR Greek word order (including unused variant words in grey)

Section 15:1–20: The deeds that make someone unclean in God’s eyes

15:18a

15:18b

OET-LV English word order (‘Reverse’ interlinear)