UTN uW Translation Notes:

Matthew 15 General Notes

Structure and Formatting

7. Further opposition to Jesus and misunderstanding of the kingdom of God (13:53-17:27) * Argument with the Pharisees and scribes about washing hands (15:1–9) * Jesus teaches about what defiles people (15:10–20) * Jesus meets a Canaanite woman (15:21–28) * Jesus heals many people (15:29–31) * Jesus feeds 4,000 men (15:32–39)Some translations set each line of poetry farther to the right than the rest of the text to make it easier to read. The ULT does this with the poetry in 15:8–9, which is a quote from Isaiah 29:13.

Special Concepts in this Chapter

The “tradition of the elders”

The “tradition of the elders” included interpretations of Moses’ law that Jewish religious leaders had developed and passed down to their disciples, and they to their disciples. These interpretations explained what specific laws meant and how to obey them. Jesus rebuked the religious leaders for specific interpretations of the law that he disagreed with. In this chapter, Jesus and the Pharisees argue about washing hands, honoring parents, and giving gifts to God. When you translate the phrase “tradition of the elders,” use a form that refers to teachings that teachers pass down to their students. (See: tradition and elder)

Washing hands before eating

In 15:1, the scribes and Pharisees rebuke Jesus for failing to have his disciples wash their hands before eating. One of the traditions that the Pharisees followed was a requirement that people wash their hands before eating. They did this to make their hands ceremonially clean, not primarily to clean off dirt. Make sure that your translation indicates that Jesus and the Pharisees are debating about ceremonial or ritual washing, not washing off dirt.

The gift for God

In 15:4–6, Jesus rebukes the Pharisees for allowing people to promise to give something to God instead of using it to help their parents. Jesus is not saying that giving things to God is wrong. Instead, he is saying that honoring one’s parents is one of the most important commandments that God gave, and no tradition should prevent people from honoring their parents. Make sure that this meaning is clear in your translation.

The Canaanite woman

Matthew describes the woman as a “Canaanite,” which is an old term for the people who lived in the land of Israel before the Israelites arrived. Matthew means that the woman is not a Jew, and he might mean that she is descended from the people that the Israelites defeated when they took over the land of Israel. Your translation should make clearly indicate that the woman is not a Jew. (See: canaan)

The miracle of multiplying food

In 15:32–39, Matthew tells a story in which Jesus provides 4,000 men and even more women and children with food. All these people were in a place where no people lived, and all the food that Jesus and his disciples had were seven loaves of bread and a few fish. Despite that, Jesus used the seven loaves of bread and the few fish to feed everyone who was there. Matthew does not tell us exactly how Jesus did this, but he does say that there were more leftovers than what they started with. Your translation should not explain how Jesus multiplied the food, but it should be clear that he did a miracle. Matthew told a similar story about how Jesus fed 5,000 men in 14:13–21, so see how you expressed the ideas there.

Important Figures of Speech in this Chapter

Feeding little dogs

In 15:26, Jesus tells the Canaanite woman that it is not right to give food that is meant for children to little dogs. In 15:27, the woman responds that little dogs eat the little bits of food that fall off their owners’ tables. The children represent Jews, and the little dogs represent non-Jews. The food represents things that Jesus does for people. What Jesus means is that he is supposed to do things for Jews, not for non-Jews. What the woman means is that what she is asking Jesus to do is unimportant enough that he can do it without taking away from what he does for Jews. If possible, do not express the meaning of what Jesus and the woman say about little dogs, but make sure that your translation naturally expresses this meaning.

Other Possible Translation Difficulties in this Chapter

Singular and plural forms of “you”

Many of the forms of “you” in this chapter appear in speeches that Jesus gives to the Pharisees, the crowds, or the disciples. Because of this, the majority of forms of “you” in this chapter are plural. You should assume forms of “you” are plural unless a note specifies that the form is singular. (See: figs-yousingular)