Matthew 15:7-9

Matthew 15:7-9

[7] Ye hypocrites,  well  Esaias  prophesy  of  saying,  [8] This  people  with their  honoureth  with their lips;  but  their  heart  is  far  from  [9] But  in vain  they do worship  teaching  for doctrines  the commandments  of men. 

What does Matthew 15:7-9 Mean?

Contextual Meaning

Chronologically this is the first time Jesus called the Pharisees and teachers of the law hypocrites. Their hypocrisy consisted of making a show of commitment to God while at the same time giving human tradition precedence over God"s Word.
Isaiah addressed the words that Jesus quoted to Jerusalem Jews who sometimes allowed external acts of worship to vitiate principle. Rather than continuing God"s will, the Jews" traditions perpetuated the spirit of the hypocrites in Isaiah"s day. The context of the Isaiah quotation is a criticism of the Jews for displacing heartfelt worship with mere ritual. Isaiah branded this type of religion vain. The hypocrites in his day had substituted their own teachings for God"s. Jesus" application of this quotation to the Pharisees and law teachers of His day, therefore, condemned their entire worship of God, not just their carefully observed traditions.