Matthew 15:14
New International Version
Leave them; they are blind guides. If the blind lead the blind, both will fall into a pit.”

New Living Translation
so ignore them. They are blind guides leading the blind, and if one blind person guides another, they will both fall into a ditch.”

English Standard Version
Let them alone; they are blind guides. And if the blind lead the blind, both will fall into a pit.”

Berean Standard Bible
Disregard them! They are blind guides. If a blind man leads a blind man, both will fall into a pit.”

Berean Literal Bible
Leave them! They are blind guides of the blind. And if the blind lead the blind, both will fall into a pit."

King James Bible
Let them alone: they be blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch.

New King James Version
Let them alone. They are blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind leads the blind, both will fall into a ditch.”

New American Standard Bible
Leave them alone; they are blind guides of blind people. And if a person who is blind guides another who is blind, both will fall into a pit.”

NASB 1995
“Let them alone; they are blind guides of the blind. And if a blind man guides a blind man, both will fall into a pit.”

NASB 1977
“Let them alone; they are blind guides of the blind. And if a blind man guides a blind man, both will fall into a pit.”

Legacy Standard Bible
Let them alone; they are blind guides of the blind. And if a blind man guides a blind man, both will fall into a pit.”

Amplified Bible
Leave them alone; they are blind guides [leading blind followers]. If a blind man leads a blind man, both will fall into a pit.”

Christian Standard Bible
Leave them alone! They are blind guides. And if the blind guide the blind, both will fall into a pit.”

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Leave them alone! They are blind guides. And if the blind guide the blind, both will fall into a pit.”

American Standard Version
Let them alone: they are blind guides. And if the blind guide the blind, both shall fall into a pit.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
“Let them alone. They are blind guides of the blind; but if a blind man leads a blind man, both will fall into a pit.”

Contemporary English Version
Stay away from those Pharisees! They are like blind people leading other blind people, and all of them will fall into a ditch."

Douay-Rheims Bible
Let them alone: they are blind, and leaders of the blind. And if the blind lead the blind, both will fall into the pit.

English Revised Version
Let them alone: they are blind guides. And if the blind guide the blind, both shall fall into a pit.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Leave them alone! They are blind leaders. When one blind person leads another, both will fall into the same pit."

Good News Translation
"Don't worry about them! They are blind leaders of the blind; and when one blind man leads another, both fall into a ditch."

International Standard Version
Leave them alone. They are blind guides of the blind. If one blind person leads another blind person, both will fall into a ditch."

Literal Standard Version
leave them alone, they are guides—blind of blind; and if blind may guide blind, both will fall into a ditch.”

Majority Standard Bible
Disregard them! They are blind guides. If a blind man leads a blind man, both will fall into a pit.”

New American Bible
Let them alone; they are blind guides (of the blind). If a blind person leads a blind person, both will fall into a pit.”

NET Bible
Leave them! They are blind guides. If someone who is blind leads another who is blind, both will fall into a pit."

New Revised Standard Version
Let them alone; they are blind guides of the blind. And if one blind person guides another, both will fall into a pit.”

New Heart English Bible
Leave them alone. They are blind guides of the blind. If the blind guide the blind, both will fall into a pit."

Webster's Bible Translation
Let them alone: they are blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind leadeth the blind, both will fall into the ditch.

Weymouth New Testament
Leave them alone. They are blind guides of the blind; and if a blind man leads a blind man, both will fall into some pit."

World English Bible
Leave them alone. They are blind guides of the blind. If the blind guide the blind, both will fall into a pit.”

Young's Literal Translation
let them alone, guides they are -- blind of blind; and if blind may guide blind, both into a ditch shall fall.'

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
What Defiles a Man
13But Jesus replied, “Every plant that My heavenly Father has not planted will be pulled up by its roots. 14Disregard them! They are blind guides. If a blind man leads a blind man, both will fall into a pit.” 15Peter said to Him, “Explain this parable to us.”…

Cross References
Isaiah 9:16
For those who guide this people mislead them, and those they mislead are swallowed up.

Isaiah 31:3
But the Egyptians are men, not God; their horses are flesh, not spirit. When the LORD stretches out His hand, the helper will stumble, and the one he helps will fall; both will perish together.

Matthew 23:16
Woe to you, blind guides! You say, 'If anyone swears by the temple, it means nothing; but if anyone swears by the gold of the temple, he is bound by his oath.'

Matthew 23:24
You blind guides! You strain out a gnat but swallow a camel.

Luke 6:39
Jesus also told them a parable: "Can a blind man lead a blind man? Will they not both fall into a pit?

John 9:39
Then Jesus declared, "For judgment I have come into this world, so that the blind may see and those who see may become blind."


Treasury of Scripture

Let them alone: they be blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch.

Let.

Hosea 4:17
Ephraim is joined to idols: let him alone.

1 Timothy 6:5
Perverse disputings of men of corrupt minds, and destitute of the truth, supposing that gain is godliness: from such withdraw thyself.

they.

Matthew 23:16-24
Woe unto you, ye blind guides, which say, Whosoever shall swear by the temple, it is nothing; but whosoever shall swear by the gold of the temple, he is a debtor! …

Isaiah 9:16
For the leaders of this people cause them to err; and they that are led of them are destroyed.

Isaiah 42:19
Who is blind, but my servant? or deaf, as my messenger that I sent? who is blind as he that is perfect, and blind as the LORD'S servant?

And if.

Jeremiah 5:31
The prophets prophesy falsely, and the priests bear rule by their means; and my people love to have it so: and what will ye do in the end thereof?

Jeremiah 6:15
Were they ashamed when they had committed abomination? nay, they were not at all ashamed, neither could they blush: therefore they shall fall among them that fall: at the time that I visit them they shall be cast down, saith the LORD.

Jeremiah 8:12
Were they ashamed when they had committed abomination? nay, they were not at all ashamed, neither could they blush: therefore shall they fall among them that fall: in the time of their visitation they shall be cast down, saith the LORD.

Jump to Previous
Alone Blind Ditch Fall Falling Guide Guides Guiding Hole Leadeth Leave Pit
Jump to Next
Alone Blind Ditch Fall Falling Guide Guides Guiding Hole Leadeth Leave Pit
Matthew 15
1. Jesus reproves the Scribes and Pharisees
7. for transgressing God's commandments through their own traditions;
10. teaches how that which goes into the mouth does not defile a man.
21. He heals the daughter of the woman of Canaan,
29. and other great multitudes;
32. and with seven loaves and a few small fish feeds four thousand men














(14) They be blind leaders of the blind.--It would appear from Romans 2:19 that the phrase was one in common use to describe the ideal of the Rabbi's calling. Now they heard it in a new form, which told them that their state was the very reverse of that ideal. And that which was worst in it was that their blindness was self-chosen (Matthew 13:15), and that they were yet all unconscious of it, and boasted that they saw (John 9:41).

If the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch.--The proverb was probably a familiar one (it is given in St. Luke 6:39 as part of the Sermon on the Plain), but, as now spoken, it had the character of a prophecy. We have but to read the Jewish historian's account of the years that preceded the destruction of Jerusalem to see what the "ditch" was towards which teachers and people were alike blindly hastening. Bitter sectarianism, and wild dreams, and baseless hopes, and maddened zeal, and rejection of the truth which alone had power to save them, this was the issue which both were preparing for themselves, and from which there was no escape.

Verse 14. - Let them alone. Do not trouble yourselves about them; let them be offended, if they will. Blind leaders of the blind. Both teachers and taught are alike ignorant of the truth. The people had no spiritual light, and, applying to their appointed pastors, they learned nothing profitable from them; for these were as much in the dark as themselves. It was evident, then, that the rabbis ought not to be followed unreservedly. If the blind. A proverbial saying. Comp. Horat., 'Epp.,' I, 17:3 -

"... ut si
Caecus iter monstrare velit."
And the Greek adage, Μήτε τυφλὸν ὁδηγόν, μήτε ἐκνόητον σύμβουλον. Nosgen calls attention to the order of the words, Τυφλὸς δὲ τυφλὸν ἐὰν ὁδηγῇ, "Blind blind if he lead," which, while it substantiates the advice, "Let them alone," forcibly expresses the fatal result of this guidance. The ditch (βόθυνον); a pitfall (comp. Isaiah 24:17, 18, Septuagint, where it is used as the translation of the Hebrew pachath, a pit in which wild animals are taken). The "ditch" in one sense is unbelief in Christ, to which rabbinical teaching undoubtedly led. In another sense it adumbrates the ruin in which these false principles would involve the Jewish polity and people. It is obvious that the rejection of the Messiah drew down the punishment which has made the Hebrew nation an astonishment to all the world.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Greek
Disregard
ἄφετε (aphete)
Verb - Aorist Imperative Active - 2nd Person Plural
Strong's 863: From apo and hiemi; to send forth, in various applications.

them!
αὐτούς (autous)
Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Accusative Masculine 3rd Person Plural
Strong's 846: He, she, it, they, them, same. From the particle au; the reflexive pronoun self, used of the third person, and of the other persons.

They are
εἰσιν (eisin)
Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person Plural
Strong's 1510: I am, exist. The first person singular present indicative; a prolonged form of a primary and defective verb; I exist.

blind
τυφλοί (typhloi)
Adjective - Nominative Masculine Plural
Strong's 5185: Blind, physically or mentally. From, tuphoo; opaque, i.e. blind.

guides.
ὁδηγοί (hodēgoi)
Noun - Nominative Masculine Plural
Strong's 3595: A leader, guide; met: an instructor, teacher. From hodos and hegeomai; a conductor (teacher).

If
ἐὰν (ean)
Conjunction
Strong's 1437: If. From ei and an; a conditional particle; in case that, provided, etc.

[a] blind [man]
τυφλὸς (typhlos)
Adjective - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's 5185: Blind, physically or mentally. From, tuphoo; opaque, i.e. blind.

leads
ὁδηγῇ (hodēgē)
Verb - Present Subjunctive Active - 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 3594: To lead, guide; met: I instruct, teach. From hodegos; to show the way (teach).

[a] blind [man],
τυφλὸν (typhlon)
Adjective - Accusative Masculine Singular
Strong's 5185: Blind, physically or mentally. From, tuphoo; opaque, i.e. blind.

both
ἀμφότεροι (amphoteroi)
Adjective - Nominative Masculine Plural
Strong's 297: Both (of two). Comparative of amphi; both.

will fall
πεσοῦνται (pesountai)
Verb - Future Indicative Middle - 3rd Person Plural
Strong's 4098: A reduplicated and contracted form of peto; probably akin to petomai through the idea of alighting; to fall.

into
εἰς (eis)
Preposition
Strong's 1519: A primary preposition; to or into, of place, time, or purpose; also in adverbial phrases.

a pit.”
βόθυνον (bothynon)
Noun - Accusative Masculine Singular
Strong's 999: A pit, ditch. Akin to bathuno; a hole; specially, a cistern.


Links
Matthew 15:14 NIV
Matthew 15:14 NLT
Matthew 15:14 ESV
Matthew 15:14 NASB
Matthew 15:14 KJV

Matthew 15:14 BibleApps.com
Matthew 15:14 Biblia Paralela
Matthew 15:14 Chinese Bible
Matthew 15:14 French Bible
Matthew 15:14 Catholic Bible

NT Gospels: Matthew 15:14 Leave them alone (Matt. Mat Mt)
Matthew 15:13
Top of Page
Top of Page