Matthew 15:17
New International Version
“Don’t you see that whatever enters the mouth goes into the stomach and then out of the body?

New Living Translation
“Anything you eat passes through the stomach and then goes into the sewer.

English Standard Version
Do you not see that whatever goes into the mouth passes into the stomach and is expelled?

Berean Standard Bible
“Do you not yet realize that whatever enters the mouth goes into the stomach and then is eliminated?

Berean Literal Bible
Do you not yet understand that everything entering into the mouth goes into the stomach, and is cast out into the sewer?

King James Bible
Do not ye yet understand, that whatsoever entereth in at the mouth goeth into the belly, and is cast out into the draught?

New King James Version
Do you not yet understand that whatever enters the mouth goes into the stomach and is eliminated?

New American Standard Bible
Do you not understand that everything that goes into the mouth passes into the stomach, and is eliminated?

NASB 1995
“Do you not understand that everything that goes into the mouth passes into the stomach, and is eliminated?

NASB 1977
“Do you not understand that everything that goes into the mouth passes into the stomach, and is eliminated?

Legacy Standard Bible
Do you not understand that everything that goes into the mouth passes into the stomach, and goes into the sewer?

Amplified Bible
Do you not understand that whatever goes into the mouth passes into the stomach, and is eliminated?

Christian Standard Bible
“Don’t you realize that whatever goes into the mouth passes into the stomach and is eliminated?

Holman Christian Standard Bible
“Don’t you realize that whatever goes into the mouth passes into the stomach and is eliminated?

American Standard Version
Perceive ye not, that whatsoever goeth into the mouth passeth into the belly, and is cast out into the draught?

Contemporary English Version
Don't you know that the food you put into your mouth goes into your stomach and then out of your body?

English Revised Version
Perceive ye not, that whatsoever goeth into the mouth passeth into the belly, and is cast out into the draught?

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Don't you know that whatever goes into the mouth goes into the stomach and then into a toilet?

Good News Translation
Don't you understand? Anything that goes into your mouth goes into your stomach and then on out of your body.

International Standard Version
Don't you know that everything that goes into the mouth passes into the stomach and then is expelled as waste?

Majority Standard Bible
“Do you not yet realize that whatever enters the mouth goes into the stomach and then is eliminated?

NET Bible
Don't you understand that whatever goes into the mouth enters the stomach and then passes out into the sewer?

New Heart English Bible
Do you not understand that whatever goes into the mouth passes into the belly, and then out of the body?

Webster's Bible Translation
Do ye not yet understand, that whatever entereth in at the mouth goeth into the belly, and is cast out into the draught?

Weymouth New Testament
Do you not understand that whatever enters the mouth passes into the stomach and is afterwards ejected from the body?

World English Bible
Don’t you understand that whatever goes into the mouth passes into the belly and then out of the body?
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
Do you not understand that all that is going into the mouth passes into the belly, and is cast forth into the drain?

Berean Literal Bible
Do you not yet understand that everything entering into the mouth goes into the stomach, and is cast out into the sewer?

Young's Literal Translation
do ye not understand that all that is going into the mouth doth pass into the belly, and into the drain is cast forth?

Smith's Literal Translation
Do ye not yet understand, that everything going into the mouth proceeds to the belly, and is cast out in the privy?
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
Do you not understand, that whatsoever entereth into the mouth, goeth into the belly, and is cast out into the privy?

Catholic Public Domain Version
Do you not understand that everything that enters into the mouth goes into the gut, and is cast into the sewer?

New American Bible
Do you not realize that everything that enters the mouth passes into the stomach and is expelled into the latrine?

New Revised Standard Version
Do you not see that whatever goes into the mouth enters the stomach, and goes out into the sewer?
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
Do you not know that what enters into the mouth goes into the stomach, and thence, through the intestines, is cast out?

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
“Do you not know that anything that enters the mouth goes to the belly and is cast out from there in excretion?”
NT Translations
Anderson New Testament
Do you not yet understand that whatever enters the mouth passes into the belly, and is cast out into the sink?

Godbey New Testament
Do you know that everything entering into the mouth goes into the stomach, and is cast out into excrement?

Haweis New Testament
Do ye not observe, that every thing which entereth into the mouth passeth into the belly, and is ejected into the vault?

Mace New Testament
do not ye yet conceive, that whatever enters at the mouth, passes to the belly, and is discharged downwards?

Weymouth New Testament
Do you not understand that whatever enters the mouth passes into the stomach and is afterwards ejected from the body?

Worrell New Testament
Do ye not perceive that whatever goes into the mouth passes into the belly, and is cast forth into the drain?

Worsley New Testament
Do ye not yet know, that whatever goeth into the mouth passeth to the belly and is discharged downwards?

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
What Defiles a Man
16“Do you still not understand?” Jesus asked. 17 Do you not yet realize that whatever enters the mouth goes into the stomach and then is eliminated? 18But the things that come out of the mouth come from the heart, and these things defile a man.…

Cross References
Mark 7:18-19
“Are you still so dull?” He asked. “Do you not understand? Nothing that enters a man from the outside can defile him, / because it does not enter his heart, but it goes into the stomach and then is eliminated.” (Thus all foods are clean.)

Matthew 12:34
You brood of vipers, how can you who are evil say anything good? For out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks.

Luke 6:45
The good man brings good things out of the good treasure of his heart, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil treasure of his heart. For out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks.

Romans 14:17
For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit.

1 Corinthians 6:13
“Food for the stomach and the stomach for food,” but God will destroy them both. The body is not intended for sexual immorality, but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body.

Acts 10:14-15
“No, Lord!” Peter answered. “I have never eaten anything impure or unclean.” / The voice spoke to him a second time: “Do not call anything impure that God has made clean.”

1 Timothy 4:4-5
For every creation of God is good, and nothing that is received with thanksgiving should be rejected, / because it is sanctified by the word of God and prayer.

Colossians 2:21-22
“Do not handle, do not taste, do not touch!”? / These will all perish with use, because they are based on human commands and teachings.

Romans 14:20
Do not destroy the work of God for the sake of food. All food is clean, but it is wrong for a man to let his eating be a stumbling block.

Titus 1:15
To the pure, all things are pure; but to the defiled and unbelieving, nothing is pure. Indeed, both their minds and their consciences are defiled.

Genesis 1:29-30
Then God said, “Behold, I have given you every seed-bearing plant on the face of all the earth, and every tree whose fruit contains seed. They will be yours for food. / And to every beast of the earth and every bird of the air and every creature that crawls upon the earth—everything that has the breath of life in it—I have given every green plant for food.” And it was so.

Leviticus 11:2-47
“Say to the Israelites, ‘Of all the beasts of the earth, these ones you may eat: / You may eat any animal that has a split hoof completely divided and that chews the cud. / But of those that only chew the cud or only have a divided hoof, you are not to eat the following: The camel, though it chews the cud, does not have a divided hoof; it is unclean for you. ...

Deuteronomy 14:3-21
You must not eat any detestable thing. / These are the animals that you may eat: The ox, the sheep, the goat, / the deer, the gazelle, the roe deer, the wild goat, the ibex, the antelope, and the mountain sheep. ...

Isaiah 29:13
Therefore the Lord said: “These people draw near to Me with their mouths and honor Me with their lips, but their hearts are far from Me. Their worship of Me is but rules taught by men.

Ezekiel 4:14
“Ah, Lord GOD,” I said, “I have never defiled myself. From my youth until now I have not eaten anything found dead or mauled by wild beasts. No unclean meat has ever entered my mouth.”


Treasury of Scripture

Do not you yet understand, that whatever enters in at the mouth goes into the belly, and is cast out into the draught?

that.

Matthew 7:19,20
Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire…

Luke 6:45
A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is evil: for of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh.

1 Corinthians 6:13
Meats for the belly, and the belly for meats: but God shall destroy both it and them. Now the body is not for fornication, but for the Lord; and the Lord for the body.

and is.

2 Kings 10:27
And they brake down the image of Baal, and brake down the house of Baal, and made it a draught house unto this day.

Jump to Previous
Afterwards Apprehend Belly Body Cast Drain Draught Ejected Eliminated Entereth Enters Finds Goes Mouth Passes Passeth Perceive Stomach Understand Whatever Whatsoever
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Afterwards Apprehend Belly Body Cast Drain Draught Ejected Eliminated Entereth Enters Finds Goes Mouth Passes Passeth Perceive Stomach Understand Whatever Whatsoever
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














Do you not yet realize
This phrase indicates a gentle rebuke from Jesus to His disciples, suggesting a lack of understanding or insight. The Greek word used here, "νοεῖτε" (noeite), implies a deeper perception or comprehension. Jesus is urging His followers to move beyond surface-level thinking and grasp the spiritual truths He is teaching. Historically, this reflects the ongoing challenge for the disciples to fully understand Jesus' mission and teachings, which often transcended traditional Jewish thought.

that whatever enters the mouth
Here, Jesus begins to address the dietary laws and the Pharisaic emphasis on ritual purity. The phrase points to the physical act of eating, which was heavily regulated in Jewish law. The historical context is crucial, as the Jewish people were bound by strict dietary codes outlined in the Torah. Jesus is challenging the notion that external actions, such as eating certain foods, are what defile a person spiritually.

goes into the stomach
This phrase emphasizes the physical process of digestion, highlighting the natural and biological aspect of eating. The Greek word "κοιλίαν" (koilian) refers to the belly or stomach, the organ responsible for processing food. Jesus is making a clear distinction between the physical and spiritual realms, suggesting that the act of eating is a natural process that does not inherently affect one's spiritual state.

and then is eliminated?
The conclusion of the physical process of digestion is described here. The Greek word "ἀφεδρῶνα" (aphedrona) refers to the latrine or the act of expelling waste. This phrase underscores the temporary and inconsequential nature of food in relation to spiritual purity. Jesus is teaching that what truly defiles a person is not what enters the body, but what comes from the heart, as He elaborates in the following verses.

(17) Is cast out into the draught.--The word is used in its old English meaning, as equivalent to drain, sewer, cesspool (see 2Kings 10:27). St. Mark (Mark 7:19) adds the somewhat perplexing words, "purging all meats," on which see Note on that verse. The principle implied is that a process purely physical from first to last cannot in itself bring any moral defilement. It was possible, of course, that the appetites connected with that process might bring the taint of moral evil; but then these appetites were there before the food, and they took their place among the things that came "out of the heart," and not into it.

Verse 17. - Whatsoever entereth in at the mouth, etc. Food taken into the mouth goes into the stomach, is assimilated into the bodily system, and its refuse passes away to the draught (ἀφεδρῶνα), the necessary house. It has nothing to do with the heart or the moral being; it affects only the material organization, and has no connection with the spiritual. Christ does not concern himself with questions, which modern philosophers would attempt to solve, concerning the mutual influence of soul and body, the animal and spiritual nature; he puts forth an argument which every one could receive, plain even to those "without understanding." This is the elucidation of the first part of ver. 11. The further explanation follows in vers. 18, 19.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Greek
“Do you not yet realize
νοεῖτε (noeite)
Verb - Present Indicative Active - 2nd Person Plural
Strong's 3539: From nous; to exercise the mind, i.e. to comprehend, heed.

that
ὅτι (hoti)
Conjunction
Strong's 3754: Neuter of hostis as conjunction; demonstrative, that; causative, because.

whatever
πᾶν (pan)
Adjective - Nominative Neuter Singular
Strong's 3956: All, the whole, every kind of. Including all the forms of declension; apparently a primary word; all, any, every, the whole.

enters
εἰσπορευόμενον (eisporeuomenon)
Verb - Present Participle Middle or Passive - Nominative Neuter Singular
Strong's 1531: To journey in(to), I go in(to), enter, intervene. From eis and poreuomai; to enter.

the
τὸ (to)
Article - Accusative Neuter Singular
Strong's 3588: The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.

mouth
στόμα (stoma)
Noun - Accusative Neuter Singular
Strong's 4750: The mouth, speech, eloquence in speech, the point of a sword.

goes
χωρεῖ (chōrei)
Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 5562: From chora; to be in space, i.e. to pass, enter, or to hold, admit.

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

the
τὴν (tēn)
Article - Accusative Feminine Singular
Strong's 3588: The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.

stomach
κοιλίαν (koilian)
Noun - Accusative Feminine Singular
Strong's 2836: From koilos; a cavity, i.e. the abdomen; by implication, the matrix; figuratively, the heart.

and then
καὶ (kai)
Conjunction
Strong's 2532: And, even, also, namely.

is eliminated?
ἐκβάλλεται (ekballetai)
Verb - Present Indicative Middle or Passive - 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 1544: To throw (cast, put) out; I banish; I bring forth, produce. From ek and ballo; to eject.


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NT Gospels: Matthew 15:17 Don't you understand that whatever goes into (Matt. Mat Mt)
Matthew 15:16
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