Verse Lens · Concise explanation
Matthew 15:6 Explained in Context
Use this verse as a doorway into the larger passage—not as an isolated saying.
Verse 6. 6And honour not his father or his mother, he shall be free. Thus have ye made the commandment of God of none effect by your tradition.
King James Version — public domain in the United States · Bible text and permissions
Quick Meaning
Says the practice cancels the honor obligation through tradition.
A vow that starves parents is not holiness
This verse is one part of that explanation in Matthew 15:1–15:9. The complete section carries the connected meaning and how it should shape life.
Read It With
- Matthew 15:1–15:9
Read Matthew 15:6 with 15:1–15:9. In isolation, this verse's contribution—says the practice cancels the honor obligation through tradition—can be detached from its speaker, audience, narrative or teaching sequence, and outcome. The complete unit establishes: Jerusalem Pharisees and scribes question handwashing tradition, Jesus counters with a vow practice that evades care for parents, and applies Isaiah's critique of lip service.
What Remains True
Jerusalem Pharisees and scribes question handwashing tradition, Jesus counters with a vow practice that evades care for parents, and applies Isaiah's critique of lip service. Matthew 15:6's proportionate contribution is this: Says the practice cancels the honor obligation through tradition.
Continue in Context
Read the complete section for the connected explanation and how it should shape life. This verse is a doorway into that passage, not a saying that stands alone.
Read Matthew 15:1–15:9 — Jesus disputes tradition that defeats God's commandSources used for this Verse Lens
How certain is this explanation? strong
These are the sources used directly for this lens. Language, grammar, disagreements, and the complete source shelf remain attached to the full thought-unit research record.
Biblical text
King James (Authorized) Version — eng-kjv2006
eBible.org and CrossWire Bible Society
USFM archive eng-kjv2006_usfm.zip; source files dated 2026-08-19; downloaded 2026-08-24; archive SHA-256 aec1b3b26c622fd3d963d2bbac963016b9513246ffbfa20da00bb100372ea007; normalized corpus SHA-256 09aef51d90488aa7b9722b3fd9a93f4b25f6bf2064c5fd798fb39673c300ddf2.
Supports: Exact displayed KJV wording, order, paragraph metadata, supplied-word markup, and thought-unit coverage.
Exact location: Matthew 15:1–15:9, pinned eng-kjv2006 USFM-derived repository corpus
Open source ↗Greek textual evidence
The Greek New Testament: SBL Edition
Michael W. Holmes, editor; Society of Biblical Literature and Logos
Society of Biblical Literature and Logos Bible Software, 2010
Supports: Greek wording and punctuation control without treating one edition as a complete apparatus.
Exact location: SBLGNT official text file data/sblgnt/text/Matt.txt, Matthew 15:1–15:9
Open the Matthew Greek text file ↗Lexical and grammatical evidence
STEP Bible Data
Tyndale House Cambridge
Tyndale House Cambridge, repository snapshot verified 2026
Supports: Morphology and lexical cross-check for the expressions actually discussed in this thought unit.
Exact location: STEP Bible Data TAGNT rows for Matthew 15:1–15:9
Open source ↗open translation and translator notes
NET Bible: Matthew with Translators' and Textual Notes
Biblical Studies Press
Biblical Studies Press, 2005-2026 online edition
Supports: Verse-attached textual, translation, language, historical, Jewish-background, and Synoptic notes for this unit.
Exact location: NET Bible Matthew PDF, printed pp. 1808-1867, exact tn/tc/sn entries attached to 15:1–15:9
Open source ↗