But in vain they do worship me, teaching [for] doctrines the commandments of men.
Verse 9. In vain they do worship me, c.] By the traditions of the elders, not only the word of God was perverted, but his worship also was greatly corrupted. But the Jews were not the only people who have acted thus: whole Christian Churches, as well as sects and parties, have acted in the same way. Men must not mould the worship of God according to their fancy – it is not what they think will do – is proper, innocent, &c., but what God himself has prescribed, that he will acknowledge as his worship. However sincere a man may be in a worship of his own invention, or of man’s commandment, yet it profits him nothing. Christ himself says it is in vain. To condemn such, may appear to some illiberal but whatever may be said in behalf of sincere heathens, and others who have not had the advantages of Divine Revelation, there is no excuse for the man who has the BIBLE before him.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
But in vain do they worship me,…. In the Hebrew text it is, “their fear towards me”: which is rightly expressed here by “worship”; for the fear of God often intends the whole worship of God, both external and internal: here it only signifies external worship, which these men only attended to. They prayed in the synagogues, read, and, in their way, expounded the books of Moses, and the prophets, to the people, diligently observed the rituals of the ceremonial law, brought their offerings and sacrifices to the temple, and neglected nothing appertaining to the outward service of it; and yet it was all “in vain”, and to no purpose; since the heart was wanting, no grace there, they acted from wrong principles, and with wrong views; their worship was merely outward, formal, and customary; and besides, they added doctrines and traditions of their own inventing and devising. The phrase, “in vain”, is not in the text in Isaiah: some have thought that it was not originally in Matthew, but inserted by some other hand, to make the sense more complete. Grotius thinks there was a various reading, which is followed by the Septuagint, and the evangelist; and that instead of
, “and is”, it was , the same with , “in vain”: but there is no need to suppose either of these: Christ, who made this citation, either added it himself for the clearer illustration of the passage, and as being entirely agreeable to the sense of it, and which it required, for the true understanding of it; or he might have in his view another passage of the same prophet, speaking of the same people, and upon the same subject, Isa 1:11 and from thence take the phrase, and, for explanation sake, join it to the passage here. It follows,
teaching for doctrines the commandments of men; that is, teaching the people to observe the traditions of the elders, the decrees and determinations of the doctors, as if they were doctrines delivered by God himself; or, instead of the doctrines contained in the Bible, which lay neglected by them, they obtruded on them the orders, and injunctions of men. In the text in Isaiah, are only these words, “taught by the precept of men”: and which relate to their fear and worship of God; and which is here interpreted of their teachers teaching them it, and that explained of the commandments of men; as if, instead of , “taught”, it had been read, , “teaching”. The Jews have no reason to quarrel with this construction and sense, since their Targum paraphrases it thus; “and their fear before me is, , according to the commandment of men that teach”: and a noted commentator c of their’s has this remark on the text, “their fear towards me is” not with a perfect heart, but “by the commandment , of the men that teach them”.
c R. Sol. Jarchi in Isa. xxix. 13.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
9. But in vain do they worship me The words of the prophet run literally thus: their fear toward me has been taught by the precept of men. But Christ has faithfully and accurately given the meaning, that in vain is God worshipped, when the will of men is substituted in the room of doctrine. By these words, all kinds of will-worship, ( ἐθελοθζησκεία,) as Paul calls it, ( Col 2:23,) are plainly condemned. For, as we have said, since God chooses to be worshipped in no other way than according to his own appointment, he cannot endure new modes of worship to be devised. As soon as men allow themselves to wander beyond the limits of the Word of God, the more labor and anxiety they display in worshipping him, the heavier is the condemnation which they draw down upon themselves; for by such inventions religion is dishonored.
Teaching doctrines, commandments of men In these words there is what is called apposition; (402) for Christ declares them to be mistaken who bring forward, in the room of doctrine, the commandments of men, or who seek to obtain from them the rule for worshipping God. Let it therefore be held as a settled principle, that, since obedience is more highly esteemed by God than sacrifices, (1Sa 15:22,) all kinds of worship invented by men are of no estimation in his sight; nay more, that, as the prophet declares, they are accursed and detestable.
(402) “ C’est une figure et facon de parler que les Latins nomment Apposition;” — “it is a figure and mode of speech which the Latins call Apposition.” — “The Latin Grammarians employ the word Appositio to denote a figure, by which two words, denoting the same thing, are put in the same case, such as, Urbs Roma, Fluvius Sequana In the same sense the Greek word ἐπεξήγησις was often used. — Ed.
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
(9) Teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.Neither word is quite adequately rendered. The doctrines are not articles of faith, propositions to be believed, but precepts which were taught as binding. The commandments are single, special rules as contrasted with the divine commandment, which was exceedingly broad.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
9. In vain they do worship me Their very prayers offered in that spirit are a mockery and abomination to God.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
9 But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.
Ver. 9. But in vain do they worship me ] For they lose their labour, and, which is worse, they commit sin. Displeasing service is double dishonour, as dissembled sanctity is double iniquity.
Teaching for doctrines the commandments of men ] So do Papists. The pope can do all things that Christ can do, saith Hostiensis. He can of wickedness make righteousness, saith Bellarmine; of virtue, vice; of nothing, something. His determinations are ipsissimum Dei verbum, the very word of God, saith Hosius. Murders, treasons, thefts, &c.-there is no command of the moral law, but they can dispense with it; but none of their ceremonial law. Let God, say they, look to the breach of his own law, we will look to ours. Heathen Socrates and Cicero shall rise up against these pseudo-Christians, and condemn them. God, said Socrates, will he worshipped with that kind of worship only which himself hath commanded. He will not be worshipped, said Cicero, with superstition, but with piety: Deus non superstitione coli vult sed pietate.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
9. ] LXX, . . The two are here in apposition, as in E. V.
Fuente: Henry Alford’s Greek Testament
teaching for doctrines. Greek teaching teachings. Figure of speech Polyptoton.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
9.] LXX, . . The two are here in apposition, as in E. V.
Fuente: The Greek Testament
Mat 15:9. , in vain) How much vanity has there been in the greatest part of religions throughout so many ages and climates!-, they worship) They paid little regard to the commandments of God, and that little they defiled by observing the commandments of men.- , teaching doctrines) laboriously, constantly, in great numbers, cf. Mar 7:13.-, precepts) In apposition with , doctrines: these , precepts, were unworthy to be called , commandments. Precepts are adorned and seasoned by doctrines.-, of men) although they be ancients (Mat 15:2); who have no authority in religion.
Fuente: Gnomon of the New Testament
in: Exo 20:7, Lev 26:16, Lev 26:20, 1Sa 25:21, Psa 39:6, Psa 73:13, Ecc 5:2-7, Isa 1:13-15, Isa 58:1-3, Mal 3:14, Mar 7:7, 1Co 15:2, Jam 2:20
teaching: Deu 12:32, Pro 30:5, Pro 30:6, Isa 29:13, Col 2:18-22, 1Ti 1:4, 1Ti 4:1-3, 1Ti 4:6, 1Ti 4:7, Tit 1:14, Heb 13:9, Rev 22:18
Reciprocal: Exo 27:8 – as it was showed Jdg 17:13 – General 1Ki 12:32 – like unto 2Ki 16:10 – the pattern Isa 45:19 – Seek Isa 48:1 – not in truth Isa 55:2 – do ye Eze 20:3 – As I Amo 4:5 – for Joh 4:24 – must Act 17:23 – ignorantly 1Co 15:14 – General Jam 1:26 – this
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
15:9
Worship is from SEBOMAI which Thayer defines, “to revere, to worship.” The people of whom Jesus was speaking professed to have great respect for him and that is the sense in which he said they worshiped him. In vain is defined “fruitlessly” and means that the pretended reverence they had for Jesus would not bring them any favor from him as long as they taught the doctrine of human authority instead of that of the man they claimed to honor but whose teaching they were rejecting.
Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary
Mat 15:9. In vain. This phrase (only implied in the original passage in Isaiah) refers to the emptiness of such worship. It is both groundless (without true principle) and fruitless (without proper results). The Hebrew means literally: their fearing of me has become a precept of men, a thing taught. A rebuke of religion, resting only on human authority, but as applied to the Pharisees in this case, showing that such religion becomes positively false, contrary to Goas commandments.Alford: The portion of Isaiah from which this citation is made (Isaiah 24-35.) sets forth, in alternate threatenings and promises, the punishment of the mere nominal Israel, and the salvation of the true Israel of God. And, as so often in the prophetic word, its threats and promises are for all times of the Church;the particular event then foretold being but one fulfilment of those deeper and more general declarations of God, which shall be ever having their successive illustrations in His dealings with men.
Fuente: A Popular Commentary on the New Testament
Verse 9
Doctrines; the duties of religion.–Commandments of men; these pretended traditions, which were merely human inventions.