This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoreth me with [their] lips; but their heart is far from me.
8, 9. Isa 29:13. The quotation does not follow precisely either the LXX. version or the Hebrew text.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Verse 8. Their heart is far from me.] The true worship of God consists in the union of the heart to him – where this exists not, a particle of the spirit of devotion cannot be found.
This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth] This clause, which is taken from Isa 29:13, is omitted by several excellent MSS., and by several versions and fathers. Erasmus, Mill, Drusius, and Bengel, approve of the omission, and Griesbach has left it out of the text; but as I find it in the prophet, the place from which it is quoted, I dare not omit it, howsoever respectable the above authorities may appear.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
8. This people draweth nigh unto mewith their mouth, c.By putting the commandments of men on alevel with the divine requirements, their whole worship wasrendered vaina principle of deep moment in the service of God.”For,” it is added in Mr7:8, “laying aside the commandment of God, ye hold thetradition of men, as the washing of pots and cups and many other suchlike things ye do.” The drivelling nature of their multitudinousobservances is here pointedly exposed, in contrast with the manlyobservance of “the commandment of God”; and when our Lordsays, “Many other such like things ye do,” it is impliedthat He had but given a specimen of the hideous treatment which thedivine law received, and the grasping disposition which, under themask of piety, was manifested by the ecclesiastics of that day.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth,…. The preface to these words, or the form in which they are introduced by the prophet; “wherefore the Lord said”, is left out in this citation, being unnecessary here, though of the greatest importance there; partly to show, that what was about to be said, was not the prophet’s own words, but the words of the Lord, of which the Jews in Christ’s time made no doubt; and partly to give a reason why that judicial blindness, threatened in the context, should be inflicted on them, which is no part of Christ’s design here; but which is only to show, that the description here given exactly agrees with them, and so proves, and confirms the character he gives of them as hypocrites. They approached the ordinances of God, and drew nigh to him, and attended him in outward worship; they prayed unto him publicly, and constantly, in the streets, in the synagogues, and temple, and with much seeming devotion and sanctity:
and honoureth me with their lips: they owned him to be their creator and preserver; they made their boast of him, and of their knowledge of him, as the one only living, and true God, and as the God of Israel; they brought their sacrifices of praise and thanksgiving, even the fruit of their lips, unto him, for their many peculiar mercies, privileges, and favours, as a nation, church, and people, and with much seeming sincerity and affection.
But their heart is far from me; they had no true love to God, nor faith in him, nor fear of him; they were not at all concerned for his presence with them, or for communion with him, or for his honour and glory; their hearts were in the world, and after their covetousness; they made religion a tool to their secular purposes, supposing gain to be godliness; sought the applause of men, and contented themselves with bodily exercise; having no regard to internal religion, powerful godliness, or where their hearts were, so be it, their bodies were presented to God in public worship; and what they did it was to be seen and approved of men, not caring what the searcher of hearts knew concerning them, or what he required of them.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
Is far [] . Lit., holds off from me.
Fuente: Vincent’s Word Studies in the New Testament
(8) This people draweth nigh unto me.The quotation is given substantially from the Greek version of Isaiah. We have already seen in Mat. 13:14 how the Pharisees were taught to see their own likeness in the language of the prophet. Now the mirror is held up once more, and they are seen to have been anticipated in that very substitution of human for divine ordinances for which our Lord reproves them.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
8. Lips heart With their lips they utter the pious corban or consecration. With their hearts they mean to break the decalogue, and rob a parent.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
8 This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me.
Ver. 8. This people draweth nigh unto me, &c. ] And they are no changelings, for at this day, although they know better, and can write upon the walls of their synagogues this sentence, Tephillah belo cauvannah cheguph belo neshamah, that is, Prayer without the intention of the mind, is but as a body without a soul, yet shall not a man anywhere see less intention than in their orisons. “The reverence they show” (saith Sir Edwin Sands, who saw it) “is in standing up at times, and the gesture of adoration in the bowing forward of their bodies. For kneeling they use none (no more do the Grecians), neither stir they their bonnets in their synagogues to any man, but remain still covered. They come to it with washen hands, and in it they burn lamps to the honour of God, a but for any show of devotion or elevation of spirit, that yet in Jews could I never discern, but they are as reverent in their synagogues as grammar boys are at school, when their master is absent. In sum, their holiness is the very outward work itself, being a brainless head and soulless body.” Thus he.
And honoureth me with their lips ] But prayer is not the labour of the lips, but the travail of the heart; the power of a petition is not in the roof of the mouth, but root of the heart. To give way to wilful distractions, is to commit spiritual whoredom in God’s presence. Is it fit to present the king with an empty cask; or to tell him a tale with our backs towards him? Behold, “I am a great King,” saith God; and they that stand before him, “must look to their feet,” saith Solomon, that they stand upright, and that they offer not a heartless sacrifice, for that is the “sacrifice of fools,” Ecc 5:1 , and ever held ominous.
But their heart is far from me ] And so all they do is putrid hypocrisy. God loves “truth in the inward parts,”Psa 41:6Psa 41:6 , and calls for the heart in all services, as Joseph did for Benjamin, as David did for Michal, “Thou shall not see my face, unless thou bring it.” In all spiritual sacrifices we must bring him the fat and the inwards. The deeper and hollower the belly of the lute or viol is, the pleasanter is the sound; the fleeter, the more grating and harsh in our ears. The voice which is made in the mouth is nothing so sweet as that which cometh from the depth of the breast. Eph 6:6 ; “Do the will of God from the heart.” But woe be to all careless professors, to all loose and ungirt Christians! the Lord will make all the churches to know “that he seareheth the hearts and reins,” and that “he will kill with death” all such as had rather seem to be good than seek to be so, Rev 2:23 .
a Sic ut posset quivis animo advertere quod server illam pro consuetudine potius quam pro religione reverentiam. De Theodorico, Sidonius, Epist. i. l.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
8. ] The portion of Isaiah from which this citation is made (ch. 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.
The prophecy is nearly according to the LXX, which compare. The citation in Mark is (if the spurious words in the rec [139] . here be cancelled) verbatim the same with that in the text. Stier however maintains (vol. ii. p. 142) that the words in question ought to be supplied in Mark, because is wanted to oppose to , and to connect with in Mat 15:11 .
[139] The Textus Receptus or received text of the Greek Testament. Used in this Edition when elz and Steph agree
Fuente: Henry Alford’s Greek Testament
Mat 15:8 . , etc.: at this point the citation is particularly apposite. They were far from the true God in their thoughts who imagined that He could be pleased with gifts made at the expense of filial piety. Christ’s God abhorred such homage, still more the hypocritical pretence of it.
Fuente: The Expositors Greek Testament by Robertson
This people. Quoted from Isa 29:13. See App-107 and App-117.
is far = keepeth far distant.
from = away from. Greek. apo. App-104.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
8.] The portion of Isaiah from which this citation is made (ch. 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.
The prophecy is nearly according to the LXX, which compare. The citation in Mark is (if the spurious words in the rec[139]. here be cancelled) verbatim the same with that in the text. Stier however maintains (vol. ii. p. 142) that the words in question ought to be supplied in Mark, because is wanted to oppose to , and to connect with in Mat 15:11.
[139] The Textus Receptus or received text of the Greek Testament. Used in this Edition when elz and Steph agree
Fuente: The Greek Testament
Mat 15:8. , …, This people, etc.) In the S. V. of Isa 29:13, it stands thus, , – ,-This people draweth nigh unto Me with their mouth, and they honour Me with their lips: but their heart-teaching precepts and doctrines of men.-, this) The pronoun here implies contempt; see 1Co 14:21.-, Me) sc. God, speaking by the mouth of Isaiah.-, heart) by the approach of which[686] (cujus accessu) God is truly and fully worshipped.[687]
[686] i.e. by the drawing nigh of which, as well as with the lips.-ED.
[687] Most stress is indeed made to rest on the heart. See Mat 15:19.-V. g.
Fuente: Gnomon of the New Testament
draweth: Isa 29:13, Eze 33:31, Joh 1:47, 1Pe 3:10
but: Pro 23:26, Jer 12:2, Act 8:21, Heb 3:12
Reciprocal: Lev 3:3 – the fat Lev 13:8 – General 1Sa 7:3 – prepare 1Sa 21:7 – detained 1Ki 12:32 – like unto Psa 17:1 – not out of feigned lips Psa 73:27 – lo Isa 45:19 – Seek Isa 48:1 – not in truth Jer 2:5 – are gone Jer 34:15 – ye Jer 42:1 – came Eze 20:3 – As I Eze 33:30 – Come Joh 4:24 – must Eph 5:19 – making
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
15:8
Generally speaking, the lips and mouth pertain to the fleshly or cuter man, and the heart refers to the inner man. The Biblical heart is the occasion of so much confusion among religious teachers that I shall give the reader a description of it as will be taken from the lexicon definition of original Greek. With one exception (PSUCHE in Eph 6:6) the word in the New Testament is from KARDIA and I shall quote Thayers definitions (the part in italics) for it in its various applications: “1. a. the vigor and sense of physical life. b. the soul or mind, as it is the fountain and seat of the thoughts, passions, desires, appetites, affections, purposes, endeavors. Specifically of the understanding, the faculty and seat of intelligence. Of the soul so far forth as it is affected and stirred in a bad way or good, or of the soul as the seat of the sensibilities, affections, emotions, desires, appetites, passions. 3. used of the middle or central or inmost part of any thing, even though inanimate.” This Greek word occurs 158 times in the New Testament and is not rendered by any term but “heart” in the Authorized Version. From the extended definition as well as by the various connections in which it is used, it is plain that when “heart” is not used figuratively it means the mind or intelligence of man. This ex plains how a person’s mouth or lips can say one thing while the heart does not really mean it, and thus he is acting hypocritically.
Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary
Mat 15:8. This people, etc. The briefer form is now the established reading. Early copyists inserted the full form.
Their heart is far from me. In the Hebrew: Their heart they have removed far from me. Applicable first to the contemporaries of Isaiah, but descriptive of the unbelieving Jews in all ages, and, as our Lord declares, peculiarly apt at that time.