15:3

Jesus replied: Jesus responded to the question of the Pharisees and scribes with his own question. In some languages, it may be more natural to use a verb other than replied here. For example:

But Jesus responded
-or-
Jesus asked in reply

And: The Greek conjunction that the Berean Standard Bible translates as And connects this question to the Pharisees’ question in 15:2a. The Pharisees rebuked/scolded the disciples, and Jesus rebuked the Pharisees in reply.

In some languages, it may be more natural to leave this conjunction untranslated. For example:

Why do you break the commandment of God because of your traditions? (God’s Word)

why do you break the command of God for the sake of your tradition?: This is a rhetorical question. It is a rebuke. Jesus rebuked/scolded the Pharisees and scribes because they followed their traditions even when it meant that they were required to break a command of God. Jesus implied that it was more serious to break a written commandment of God than break an oral tradition of the elders.

Here are some other ways to translate this rebuke:

• As a rhetorical question. For example:

Why do you disobey God’s command in order to follow your own customs?
-or-
When you follow your own customs, it causes you to break one of God’s laws? Why do you do that?

• As a statement. For example:

You break a command of God to follow your tradition. That’s wrong!

Translate this rebuke in a way that is natural in your language.

you: The pronoun you is emphasized in Greek. Jesus used this emphasis to contrast the Pharisees and scribes with his disciples.

Here are some ways to translate this pronoun:

What about you?
-or-
How about you?

break: This word is the same word as the word “break” in 15:2a. You should translate it in the same way.

the command of God: This phrase refers to the commandments that God gave to his people through Moses. They are the written commandments/laws.

Here is another way to translate this phrase:

the law of God

for the sake of your tradition: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as for the sake of means “because of” or “on account of.”

Here are some other ways to translate this word:

you break the commandment of God because of your traditions (God’s Word)
-or-
you set aside God’s laws in order to follow your own customs
-or-
you disobey God and follow your own teaching (Contemporary English Version)
-or-
by following your own customs, you do not obey God’s laws
-or-
when you follow your own customs, it causes you to break God’s laws

your tradition: This phrase is parallel to the phrase “the tradition of the elders” in 15:2a. But notice that Jesus, even though he was a Jew, did not say “our tradition” or “the tradition of the elders.” He did not consider these traditions to be as important as God’s written law.

Here are some other ways to translate this phrase:

your traditions (God’s Word)
-or-
your own laws/rules
-or-
your own teaching (Contemporary English Version)

-or-

your own customs

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