The Meaning of Matthew 15:18 Explained

Matthew 15:18

KJV: But those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart; and they defile the man.

YLT: but the things coming forth from the mouth from the heart do come forth, and these defile the man;

Darby: but the things which go forth out of the mouth come out of the heart, and those defile man.

ASV: But the things which proceed out of the mouth come forth out of the heart; and they defile the man.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

But  those things which  proceed  out of  the mouth  come forth  from  the heart;  and they  defile  the man. 

What does Matthew 15:18 Mean?

Context Summary

Matthew 15:10-20 - What Really Defiles
It is good to study our Lord's list of the sources of soul-pollution. Evil thoughts come first. We cannot prevent an evil suggestion being presented to our minds, but we can refuse to dwell on it. To resist the inclination to dwell on it strengthens us in the opposite direction; to yield to it is to commit the sin in our heart, which, in God's sight, is equivalent to the outward act. Notice that railing, that is, unkind and uncharitable speech, is in this black-list.
The heart, rather than the body, is the source of sin. Out of the heart! The body is the dial-plate on which the soul registers its improvement or deterioration. Do not find fault with your members: look to your heart and keep it beyond keeping, for out of it are the issues of life. Ask God to create in you a clean heart. See that you distinguish between the first Adam and the second. Deny what you inherit of human weakness and sin, and affirm all that is of Christ's imparting. The cross of Calvary and the uprising of the living Christ are facts of perpetual experience. [source]

Chapter Summary: 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

Greek Commentary for Matthew 15:18

Out of the mouth [εκ του στοματος]
Spoken words come out of the heart and so are a true index of character. By “heart” (καρδιας — kardias) Jesus means not just the emotional nature, but the entire man, the inward life of “evil thoughts” (διαλογισμοι πονηροι — dialogismoi ponēroi) that issue in words and deeds. “These defile the man,” not “eating with unwashed hands.” The captious quibblings of the Pharisees, for instance, had come out of evil hearts. [source]

Reverse Greek Commentary Search for Matthew 15:18

Colossians 3:8 Out of your mouth []
Construe with the preceding word. As Colossians 2:20-22suggests Christ's words in Matthew href="/desk/?q=mt+15:11&sr=1">Matthew 15:11, Matthew 15:18. [source]

What do the individual words in Matthew 15:18 mean?

The things however going forth out of the mouth the heart come forth and these defile the man
τὰ δὲ ἐκπορευόμενα ἐκ τοῦ στόματος τῆς καρδίας ἐξέρχεται κἀκεῖνα κοινοῖ τὸν ἄνθρωπον

τὰ  The  things 
Parse: Article, Nominative Neuter Plural
Root:  
Sense: this, that, these, etc.
δὲ  however 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: δέ  
Sense: but, moreover, and, etc.
ἐκπορευόμενα  going  forth 
Parse: Verb, Present Participle Middle or Passive, Nominative Neuter Plural
Root: ἐκπορεύομαι  
Sense: to go forth, go out, depart.
ἐκ  out  of 
Parse: Preposition
Root: ἐκ 
Sense: out of, from, by, away from.
στόματος  mouth 
Parse: Noun, Genitive Neuter Singular
Root: στόμα  
Sense: the mouth, as part of the body: of man, of animals, of fish, etc.
καρδίας  heart 
Parse: Noun, Genitive Feminine Singular
Root: καρδία  
Sense: the heart.
ἐξέρχεται  come  forth 
Parse: Verb, Present Indicative Middle or Passive, 3rd Person Singular
Root: ἐξέρχομαι 
Sense: to go or come forth of.
κἀκεῖνα  and  these 
Parse: Demonstrative Pronoun, Nominative Neuter Plural
Root: κἀκεῖνος  
Sense: and he, he also.
κοινοῖ  defile 
Parse: Verb, Present Indicative Active, 3rd Person Singular
Root: κοινόω  
Sense: to make common.
ἄνθρωπον  man 
Parse: Noun, Accusative Masculine Singular
Root: ἄνθρωπος  
Sense: a human being, whether male or female.