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Today's Verse Analysis

Matthew 15:18 But those things which proceed out of the mouth

Responding to Peter's request to explain his saying Matthew 15:11 That which goes into the mouth

Spoken to
Apostles

Matthew 15:18 τὰ δὲ ἐκπορευόμενα ἐκ τοῦ στόματος ἐκ τῆς καρδίας ἐξέρχεται, κἀκεῖνα κοινοῖ τὸν ἄνθρωπον.

KJV Verse

Matthew 15:18 But those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart; and they defile the man.

NIV Verse:

Matthew 15:18 But the things that come out of a person’s mouth come from the heart, and these defile them.

What His Listeners Heard:

The things, however, exiting by themselves out of the mouth from the heart come forth by themselves. Those things there make the person common.

Lost In Translation:

As in Matthew  15:11, the word "defile" is misleading here. The idea really means "to communicate" and "to make common." In the Hebrew language, being "common" is the opposite of being consecrated to the Divine. 

KJV w/Translation Issues :

But those [things which(IP)] proceed(WV) out of the mouth come(WV) forth from the heart; and(IW) they(WW) defile the man.

KJV List (See full page for word-by-word analysis):
For analysis of each word of original Greek and biblical verses, click here.

Constantly Updated

My analysis standards and methods are constantly improving. New information on each verse is provided as articles are updated. It requires approximately two years for me to work through updating each of Jesus's verses.

What Jesus's Listeners Heard

The everyday meanings of the Greek words Jesus used were different than the definitions they have been given over time in biblical translation. The word translations here are based upon documents of his time such as the Greek Septuagint, not ideas unknown in his time.

About this Site

See what Jesus said in Greek and see how his words are changed in English translation. My goal is to translate Jesus's words as they were heard when he taught, not the way they are interpreted today. The work here resurrects the humor and cleverness of Jesus's words lost in translation.

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Each article provides detailed information on all the Greek words in each verse with links simplifying your own research. It compares the Greek to popular translations to show where words are confused, changed, left out, and added. This site offers research available nowhere else, such as how often Jesus uses a specific Greek word and links to a list of every verse in which he uses a given word.