Matthew 15:11 Meaning and Explanation
“Not that which goeth into the mouth defileth a man; but that which cometh out of the mouth, this defileth a man.”
King James Version (KJV)
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Read Full Chapter →Jesus teaches that defilement comes not from what one eats but from what proceeds out of the heart through the mouth.
What Does Matthew 15:11 Mean?
Here is the heart of Jesus' teaching to the crowd. Defilement, He says, does not come from food entering the mouth but from what comes out of it, the words and intentions that rise from within. He reframes the whole debate: purity is not finally a matter of ritual or diet but of the inner person. What we say and do reveals what we are.
This was a startling reversal of common assumption, and it lifts the question of cleanness to where it truly belongs, the heart. A person is not defiled by external things touching the body, but by the corruption that issues from within. Jesus calls us to tend the wellspring of our lives, knowing that out of the heart's overflow the mouth speaks, and by that overflow we are shown for what we are.
Matthew 15:11 in the Original Language
koinoo (κοινόω), 'defile' -- to make common or unclean, here used of moral, not ceremonial, defilement.
Frequently Asked Questions About Matthew 15:11
What does Matthew 15:11 mean?
Jesus teaches that defilement comes not from what one eats but from what proceeds out of the heart through the mouth.