KJV ORIGINAL
But those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart; and they defile the man.
Close to the original. Clear modern English.
✦ MADE SIMPLE
But the things that come out of your mouth? Those come straight from your heart, and that's what actually makes you unclean.
⚡ THE BOTTOM LINE
Your words reveal your heart, and that's what really matters to God.
📚 Historical Context
In the time of Jesus, the Pharisees were strict about following Jewish traditions, such as ritual hand-washing before meals, believing it made them ceremonially clean. Jesus challenged this by teaching that true defilement comes from within a person's heart, not from external rituals, as He addressed the crowds and His disciples in first-century Galilee. This was part of a broader debate where Jesus emphasized God's laws over human traditions.
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