Vulgate: Matthew: Matthew Chapter 15

This is a passage of Latin scripture comprising Matthew 15:1–39 from the Vulgate Bible, the fourth-century Latin translation of the New Testament. The passage contains three distinct episodes from Jesus's ministry: a dispute with Pharisees over ritual purity (handwashing), in which Jesus argues that defilement comes from within a person rather than from external observance; an encounter with a Canaanite woman whose daughter he heals after initially deflecting her as a Gentile; and a second miraculous feeding of a large crowd (four thousand men) from seven loaves and a few fish. The central theological argument is Jesus's inversion of purity codes — redirecting the concept of uncleanness from bodily ritual to moral intention — illustrated by his quotation of Isaiah accusing the Pharisees of honoring God with their lips while their hearts are distant. Notably, the Canaanite woman episode presents a rare moment of apparent reluctance on Jesus's part, resolved by her persistence and rhetorical sharpness, which he explicitly praises as great faith. A reader interested in the synoptic gospels, early Christian ethics, the tension between Jewish law and emerging Christian teaching, or Latin Vulgate scholarship would find this passage directly relevant.

Vulgate: Matthew: Matthew Chapter 15

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