A common misinterpretation is to use this verse to claim Jesus nullified all dietary laws of the Old Testament, overlooking the specific context of ceremonial handwashing traditions rather than kosher food restrictions, as clarified in the parallel account in Mark 7:19; another error is dismissing personal hygiene altogether, ignoring that the verse addresses ritual purity, not physical health, or applying it legalistically to ignore the heart's sins listed earlier.
Matthew 15:20
King James Version (1769)
20 These are the things which defile a man: but to eat with unwashen hands defileth not a man.
Jesus concludes his teaching on defilement by affirming that what truly corrupts a person originates from within the heart—such as evil thoughts, adultery, theft, and false witness—rather than external rituals like eating with unwashed hands, which do not spiritually defile; this underscores the primacy of inner moral purity over Pharisaic traditions, redirecting focus to genuine righteousness that aligns with God's holiness.