Charles Ellicott Commentary Matthew 15:11

"Not that which entereth into the mouth defileth the man; but that which proceedeth out of the mouth, this defileth the man." — Matthew 15:11 (ASV)

Not that which goes into the mouth — Until this point, the question had been debated indirectly. The scribes had been proven unfit to speak with authority on moral questions.

Now a great and broad principle is asserted, one that not only struck at the root of Pharisaism but, in its ultimate effect, swept away the entire Levitical system of ceremonial purity—including the distinction between clean and unclean meats.

As the disciples’ amazement showed, this principle went far beyond their grasp at the time. Even after the day of Pentecost, Peter still prided himself on observing the Law that was thus annulled, boasting that he had never eaten anything common or unclean (Acts 10:14). This shows how slow even those who had sat at the feet of Jesus were to grasp the idea that purity is inward and not outward, a spiritual and not a physical quality.