But he answered and said, Every plant, which my heavenly Father hath not planted, shall be rooted up.

MATTHEW 15:13KJV
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Matthew 15:13 (KJV)

What does Matthew 15:13 mean?

Matthew 15:13 means that anything not established or approved by God will ultimately be removed or destroyed. Jesus is saying that only what truly comes from God will last, while other things—no matter how they appear—will not endure.

In this verse, Jesus is responding to His disciples after the Pharisees were offended by His teaching. The "plant" refers to teachings, traditions, or people not rooted in God's will. Jesus uses this image to show that human traditions, like those of the Pharisees, which are not from God, will not stand in the end.

The Greek behind Matthew 15:13

  • φυτεία (phuteia, "plant"): This word can refer to something planted, like a plant or a planting, but here it likely points to teachings, groups, or traditions. Jesus is not talking about literal plants but about things or people established in a religious sense.
  • ἐκριζωθήσεται (ekrizōthēsetai, "shall be rooted up"): This word means to uproot completely, leaving nothing behind. The image is strong—anything not truly from God will be entirely removed, not just trimmed or corrected.

Why Matthew 15:13 matters

  • Matthew 15:13 clarifies that not all religious traditions or teachings are from God, even if they seem established or respected.
  • The verse warns against relying on human authority or tradition instead of what God has truly established.
  • This statement connects to the larger conversation in Matthew 15, where Jesus challenges the Pharisees’ traditions, showing that God’s approval is what truly matters, not human customs.

Where else these words appear

“up” Greek G1610 · used in 4 verses

  • Matthew 13:29 But he said, Nay; lest while ye gather up the tares, ye root up also the wheat with them.
  • Luke 17:6 And the Lord said, If ye had faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye might say unto this sycamine tree, Be thou plucked up by the root, and be thou planted in the sea; and it should obey you.
  • Jude 1:12 These are spots in your feasts of charity, when they feast with you, feeding themselves without fear: clouds they are without water, carried about of winds; trees whose fruit withereth, without fruit, twice dead, plucked up by the roots;

“heavenly” Greek G3770 · used in 6 verses

  • Matthew 6:14 For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you:
  • Matthew 6:26 Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they?
  • Luke 2:13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying,

“hath” Greek G5452 · used in 11 verses

  • Matthew 21:33 Hear another parable: There was a certain householder, which planted a vineyard, and hedged it round about, and digged a winepress in it, and built a tower, and let it out to husbandmen, and went into a far country:
  • Luke 17:6 And the Lord said, If ye had faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye might say unto this sycamine tree, Be thou plucked up by the root, and be thou planted in the sea; and it should obey you.
  • 1 Corinthians 3:6 I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase.