Unwashen
The Biblical Narrative of the 'Unwashen'
The term 'unwashen' appears exclusively in the Synoptic Gospels during a confrontation between Jesus and the Pharisees. In Matthew 15:20 and Mark 7:2, the Pharisees and scribes from Jerusalem observe that Jesus's disciples are eating bread with 'defiled, that is, unwashen, hands.' They question Jesus, asking, 'Why do thy disciples transgress the tradition of the elders? for they wash not their hands when they eat bread' (Matthew 15:2). This sets the stage for a significant teaching moment where Jesus contrasts human tradition with God's command.
Jesus's Response and Redefinition of Purity
Jesus responds directly to their accusation, not by defending the practice but by exposing the hypocrisy of prioritizing tradition over God's law. He quotes Isaiah, saying, 'This people honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me' (Matthew 15:8, citing Isaiah 29:13). He then teaches the crowd a revolutionary principle: 'Not that which goeth into the mouth defileth a man; but that which cometh out of the mouth, this defileth a man' (Matthew 15:11). He clarifies that food eaten with unwashen hands does not spiritually defile a person. True defilement originates from the heart, manifesting as 'evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies' (Matthew 15:19). This teaching fundamentally reoriented the concept of purity from an external, ritual observance to an internal condition of the heart.
The Historical Practice of Hand Washing
The hand-washing ritual criticized as 'unwashen' was a detailed tradition of the elders, not a command from the Torah. It involved pouring water over the hands up to the wrist. Jewish tradition held that hands could become ceremonially unclean by touching common objects and that this impurity could be transferred to food and then to the person eating it. The practice is discussed in the Mishnah (tractate Yadayim) and was a point of agreement between the rival schools of Hillel and Shammai. Its purpose was to maintain a state of ritual purity, especially before eating consecrated food or, as practiced by some, before any meal. By the first century, this tradition had become a key marker of religious devotion and separation for groups like the Pharisees.
Theological Significance of the Conflict
The dispute over 'unwashen' hands is far more than a debate about hygiene or etiquette. It represents a clash between two competing visions of righteousness: one based on external adherence to human tradition, and the other based on internal transformation by God's Spirit. Jesus's teaching declares that no external ritual can cleanse a corrupt heart. This principle is foundational to the New Testament theology of grace, as seen later in Paul's writings that circumcision or uncircumcision avails nothing, but 'faith which worketh by love' (Galatians 5:6). The incident demonstrates that the kingdom of God concerns righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit (Romans 14:17), not rules about food and drink.
Legacy in Christian Thought
This teaching directly influenced the early church's understanding of the Mosaic law, particularly regarding food laws. In Acts 10, Peter's vision of unclean animals and the command to 'kill, and eat' (Acts 10:13) echoes Jesus's principle that what goes into a person does not defile them. The Jerusalem Council later determined that Gentile believers were not bound by the ceremonial law, including such traditions (Acts 15:19-20). The concept of the 'unwashen' thus serves as a critical pivot point, shifting the focus of faith from ritual purity to the purity of heart that God requires, a theme continued in the Beatitudes: 'Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God' (Matthew 5:8).
Biblical Context
The term 'unwashen' appears only in the New Testament, specifically in the parallel accounts of Matthew 15:20 and Mark 7:2. It is used by the Pharisees as an accusation against Jesus's disciples for not following the ritual hand-washing tradition before eating. The concept plays a central role in the narrative conflict where Jesus teaches that true defilement is moral and internal, originating from the heart, not ceremonial and external.
Theological Significance
The controversy over 'unwashen' hands is theologically significant because it reveals Jesus's authority to reinterpret and fulfill the Law. It establishes the principle that human tradition must never supersede God's command and that genuine righteousness is a matter of the heart's condition, not external ritual observance. This teaching prepares the way for the New Covenant, where cleansing comes through the word of Christ (John 15:3) and the blood of Jesus (1 John 1:7), freeing believers from ceremonial laws and emphasizing internal transformation by the Holy Spirit.
Historical Background
The practice of ritual handwashing before meals was a development of Jewish oral tradition (the 'tradition of the elders') by the first century. It is detailed in rabbinic literature like the Mishnah (Tractate Yadayim). The practice was seen as a fence around the Torah to protect against ritual impurity. Extra-biblical references, such as the Sibylline Oracles (3:591-93), also mention ritual washing in religious contexts. The schools of Hillel and Shammai, though often in dispute, agreed on its necessity. For the Pharisees, it was a key marker of religious separation and piety.