Greek word · G1778

ἔνταλμα

entalma

precept

An order, injunction or precept: a specific directive given by someone in authority.

Appears 3 times in 3 verses of the Greek New Testament. · Updated October 23, 2026

What it means

ἔνταλμα, -τος, τό

(ἐντέλλω), [in LXX: Job 23:11 (אָשֻׁר) Job 23:12, Isaiah 29:13 (מִצְוָה), Isaiah 55:11 (aliter in Heb.)* ;]

a precept: pl., Matthew 15:9 (LXX), Mark 7:7, Colossians 2:22.†

(AS)

From G. Abbott-Smith, A Manual Greek Lexicon of the New Testament (1922), via STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0).

Range of meaning: An order, injunction or precept: a specific directive given by someone in authority.
Against the English: 'Commandments' (KJV, ESV), 'precepts' (NASB, BSB) and 'rules' (WEB, NIV) are all fair. English cannot easily show that Matthew deliberately sets this word beside a related one, entolē, used for God's commandment.
Used elsewhere in the period: The word is rare. In the NT it appears only here, in Mark 7:7 and in Colossians 2:22, all tracing back to Isaiah 29:13 LXX. In the Septuagint it also appears in Job 23:11–12. Josephus (Antiquities 13.297) describes the Pharisees as passing on 'regulations from the fathers not written in the laws of Moses'. That is exactly the category Jesus targets here.

Range of meaning: A command, order or precept: a specific injunction laid on someone.
Against the English: 'Commandments' (KJV) can suggest the Ten Commandments or God's law. The point here is the opposite: these are orders of human origin. 'Precepts' (WEB) and 'commands' (BSB) are neutral and accurate.
Used elsewhere in the period: Rare word. Its decisive use is Isaiah 29:13 in the Greek Old Testament: 'in vain they worship me, teaching commands of humans and teachings' (entalmata anthrōpōn kai didaskalias). In the New Testament it occurs only in Mark 7:7 and Matt 15:9 (Jesus quoting Isaiah) and here.

Range of meaning: A command, order or precept: something laid down by an authority. It is a rarer relative of ἐντολή, 'commandment', and both come from ἐντέλλομαι, 'to command'.
Against the English: KJV, WEB and ESV have 'commandments'; BSB and NASB have 'precepts'; NIV has 'rules'. 'Commandments' keeps the echo of the next verse ('the commandment of God') most clearly. 'Rules' loses it.
Used elsewhere in the period: Used in LXX Isa 29:13 and Job 23:11–12. In the New Testament it appears only in Matt 15:9, Mark 7:7 and Col 2:22, all of which trace back to Isa 29:13. The Hebrew behind it is מִצְוַת אֲנָשִׁים (mitswat ʾanashim), 'a commandment of men', using the same word, mitswah, that the Torah uses for God's commandments.

Matthew · 1

Matthew 15:9 ἐντάλματα [the] precepts

They worship Me in vain; they teach as doctrine the precepts of men.’”

Here: Specific orders or rules. In context these are the inherited purity and vow rulings, such as hand-washing and the Korban vow. Matthew sets them against 'the commandment (entolē) of God' in verses 3 and 6.

Mark · 1

Mark 7:7 ἐντάλματα [the] precepts

They worship Me in vain; they teach as doctrine the precepts of men.’

Here: The actual content being taught: commands. It is a close relative of the word ἐντολή, 'commandment', which Jesus uses for God's command in the next verse. This sets up the contrast between human commands and God's commandment.

Colossians · 1

Colossians 2:22 ἐντάλματα commandments

These will all perish with use, because they are based on human commands and teachings.

Here: Specific orders or injunctions. The word comes straight from Isaiah 29:13 in the Greek Old Testament, the same text Jesus quoted against human food-and-washing traditions (Mark 7:7).

Word data: STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0), main text only.