Bible Dictionary
UNWASHEN
“Unwashen” refers to hands not ritually washed before eating. Jesus used the issue to rebuke scribes and Pharisees for elevating human tradition and outward ceremonial practice above the true purity God requires.
Biblical Usage
In Matthew and Mark, Jesus rebukes the scribes and Pharisees in connection with unwashen hands. He challenges their traditional emphasis on external purification and contrasts it with true purity.