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Mark7

World English Bible · Public Domain

1Then the Pharisees and some of the scribes gathered together to him, having come from Jerusalem.

2Now when they saw some of his disciples eating bread with defiled, that is unwashed, hands, they found fault.

3(For the Pharisees and all the Jews don’t eat unless they wash their hands and forearms, holding to the tradition of the elders.

4They don’t eat when they come from the marketplace unless they bathe themselves, and there are many other things which they have received to hold to: washings of cups, pitchers, bronze vessels, and couches.)

5The Pharisees and the scribes asked him, “Why don’t your disciples walk according to the tradition of the elders, but eat their bread with unwashed hands?”

6He answered them, “Well did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written, ‘This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me.

7They worship me in vain, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’

8“For you set aside the commandment of God, and hold tightly to the tradition of men—the washing of pitchers and cups, and you do many other such things.”

9He said to them, “Full well do you reject the commandment of God, that you may keep your tradition.

10For Moses said, ‘Honor your father and your mother;’ and, ‘He who speaks evil of father or mother, let him be put to death.’

11But you say, ‘If a man tells his father or his mother, “Whatever profit you might have received from me is Corban,”’” that is to say, given to God,

12“then you no longer allow him to do anything for his father or his mother,

13making void the word of God by your tradition which you have handed down. You do many things like this.”

14He called all the multitude to himself and said to them, “Hear me, all of you, and understand.

15There is nothing from outside of the man that going into him can defile him; but the things which proceed out of the man are those that defile the man.

16If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear!”

17When he had entered into a house away from the multitude, his disciples asked him about the parable.

18He said to them, “Are you also without understanding? Don’t you perceive that whatever goes into the man from outside can’t defile him,

19because it doesn’t go into his heart, but into his stomach, then into the latrine, making all foods clean?”

20He said, “That which proceeds out of the man, that defiles the man.

21For from within, out of the hearts of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, sexual sins, murders, thefts,

22covetings, wickedness, deceit, lustful desires, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, and foolishness.

23All these evil things come from within and defile the man.”

24From there he arose and went away into the borders of Tyre and Sidon. He entered into a house and didn’t want anyone to know it, but he couldn’t escape notice.

25For a woman whose little daughter had an unclean spirit, having heard of him, came and fell down at his feet.

26Now the woman was a Greek, a Syrophoenician by race. She begged him that he would cast the demon out of her daughter.

27But Jesus said to her, “Let the children be filled first, for it is not appropriate to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs.”

28But she answered him, “Yes, Lord. Yet even the dogs under the table eat the children’s crumbs.”

29He said to her, “For this saying, go your way. The demon has gone out of your daughter.”

30She went away to her house, and found the child having been laid on the bed, with the demon gone out.

31Again he departed from the borders of Tyre and Sidon, and came to the sea of Galilee through the middle of the region of Decapolis.

32They brought to him one who was deaf and had an impediment in his speech. They begged him to lay his hand on him.

33He took him aside from the multitude privately and put his fingers into his ears; and he spat and touched his tongue.

34Looking up to heaven, he sighed, and said to him, “Ephphatha!” that is, “Be opened!”

35Immediately his ears were opened, and the impediment of his tongue was released, and he spoke clearly.

36He commanded them that they should tell no one, but the more he commanded them, so much the more widely they proclaimed it.

37They were astonished beyond measure, saying, “He has done all things well. He makes even the deaf hear and the mute speak!”

Study Guide

Public-domain commentary and original-language notes for Mark 7.

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Chapter Summary

In this chapter: The traditions of the elders. (1–13). What defiles the man. (14–23). The woman of Canaan's daughter cured. (24–30). Christ restores a man to hearing and speech. (31–37).

vv1-13

One great design of Christ's coming was, to set aside the ceremonial law; and to make way for this, he rejects the ceremonies men added to the law of God's making. Those clean hands and that pure heart which Christ bestows on his disciples, and requires of them, are very different from the outward and superstitious forms of Pharisees of every age. Jesus reproves them for rejecting the commandment of God. It is clear that it is the duty of children, if their parents are poor, to relieve them as far as they are able; and if children deserve to die that curse their parents, much more those that starve them. But if a man conformed to the traditions of the Pharisees, they found a device to free him from the claim of this duty.

vv14-23

Our wicked thoughts and affections, words and actions, defile us, and these only. As a corrupt fountain sends forth corrupt streams, so does a corrupt heart send forth corrupt reasonings, corrupt appetites and passions, and all the wicked words and actions that come from them. A spiritual understanding of the law of God, and a sense of the evil of sin, will cause a man to seek for the grace of the Holy Spirit, to keep down the evil thoughts and affections that work within.

vv24-30

Christ never put any from him that fell at his feet, which a poor trembling soul may do. As she was a good woman, so a good mother. This sent her to Christ. His saying, Let the children first be filled, shows that there was mercy for the Gentiles, and not far off. She spoke, not as making light of the mercy, but magnifying the abundance of miraculous cures among the Jews, in comparison with which a single cure was but as a crumb. Thus, while proud Pharisees are left by the blessed Saviour, he manifests his compassion to poor humbled sinners, who look to him for children's bread. He still goes about to seek and save the lost.

Cross References

Mark 7
v6Matthew 15:7-9allusion

Direct parallel in Matthew where Jesus exposes the scribes and Pharisees' hypocrisy using Isaiah.

Supported by Matthew Poole, John Calvin

v6Isaiah 29:13quotation

Isaiah passage quoted by Jesus regarding hypocritical lip-service and human-mandated traditions.

Supported by Matthew Poole, John Calvin

v10Exodus 20:12quotation

The Fifth Commandment quoted by Jesus to expose the Pharisees' tradition of Corban.

Supported by Matthew Poole, John Calvin

v10Exodus 21:17quotation

Mosaic law prescribing death for cursing parents, cited by Jesus to counter Pharisees.

Supported by Matthew Poole, John Calvin

v24Matthew 15:21-28thematic

Matthew's parallel narrative of the Syrophoenician woman's extraordinary faith and daughter's healing.

Supported by JFB

v21Matthew 15:19thematic

Matthew's parallel catalog of evil things proceeding directly from the human heart.

Supported by John Calvin

v25Matthew 15:22thematic

Parallel details her cry, addressing Jesus as "Son of David," omitted in Mark's account.

Supported by JFB

v32Isaiah 35:5fulfillment

Messianic prophecy of ears of the deaf being unstopped, fulfilled in Jesus' miracle.

Supported by Matthew Poole

v32Isaiah 35:6fulfillment

Messianic prophecy that the tongue of the dumb shall sing, fulfilled in this healing.

Supported by Matthew Poole

v4Hebrews 9:10thematic

Apostolic teaching on carnal ordinances and divers washings imposed until the time of reformation.

Supported by Matthew Poole

v7Colossians 2:22thematic

Paul's warning against doctrines and commandments of men regarding food and rituals.

Supported by Matthew Poole

v21Genesis 6:5thematic

First biblical diagnosis of the human heart's total corruption, echoing Jesus' statement.

Supported by Matthew Henry

v27Matthew 7:6thematic

Jesus' teaching on not casting pearls before swine, echoing the term "dogs."

Supported by JFB

v27Matthew 10:5contrast

Prohibition against going to Gentiles, illustrating why the woman's healing was an exception.

Supported by JFB