THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO
*MARK

Mark 7

1The Pharisees finding fault with his disciples for eating with unwashed hands, Christ reproveth them of hypocrisy, and of making void the commandments of God by the traditions of men: 14he teacheth that a man is defiled, not by that which entereth in, but by that which cometh out of him: 24he healeth the daughter of a Syrophenician woman; 31and a man that was deaf and had a speech impediment.


1THEN came together untoa him the Pharisees, and certain of the scribes, 1which came from Jerusalem.

a Mat. 15:1.

1 Namely, they, who are the bravest and bitter, were sent forth from Jerusalem for that purpose to observe His doctrine and works, and to carp at them, and to make the people suspect the same.

2And when they saw some of his disciples eat 2bread with 3defiled, that is to say, with unwashen, hands, they 4found fault.

2 That is, food.

3 Gr. common; such is called throughout what is unclean or unholy. See Acts 10:14. For, the Pharisees were of the opinion that when they happened to touch anything which was common, although it were not declared to be unclean in the law, they were notwithstanding yet unclean or unholy until they had washed again, which Christ here reproves, not to contradict the civil custom of washing the hands before they eat, but for their superstition and hypocrisy.

4 Or, complained thereof.

3For the Pharisees, and all the Jews, except they wash their hands 5oft, eat not, 6holding the tradition of the 7elders.

5 Or, with the fist, as they, who will wash their hands very clean, use to rub the hand with the fist. Or, carefully, or, up to the elbow, as some report this to be the Jews’ custom.

6 Or, keeping the institution.

7 Or, of the ancients.

4And when they come from the 8market, except they 9wash, they eat not. And many other things there be, which they have received to hold, as the washing of cups, 10and pots, brasen vessels, and of 11tables.

8 Because there they dealt with all kinds of people, Gentiles and others, and touched many other things, whereby they held themselves defiled.

9 Gr. baptized, which signifies to dip into the water and also to wash off, from which Holy Baptism has its name.

10 The Greek word xestes signifies the sixth part of a congius, that is, about a pint and a half according to our measurement.

11 That is, cupboard-beds, or couches of the beds, whereon the ancients lay or leaned on at the table for to eat, instead of our sitting down.

5Then the Pharisees and scribes asked him, Why 12walk not thy disciples according to the tradition of the 13elders, but eat bread with unwashen hands?

12 That is, live, an Hebrew phrase, as Psalm 1:1, and throughout.

13 Or, of the ancients.

6He answered and said unto them, 14Well hath Esaias prophesied of you hypocrites, as it is written, Thisb people honoureth me with their lips, but their heart 15is far from me.

14 See the annotations of this entire answer on Mat. 15 on verse 7, etc.

b Isa. 29:13; Ezek. 33:31.

15 That is, keeps itself far from Me.

7Howbeitc16in vain do they 17worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.

c Mat. 15:9; Col. 2:18, 20; Titus 1:14.

16 That is, without fruit, seeing such service is not acceptable to the Lord.

17 Or, honor.

8For laying aside the commandment of God, ye hold the tradition of men, as the washing of pots and cups: and many other such like things ye do.

9And he said unto them, Full well ye reject the commandment of God, that ye may keep your own tradition.

10For Moses said, Honourd thy father and thy mother; and, Whosoe18curseth father or mother, let him die the death:

d Exod. 20:12; Deut. 5:16; Eph. 6:2.

e Exod. 21:17; Lev. 20:9; Deut. 27:16; Prov. 20:20.

18 That is, going to them with evil words, reviling them, or threatening them.

11But ye say, If a man shall say to his father or mother, 19It is Corban, that is to say, a gift, by whatsoever thou mightest be profited by me; he shall be free.

19 Or, the corban, that is, the gift which is offered by me, shall be profitable to thee. See hereof the annotation at Mat. 15 on verse 5. Or, Let it be corban, that which from me might be profitable to thee.

12And ye suffer him no more to do ought for his father or his mother;

1320Makingf the word of God of none effect through your tradition, which ye have delivered: and many such like things do ye.

20 Gr. rejecting, or depriving of its esteem and force.

f Mat. 15:6; 1 Tim. 4:3; 2 Tim. 3:2.

14¶Andg when he had called all the people unto him, he said unto them, Hearken unto me every one of you, and understand:

g Mat. 15:10.

15Thereh is 21nothing from without a man, that entering into him can 22defile him: but the things which come out of him, those are they that defile the man.

h Acts 10:15; Rom. 14:17, 20; Titus 1:15.

21 Namely, of food and drink, being used moderately, and with thanksgiving, 1 Tim. 4:4.

22 Gr. make common.

1623If any man have ears to hear, let him hear.

23 See Mat. 11:15.

17Andi when he was entered into the house from the people, his disciples asked him concerning the 24parable.

i Mat. 15:15.

24 Gr. parabole, which word signifies not only a similitude, but also a particular doctrine or proverb.

18And he saith unto them, Are ye so without understanding also? Do ye not perceive, that whatsoever thing from without entereth into the man, it cannot defile him;

19Because it entereth not into his heart, but into the belly, and goeth out into the draught,j25purging all meats?

j drain, sewer

25 That is, that which is unsuitable for nourishment is thereby cast out as unclean, and the remaining food is purged thereby.

20And he said, That which cometh out of the man, that defileth the man.

21Fork from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil 26thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders,

k Gen. 6:5; 8:21; Prov. 6:14; Jer. 17:9.

26 Or, reasonings, devices, or, dialogues.

22Thefts, 27covetousness, wickedness, deceit, 28lasciviousness,l an 29evil eye, blasphemy, pride, 30foolishness:

27 Or, desires to have always more and more.

28 Or, immodesty, lewdness.

l lustfulness, sexual wantonness, indecency

29 That is, anger, or envy. See Mat. 20:15.

30 Or, want of understanding.

23All these evil things 31come from within, and defile the man.

31 That is, have their origin in the heart, and are afterwards accomplished outwardly. See James 1:15.

24¶Andm from thence he arose, and went 32into the borders of Tyre and Sidon, and entered into an house, and would have no man know it: but he could not be hid.

m Mat. 15:21.

32 That is, thereabouts. For, it appears that Christ Himself has never preached in the cities of the Gentiles. See verses 27, 31; Mat. 15:24.

25For a certain woman, whose young daughter had an unclean spirit, heard of him, and came and fell at his feet:

26The woman was a 33Greek, a 34Syrophenician 35by nation; and she besought him that he would cast forth the devil out of her daughter.

33 That is, a Gentile, as the Jews and Greeks are everywhere placed one over against the other.

34 For Tyre and Sidon were located in Phoenicia, which was a part of Syria, situated at the Mediterranean Sea.

35 That is, by descent.

27But Jesus said unto her, Let the children first be filled: for it is not 36meet to take the children's bread, and to cast it unto the 37dogs.

36 Gr. honest, or good.

37 See Mat. 15:26.

28And she answered and said unto him, Yes, Lord: yet the dogs under the table eat of the children's crumbs.

29And he said unto her, For this 38saying go thy way; the devil is gone out of thy daughter.

38 Namely, wherewith thou hast testified thy faith and trust in Me.

30And when she was come to her house, she found the devil 39gone out, and her daughter 40laid upon the bed.

39 Or, departed.

40 Gr. cast.

31¶Andn again, departing from the coasts of Tyre and Sidon, he came unto the sea of Galilee, through the midst of the coasts of 41Decapolis.

n Mat. 15:29.

41 See of this country, Mat. 4:25.

32Ando they bring unto him one that was deaf, and had an impediment in his speech; and they beseech him to put 42his hand upon him.

o Mat. 9:32; Luke 11:14.

42 Namely, to heal him, seeing He was accustomed to do it with the laying on of His hands by touching and other outward gestures.

33And he took him 43aside from the multitude, and 44put his fingers into his ears, and he spit, and touched his tongue;

43 Or, alone.

44 These signs Christ has used, because there is some resemblance between them and the power of God in the boring through of the ears and loosing of the tongue.

34And looking 45up to heaven, he 46sighed, and saith unto him, Ephphatha, that is, Be opened.

45 Namely, to pray to His Father, as may be seen in John 11:41.

46 Namely, out of compassion on the human miseries, of which this man was as a representation.

35And straightway his ears were opened, and the string of his tongue was loosed, and he spake plain.

36And he charged them that they should tell 47no man: but the more he charged them, so much the 48more a great deal they published it;

47 The reason hereof, see Mat. 12:16, etc.

48 Gr. more abundantly.

37And were beyond measure astonished, saying, Hep hath done all things well: he maketh both the deaf to hear, and the dumb to speak.

p Gen. 1:31.