The Tradition of the Elders
This account has no direct connection with what...
This account has no direct connection with what precedes it. It assumes only a context such as “Once in the ministry of Jesus.” After setting the scene (7:1–4), Mark introduces the Pharisees’ question (7:5), followed by Jesus’ response (7:6–23). The first part of Jesus’ response (7:6–13) centers around two Old Testament passages and a twofold attack on the Pharisees’ traditions (7:6–8, 9–13). In the second part (7:14–23), Jesus teaches about what does and does not truly defile.
1Then the Pharisees and some of the scribes who had come from Jerusalem gathered around Jesus,
Mark explains the Pharisaic practices of ritual cleansing...
Mark explains the Pharisaic practices of ritual cleansing for his non-Jewish (Gentile) readers. The ancient traditions (literally the traditions of the elders) were as yet unwritten accounts that the Pharisees believed had been given to Moses on Mount Sinai along with the written law. They were written down around AD 200 in the Mishnah, one of the key sources for understanding ancient Judaism.
2and they saw some of His disciples eating with hands that were defiled—that is, unwashed.
3Now in holding to the tradition of the elders, the Pharisees and all the Jews do not eat until they wash their hands ceremonially.† 4And on returning from the market, they do not eat unless they wash. And there are many other traditions for them to observe, including the washing of cups, pitchers, kettles, and couches for dining.†
5So the Pharisees and scribes questioned Jesus: “Why do Your disciples not walk according to the tradition of the elders? Instead, they eat with defiled hands.”
Jesus first responds by quoting Isa 29:13 (Greek...
Jesus first responds by quoting Isa 29:13 (Greek version), which deals with the farce of equating man-made ideas with God’s commands. It describes well the situation in which the Pharisees had substituted their human tradition for God’s law.
6Jesus answered them, “Isaiah prophesied correctly about you hypocrites, as it is written:
‘These people honor Me with their lips,but their hearts are far from Me.7They worship Me in vain;they teach as doctrine the precepts of men.’†8You have disregarded the commandment of God to keep the tradition of men.”†
Next, Jesus provides an instance where the Pharisees’...
Next, Jesus provides an instance where the Pharisees’ traditions contradicted God’s law and allowed them to sidestep its requirements.
9He went on to say, “You neatly set aside the command of God to maintain† your own tradition. 10For Moses said, ‘Honor your father and your mother’† and ‘Anyone who curses his father or mother must be put to death.’†
But you say: The contrast with God’s law...
- But you say: The contrast with God’s law is emphatic—their tradition repudiated God’s command for people to honor their parents by providing for their needs.
- ‘For I have vowed to give to God what I would have given to you’: The tradition said that people could sidestep their obligation to support their parents by dedicating some of their resources to God, thus disregarding and dishonoring their needy parents.
11But you say that if a man says to his father or mother, ‘Whatever you would have received from me is Corban’ (that is, a gift devoted to God), 12he is no longer permitted to do anything for his father or mother. 13Thus you nullify the word of God by the tradition you have handed down. And you do so in many such matters.”
What Defiles a Man
Jesus’ second argument against the Pharisees was a...
Jesus’ second argument against the Pharisees was a proverb that Jesus told the crowd. Later, in the privacy of a home, Jesus explained it to his disciples (7:17–23). It concerns moral distinctions about eating. Eating affects the digestive system, but moral issues involve the heart. The heart is a metaphor for the seat of moral decision making. How a person eats (with clean or unclean hands) or what a person eats (clean or unclean food) affects only the digestive tract, so it has no bearing on the moral issues of the soul. To help his later readers understand the implications of Jesus’ teaching, Mark adds the interpretive comment By saying this, he declared that every kind of food is acceptable in God’s eyes. In the apostolic church, Peter and Paul were instrumental in bringing this implication to light (see Acts 10:1–11:18; Rom 14:14; 1 Cor 8:8; Gal 2:11–21).
14Once again Jesus called the crowd to Him and said, “All of you, listen to Me and understand: 15Nothing that enters a man from the outside can defile him; but the things that come out of a man, these are what defile him.”†
17After Jesus had left the crowd and gone into the house, His disciples inquired about the parable.
18“Are you still so dull?” He asked. “Do you not understand? Nothing that enters a man from the outside can defile him, 19because it does not enter his heart, but it goes into the stomach and then is eliminated.” (Thus all foods are clean.)†
These verses summarize thirteen things that truly defile...
These verses summarize thirteen things that truly defile a person. These actions and vices all come from the heart.
20He continued: “What comes out of a man, that is what defiles him. 21For from within the hearts of men come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery,† 22greed, wickedness, deceit, debauchery, envy, slander, arrogance, and foolishness. 23All these evils come from within, and these are what defile a man.”
The Faith of the Gentile Woman
The discussion of clean and unclean and of...
The discussion of clean and unclean and of undefiled and defiled in 7:1–23 has prepared readers for the story of the Gentile woman’s faith. For Jews, Gentiles were defiled by definition, because they did not keep the regulations of the Torah (see Acts 10:1–11:18, especially 10:14–15; 11:2–3, 8–9).
24Jesus left that place and went to the region of Tyre.† Not wanting anyone to know He was there, He entered a house, but was unable to escape their notice.
The woman was from Syrian Phoenicia and therefore...
The woman was from Syrian Phoenicia and therefore a Gentile. The urgency and intensity of the woman’s petition is seen in her falling at Jesus’ feet and begging.
25Instead, a woman whose little daughter had an unclean spirit soon heard about Jesus, and she came and fell at His feet. 26Now she was a Greek woman of Syrophoenician origin, and she kept asking Jesus to drive the demon out of her daughter.
Jesus’ reply to the woman seems like a...
- Jesus’ reply to the woman seems like a harsh refusal, but their interaction indicates that he wanted to see her faith (cp. Matt 15:28).
- Jesus’ use of first did not exclude her as a Gentile from the grace of God but indicated that his mission was first to the Jews (Acts 13:46; Rom 1:16). The woman responded to Jesus’ words with humility and faith. She acknowledged the priority of the Jewish people but argued that there was more than enough food for the dogs as well. (In Jewish literature, Gentiles were frequently referred to as dogs, which were seen as filthy scavengers rather than as adorable pets; see also study note on Rev 22:15.) The woman’s persistence and acknowledgment of Jesus as Lord were rewarded.
27“First let the children have their fill,” He said. “For it is not right to take the children’s bread and toss it to the dogs.”
28“Yes, Lord,” she replied, “even the dogs† under the table eat the children’s crumbs.”
For similar healings from a distance, see Matt...
For similar healings from a distance, see Matt 8:5–13 // Luke 7:1–10 and John 4:46–54.
29Then Jesus told her, “Because of this answer, you may go. The demon has left your daughter.” 30And she went home and found her child lying on the bed, and the demon was gone.
The Deaf and Mute Man
This miracle is very similar in order and...
- This miracle is very similar in order and vocabulary to the healing of the blind man in 8:22–26. Healing miracles in the Gospels follow a similar pattern—the constant telling and retelling of similar stories probably standardized their form and wording.
- This healing miracle includes a change of scene. Although some interpret the next miracle as occurring in the Gentile world (Sidon or Decapolis), it probably took place after Jesus returned to the Sea of Galilee. The next incident takes place there (8:10) without a change of scene.
31Then Jesus left the region of Tyre and went through Sidon to the Sea of Galilee and into the region of the Decapolis.† 32Some people brought to Him a man who was deaf and hardly able to speak, and they begged Jesus to place His hand on him.
33So Jesus took him aside privately, away from the crowd, and put His fingers into the man’s ears. Then He spit and touched the man’s tongue. 34And looking up to heaven, He sighed deeply and said to him, “Ephphatha!” (which means, “Be opened!”). 35Immediately† the man’s ears were opened and his tongue was released, and he began to speak plainly.
Despite his desire to avoid attention, Jesus’ greatness...
Despite his desire to avoid attention, Jesus’ greatness shone too brightly—his person, his teaching, and his ability to heal inspired awe, and he could not be hidden.
36Jesus ordered them not to tell anyone. But the more He ordered them, the more widely they proclaimed it. 37The people were utterly astonished and said, “He has done all things well! He makes even the deaf hear and the mute speak!”