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Traditions and Commandments

(A)Now when the Pharisees gathered to him, with some of the scribes (B)who had come from Jerusalem, they saw that some of his disciples ate with hands that were (C)defiled, that is, unwashed. (For the Pharisees and all the Jews do not eat unless they wash[a] their hands, holding to (D)the tradition of (E)the elders, and when they come from the market-place, they do not eat unless they wash.[b] And there are many other traditions that they observe, such as (F)the washing of (G)cups and pots and copper vessels and dining couches.[c]) And the Pharisees and the scribes asked him, “Why do your disciples not walk according to (H)the tradition of (I)the elders, (J)but eat with (K)defiled hands?” And he said to them, “Well did Isaiah prophesy of you (L)hypocrites, as it is written,

(M)“‘This people honours me with their lips,
    but their heart is far from me;
in vain do they worship me,
    teaching as (N)doctrines the commandments of men.’

You leave the commandment of God and hold to the tradition of men.”

And he said to them, “You have a fine way of (O)rejecting the commandment of God in order to establish your tradition! 10 For Moses said, (P)‘Honour your father and your mother’; and, (Q)‘Whoever reviles father or mother must surely die.’ 11 But you say, ‘If a man tells his father or his mother, “Whatever you would have gained from me is Corban”’ (that is, given to God)[d] 12 then you no longer permit him to do anything for his father or mother, 13 thus (R)making void the word of God by your tradition that you have handed down. And many such things you do.”

What Defiles a Person

14 And he called the people to him again and said to them, (S)“Hear me, all of you, and understand: 15 (T)There is nothing outside a person that by going into him can defile him, but the things that come out of a person are what defile him.”[e] 17 And when he had entered (U)the house and left the people, (V)his disciples asked him about the parable. 18 And he said to them, “Then (W)are you also without understanding? Do you not see that whatever goes into a person from outside cannot defile him, 19 since it enters not his heart (X)but his stomach, and is expelled?”[f] ((Y)Thus he declared all foods clean.) 20 And he said, (Z)“What comes out of a person is what defiles him. 21 For from within, out of the heart of man, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, (AA)murder, adultery, 22 coveting, wickedness, deceit, (AB)sensuality, (AC)envy, (AD)slander, (AE)pride, (AF)foolishness. 23 (AG)All these evil things come from within, and they defile a person.”

The Syrophoenician Woman's Faith

24 And from there he arose and went away to the region of Tyre and Sidon.[g] And he entered a house and did not want anyone to know, yet he could not be hidden. 25 But immediately a woman whose little daughter had an unclean spirit heard of him and came and fell down at his feet. 26 (AH)Now the woman was a (AI)Gentile, (AJ)a Syrophoenician by birth. And she begged him to cast the demon out of her daughter. 27 And he said to her, “Let the children be (AK)fed first, for it is not right to take the children's bread and (AL)throw it to the dogs.” 28 But she answered him, “Yes, Lord; yet even the dogs under the table eat the children's (AM)crumbs.” 29 And he said to her, “For this statement you may (AN)go your way; the demon has left your daughter.” 30 And she went home and found the child lying in bed and the demon gone.

Jesus Heals a Deaf Man

31 (AO)Then he returned from the region of Tyre and went through Sidon to (AP)the Sea of Galilee, in the region of the (AQ)Decapolis. 32 And they brought to him (AR)a man who was deaf and (AS)had a speech impediment, and they begged him to (AT)lay his hand on him. 33 And (AU)taking him aside from the crowd privately, he put his fingers into his ears, and (AV)after spitting touched his tongue. 34 And (AW)looking up to heaven, (AX)he sighed and said to him, “Ephphatha”, that is, “Be opened.” 35 (AY)And his ears were opened, his tongue was released, and he spoke plainly. 36 And (AZ)Jesus[h] charged them to tell no one. But (BA)the more he charged them, the more zealously they proclaimed it. 37 And they were (BB)astonished beyond measure, saying, “He has done all things well. He even makes the deaf hear and the mute speak.”

Footnotes

  1. Mark 7:3 Greek unless they wash with a fist, probably indicating a kind of ceremonial washing
  2. Mark 7:4 Greek unless they baptize; some manuscripts unless they purify themselves
  3. Mark 7:4 Some manuscripts omit and dining couches
  4. Mark 7:11 Or an offering
  5. Mark 7:15 Some manuscripts add verse 16: If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear
  6. Mark 7:19 Greek goes out into the latrine
  7. Mark 7:24 Some manuscripts omit and Sidon
  8. Mark 7:36 Greek he

The Source of Your Pollution

1-4 The Pharisees, along with some religion scholars who had come from Jerusalem, gathered around him. They noticed that some of his disciples weren’t being careful with ritual washings before meals. The Pharisees—Jews in general, in fact—would never eat a meal without going through the motions of a ritual hand-washing, with an especially vigorous scrubbing if they had just come from the market (to say nothing of the scourings they’d give jugs and pots and pans).

The Pharisees and religion scholars asked, “Why do your disciples brush off the rules, showing up at meals without washing their hands?”

6-8 Jesus answered, “Isaiah was right about frauds like you, hit the bull’s-eye in fact:

These people make a big show of saying the right thing,
    but their heart isn’t in it.
They act like they are worshiping me,
    but they don’t mean it.
They just use me as a cover
    for teaching whatever suits their fancy,
Ditching God’s command
    and taking up the latest fads.”

9-13 He went on, “Well, good for you. You get rid of God’s command so you won’t be inconvenienced in following the religious fashions! Moses said, ‘Respect your father and mother,’ and, ‘Anyone denouncing father or mother should be killed.’ But you weasel out of that by saying that it’s perfectly acceptable to say to father or mother, ‘Gift! What I owed you I’ve given as a gift to God,’ thus relieving yourselves of obligation to father or mother. You scratch out God’s Word and scrawl a whim in its place. You do a lot of things like this.”

14-15 Jesus called the crowd together again and said, “Listen now, all of you—take this to heart. It’s not what you swallow that pollutes your life; it’s what you vomit—that’s the real pollution.”

17 When he was back home after being with the crowd, his disciples said, “We don’t get it. Put it in plain language.”

18-19 Jesus said, “Are you being willfully stupid? Don’t you see that what you swallow can’t contaminate you? It doesn’t enter your heart but your stomach, works its way through the intestines, and is finally flushed.” (That took care of dietary quibbling; Jesus was saying that all foods are fit to eat.)

20-23 He went on: “It’s what comes out of a person that pollutes: obscenities, lusts, thefts, murders, adulteries, greed, depravity, deceptive dealings, carousing, mean looks, slander, arrogance, foolishness—all these are vomit from the heart. There is the source of your pollution.”

* * *

24-26 From there Jesus set out for the vicinity of Tyre. He entered a house there where he didn’t think he would be found, but he couldn’t escape notice. He was barely inside when a woman who had a disturbed daughter heard where he was. She came and knelt at his feet, begging for help. The woman was Greek, Syro-Phoenician by birth. She asked him to cure her daughter.

27 He said, “Stand in line and take your turn. The children get fed first. If there’s any left over, the dogs get it.”

28 She said, “Of course, Master. But don’t dogs under the table get scraps dropped by the children?”

29-30 Jesus was impressed. “You’re right! On your way! Your daughter is no longer disturbed. The demonic affliction is gone.” She went home and found her daughter relaxed on the bed, the torment gone for good.

31-35 Then he left the region of Tyre, went through Sidon back to Galilee Lake and over to the district of the Ten Towns. Some people brought a man who could neither hear nor speak and asked Jesus to lay a healing hand on him. He took the man off by himself, put his fingers in the man’s ears and some spit on the man’s tongue. Then Jesus looked up in prayer, groaned mightily, and commanded, “Ephphatha!—Open up!” And it happened. The man’s hearing was clear and his speech plain—just like that.

36-37 Jesus urged them to keep it quiet, but they talked it up all the more, beside themselves with excitement. “He’s done it all and done it well. He gives hearing to the deaf, speech to the speechless.”

Jesus Teaches about Inner Purity

One day some Pharisees and teachers of religious law arrived from Jerusalem to see Jesus. They noticed that some of his disciples failed to follow the Jewish ritual of hand washing before eating. (The Jews, especially the Pharisees, do not eat until they have poured water over their cupped hands,[a] as required by their ancient traditions. Similarly, they don’t eat anything from the market until they immerse their hands[b] in water. This is but one of many traditions they have clung to—such as their ceremonial washing of cups, pitchers, and kettles.[c])

So the Pharisees and teachers of religious law asked him, “Why don’t your disciples follow our age-old tradition? They eat without first performing the hand-washing ceremony.”

Jesus replied, “You hypocrites! Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you, for he wrote,

‘These people honor me with their lips,
    but their hearts are far from me.
Their worship is a farce,
    for they teach man-made ideas as commands from God.’[d]

For you ignore God’s law and substitute your own tradition.”

Then he said, “You skillfully sidestep God’s law in order to hold on to your own tradition. 10 For instance, Moses gave you this law from God: ‘Honor your father and mother,’[e] and ‘Anyone who speaks disrespectfully of father or mother must be put to death.’[f] 11 But you say it is all right for people to say to their parents, ‘Sorry, I can’t help you. For I have vowed to give to God what I would have given to you.’[g] 12 In this way, you let them disregard their needy parents. 13 And so you cancel the word of God in order to hand down your own tradition. And this is only one example among many others.”

14 Then Jesus called to the crowd to come and hear. “All of you listen,” he said, “and try to understand. 15 It’s not what goes into your body that defiles you; you are defiled by what comes from your heart.[h]

17 Then Jesus went into a house to get away from the crowd, and his disciples asked him what he meant by the parable he had just used. 18 “Don’t you understand either?” he asked. “Can’t you see that the food you put into your body cannot defile you? 19 Food doesn’t go into your heart, but only passes through the stomach and then goes into the sewer.” (By saying this, he declared that every kind of food is acceptable in God’s eyes.)

20 And then he added, “It is what comes from inside that defiles you. 21 For from within, out of a person’s heart, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, 22 adultery, greed, wickedness, deceit, lustful desires, envy, slander, pride, and foolishness. 23 All these vile things come from within; they are what defile you.”

The Faith of a Gentile Woman

24 Then Jesus left Galilee and went north to the region of Tyre.[i] He didn’t want anyone to know which house he was staying in, but he couldn’t keep it a secret. 25 Right away a woman who had heard about him came and fell at his feet. Her little girl was possessed by an evil[j] spirit, 26 and she begged him to cast out the demon from her daughter.

Since she was a Gentile, born in Syrian Phoenicia, 27 Jesus told her, “First I should feed the children—my own family, the Jews.[k] It isn’t right to take food from the children and throw it to the dogs.”

28 She replied, “That’s true, Lord, but even the dogs under the table are allowed to eat the scraps from the children’s plates.”

29 “Good answer!” he said. “Now go home, for the demon has left your daughter.” 30 And when she arrived home, she found her little girl lying quietly in bed, and the demon was gone.

Jesus Heals a Deaf Man

31 Jesus left Tyre and went up to Sidon before going back to the Sea of Galilee and the region of the Ten Towns.[l] 32 A deaf man with a speech impediment was brought to him, and the people begged Jesus to lay his hands on the man to heal him.

33 Jesus led him away from the crowd so they could be alone. He put his fingers into the man’s ears. Then, spitting on his own fingers, he touched the man’s tongue. 34 Looking up to heaven, he sighed and said, “Ephphatha,” which means, “Be opened!” 35 Instantly the man could hear perfectly, and his tongue was freed so he could speak plainly!

36 Jesus told the crowd not to tell anyone, but the more he told them not to, the more they spread the news. 37 They were completely amazed and said again and again, “Everything he does is wonderful. He even makes the deaf to hear and gives speech to those who cannot speak.”

Footnotes

  1. 7:3 Greek have washed with the fist.
  2. 7:4a Some manuscripts read sprinkle themselves.
  3. 7:4b Some manuscripts add and dining couches.
  4. 7:7 Isa 29:13 (Greek version).
  5. 7:10a Exod 20:12; Deut 5:16.
  6. 7:10b Exod 21:17 (Greek version); Lev 20:9 (Greek version).
  7. 7:11 Greek ‘What I would have given to you is Corban’ (that is, a gift).
  8. 7:15 Some manuscripts add verse 16, Anyone with ears to hear should listen and understand. Compare 4:9, 23.
  9. 7:24 Some manuscripts add and Sidon.
  10. 7:25 Greek unclean.
  11. 7:27 Greek Let the children eat first.
  12. 7:31 Greek Decapolis.

That which defiles

The Pharisees and some of the teachers of the law who had come from Jerusalem gathered round Jesus and saw some of his disciples eating food with hands that were defiled, that is, unwashed. (The Pharisees and all the Jews do not eat unless they give their hands a ceremonial washing, holding to the tradition of the elders. When they come from the market-place they do not eat unless they wash. And they observe many other traditions, such as the washing of cups, pitchers and kettles.[a])

So the Pharisees and teachers of the law asked Jesus, ‘Why don’t your disciples live according to the tradition of the elders instead of eating their food with defiled hands?’

He replied, ‘Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you hypocrites; as it is written:

‘“These people honour me with their lips,
    but their hearts are far from me.
They worship me in vain;
    their teachings are merely human rules.”[b]

You have let go of the commands of God and are holding on to human traditions.’

And he continued, ‘You have a fine way of setting aside the commands of God in order to observe[c] your own traditions! 10 For Moses said, “Honour your father and mother,”[d] and, “Anyone who curses their father or mother is to be put to death.”[e] 11 But you say that if anyone declares that what might have been used to help their father or mother is Corban (that is, devoted to God) – 12 then you no longer let them do anything for their father or mother. 13 Thus you nullify the word of God by your tradition that you have handed down. And you do many things like that.’

14 Again Jesus called the crowd to him and said, ‘Listen to me, everyone, and understand this. 15 Nothing outside a person can defile them by going into them. Rather, it is what comes out of a person that defiles them.’ [f]

17 After he had left the crowd and entered the house, his disciples asked him about this parable. 18 ‘Are you so dull?’ he asked. ‘Don’t you see that nothing that enters a person from the outside can defile them? 19 For it doesn’t go into their heart but into their stomach, and then out of the body.’ (In saying this, Jesus declared all foods clean.)

20 He went on: ‘What comes out of a person is what defiles them. 21 For it is from within, out of a person’s heart, that evil thoughts come – sexual immorality, theft, murder, 22 adultery, greed, malice, deceit, lewdness, envy, slander, arrogance and folly. 23 All these evils come from inside and defile a person.’

Jesus honours a Syro-Phoenician woman’s faith

24 Jesus left that place and went to the vicinity of Tyre.[g] He entered a house and did not want anyone to know it; yet he could not keep his presence secret. 25 In fact, as soon as she heard about him, a woman whose little daughter was possessed by an impure spirit came and fell at his feet. 26 The woman was a Greek, born in Syrian Phoenicia. She begged Jesus to drive the demon out of her daughter.

27 ‘First let the children eat all they want,’ he told her, ‘for it is not right to take the children’s bread and toss it to the dogs.’

28 ‘Lord,’ she replied, ‘even the dogs under the table eat the children’s crumbs.’

29 Then he told her, ‘For such a reply, you may go; the demon has left your daughter.’

30 She went home and found her child lying on the bed, and the demon gone.

Jesus heals a deaf and mute man

31 Then Jesus left the vicinity of Tyre and went through Sidon, down to the Sea of Galilee and into the region of the Decapolis.[h] 32 There some people brought to him a man who was deaf and could hardly talk, and they begged Jesus to place his hand on him.

33 After he took him aside, away from the crowd, Jesus put his fingers into the man’s ears. Then he spat and touched the man’s tongue. 34 He looked up to heaven and with a deep sigh said to him, ‘Ephphatha!’ (which means ‘Be opened!’). 35 At this, the man’s ears were opened, his tongue was loosed and he began to speak plainly.

36 Jesus commanded them not to tell anyone. But the more he did so, the more they kept talking about it. 37 People were overwhelmed with amazement. ‘He has done everything well,’ they said. ‘He even makes the deaf hear and the mute speak.’

Footnotes

  1. Mark 7:4 Some early manuscripts pitchers, kettles and dining couches
  2. Mark 7:7 Isaiah 29:13
  3. Mark 7:9 Some manuscripts set up
  4. Mark 7:10 Exodus 20:12; Deut. 5:16
  5. Mark 7:10 Exodus 21:17; Lev. 20:9
  6. Mark 7:16 Some manuscripts include here the words of 4:23.
  7. Mark 7:24 Many early manuscripts Tyre and Sidon
  8. Mark 7:31 That is, the Ten Cities

· kai The ho Pharisees Pharisaios and kai some tis of the ho scribes grammateus who had come erchomai from apo Jerusalem Hierosolyma gathered synagō around pros Jesus autos and kai noticed that hoti some tis of ho his autos disciples mathētēs were eating esthiō the ho loaves artos with hands cheir that were defiled koinos, that houtos is eimi, unwashed aniptos. ( For gar the ho Pharisees Pharisaios and kai all pas the ho Jews Ioudaios do esthiō not ou eat esthiō unless ean mē they ceremonially pygmē wash niptō their ho hands cheir, thus maintaining krateō the ho tradition paradosis of the ho elders presbyteros. · kai They do esthiō not ou eat esthiō anything from apo the marketplace agora unless ean mē it is purified baptizō by washing . And kai there are eimi many polys other allos customs that hos they have received paralambanō as tradition to keep krateō, like the washing baptismos of cups potērion, · kai pots xestēs, · kai copper chalkion bowls , and kai dining klinē couches .) And kai the ho Pharisees Pharisaios and kai · ho scribes grammateus asked eperōtaō him autos, “ Why dia tis do your sy disciples mathētēs not ou walk peripateō · ho according kata to the ho tradition paradosis of the ho elders presbyteros, but alla eat esthiō their ho bread artos with defiled koinos hands cheir?” And de he ho said legō to them autos, “ Isaiah ēsaias prophesied prophēteuō accurately kalōs about peri you hymeis · ho hypocrites hypokritēs, as hōs it is written graphō: ‘ This houtos · ho people laos honors timaō me egō with their ho lips cheilos, · ho but de their autos heart kardia is apechō far porrō from apo me egō. In vain matēn · de do they worship sebō me egō, teaching didaskō as doctrines didaskalia the precepts entalma of men anthrōpos.’ Neglecting aphiēmi the ho command entolē of ho God theos, you maintain krateō the ho tradition paradosis of ho men anthrōpos.”

And kai he said legō to them autos, “You are clever kalōs at setting atheteō aside the ho command entolē of ho God theos in order hina to · ho establish histēmi your own hymeis tradition paradosis. 10 For gar Moses Mōysēs said legō, ‘ Honor timaō · ho your sy father patēr and kai · ho your sy mother mētēr,’ and kai, ‘ Whoever ho speaks kakologeō evil of father patēr or ē mother mētēr must be put teleutaō to death thanatos.’ 11 But de you hymeis say legō, ‘ If ean a man anthrōpos says legō to his ho father patēr or ē · ho mother mētēr, “ Whatever hos ean help you might have received ōpheleō from ek me egō is Corban korban” ( that hos is eimi, given dōron to God), 12 then you no ouketi longer allow aphiēmi him autos to do poieō anything oudeis for his ho father patēr or ē · ho mother mētēr. 13 Thus you invalidate akyroō the ho word logos of ho God theos with ho your hymeis tradition paradosis that hos you have handed paradidōmi down . And kai you do poieō many polys similar paromoios things toioutos.”

14 · kai Calling proskaleō the ho crowd ochlos to him again palin, he said legō to them autos, “ Listen akouō to me egō, everyone pas, and kai understand syniēmi. 15 There is eimi nothing oudeis from outside exōthen a ho man anthrōpos that enters eisporeuomai him autos that hos is able dynamai to defile koinoō him autos. Rather alla the ho things that come out ekporeuomai of ek a ho man anthrōpos are eimi the ho things that defile koinoō · ho him anthrōpos.”

17 And kai when hote Jesus entered eiserchomai eis the house oikos away apo from the ho crowd ochlos, his autos disciples mathētēs asked eperōtaō him autos · ho about the ho parable parabolē. 18 So kai he said legō to them autos, “ Are eimi you hymeis too kai so houtōs lacking asynetos in understanding ? Do you not ou know noeō that hoti whatever pas comes eisporeuomai into eis a man anthrōpos · ho from outside exōthen · ho is not ou able dynamai to defile koinoō him autos, 19 because hoti it does not ou enter eisporeuomai his autos · ho heart kardia, but alla his ho stomach koilia, and kai goes out ekporeuomai into eis the ho latrine aphedrōn?” ( Thus he declared katharizō all pas · ho foods brōma clean .) 20 And de he said legō, “ What ho comes out ekporeuomai of ek a ho person anthrōpos, that ekeinos is what defiles koinoō · ho him anthrōpos. 21 For gar from within esōthen, from ek the ho heart kardia of ho a person anthrōpos, come ekporeuomai evil kakos · ho plots dialogismos, · ho immoralities porneia, thefts klopē, murders phonos, 22 adulteries moicheia, greedy pleonexia actions , wicked ponēria deeds , deceit dolos, sensuality aselgeia, selfishness ophthalmos, slander blasphēmia, arrogance hyperēphania, lack of moral sense aphrosynē. 23 All pas these houtos · ho evil ponēros things come ekporeuomai from within esōthen, and kai they defile koinoō a ho person anthrōpos.”

24 From there ekeithen · de Jesus arose anistēmi and went aperchomai to eis the ho region horion of Tyre Tyros. · kai He entered eiserchomai a house oikia and wanted thelō no oudeis one to know ginōskō about it, yet kai he was not ou able dynamai to escape attention lanthanō. 25 But alla immediately after hearing akouō of peri him autos, a woman gynē whose hos daughter thugatrion had echō · ho an unclean akathartos spirit pneuma came erchomai and fell prospiptō at pros · ho his autos feet pous. 26 The ho · de woman gynē was eimi a Greek Hellēnis, a Syrophoenician Syrophoinikissa by ho birth genos. · kai She begged erōtaō Jesus autos to hina drive out ekballō the ho demon daimonion from ek · ho her autos daughter thugatēr. 27 · kai He said legō to her autos, “ Let aphiēmi the ho children teknon first prōton be fed chortazō, for gar it is eimi not ou right kalos to take lambanō the ho children’ s teknon bread artos · ho and kai throw ballō it to the ho dogs kynarion.” 28 · ho But de she answered apokrinomai him autos, · kai saying legō, “ Lord kyrios, even kai the ho dogs kynarion under hypokatō the ho table trapeza feed esthiō from apo the ho children’ s paidion crumbs psichion.” · ho 29 And kai he said legō to her autos, “ Because dia of this houtos · ho reply logos, you may go hypagō; the ho demon daimonion has left exerchomai · ho your sy daughter thugatēr.” 30 And kai when she arrived aperchomai at eis · ho her autos house oikos, she found heuriskō the ho child paidion lying ballō on epi the ho bed klinē, · kai the ho demon daimonion having departed exerchomai.

31 · kai Departing exerchomai again palin from ek the ho region horion of Tyre Tyros, Jesus went erchomai through dia Sidon Sidōn to eis the ho Sea thalassa of ho Galilee Galilaia, in ana the midst mesos of the ho region horion of the Decapolis Dekapolis. 32 And kai they brought pherō to him autos a deaf kōphos man · kai who could hardly speak mogilalos, and kai they begged parakaleō him autos to hina lay epitithēmi his ho hand cheir on him autos. 33 · kai Taking apolambanō him autos aside from apo the ho crowd ochlos privately kata idios, Jesus put ballō · ho his autos fingers daktylos into eis the ho man’ s autos ears ous, and kai after spitting ptyō, he touched haptō · ho his autos tongue glōssa. 34 · kai Looking anablepō up to eis · ho heaven ouranos, he gave a deep sigh stenazō and kai said legō to him autos, “ Ephphatha ephphatha!” ( that hos is eimi, “ Be opened dianoigō”). 35 And kai immediately eutheōs the man’ s autos ears akoē were opened anoigō, · ho · kai that ho which bound desmos his autos tongue glōssa was loosened lyō, · ho and kai he began to speak laleō clearly orthōs. 36 · kai Jesus ordered diastellō them autos to hina tell legō no one mēdeis, but de the more hosos he ordered diastellō them autos, the more perissoteros they autos spread kēryssō the news . 37 · kai They were absolutely hyperperissōs astonished ekplēssō, saying legō, “ He has done poieō all things pas well kalōs. · kai He makes poieō the ho deaf kōphos to hear akouō and kai the ho mute alalos to speak laleō!”