The Traditions of the Elders

The(A) Pharisees(B) and some of the scribes(C) who had come from Jerusalem(D) gathered around Him. They observed that some of His disciples were eating their bread with unclean(E)—that is, unwashed—hands. (For the Pharisees, in fact all the Jews, will not eat unless they wash their hands ritually, keeping the tradition of the elders. When they come from the marketplace,(F) they do not eat unless they have washed.(G) And there are many other customs they have received and keep, like the washing of cups, jugs, copper utensils, and dining couches.[a](H)) Then the Pharisees(I) and the scribes(J) asked Him, “Why don’t Your disciples live according to the tradition of the elders,(K) instead of eating bread with ritually unclean[b] hands?”

He answered them, “Isaiah(L) prophesied(M) correctly about you hypocrites,(N) as it is written:(O)

These people honor(P) Me with their lips,
but their heart is far from Me.
They worship Me in vain,
teaching(Q) as doctrines(R) the commands(S) of men.(T)[c]

Disregarding the command of God, you keep the tradition of men.”[d] He also said to them, “You completely invalidate God’s command in order to maintain[e] your tradition! 10 For Moses(U) said:

Honor your father and your mother;(V)[f] and
Whoever speaks evil of father or mother
must be put to death.(W)[g]

11 But you say, ‘If a man tells his father or mother: Whatever benefit(X) you might have received from me is Corban’” (that is, a gift(Y) committed to the temple), 12 “you no longer let him do anything for his father or mother. 13 You revoke God’s word(Z) by your tradition that you have handed(AA) down. And you do many other similar things.” 14 Summoning(AB) the crowd again, He told them, “Listen to Me, all of you, and understand:(AC) 15 Nothing that goes into a person from outside can defile him, but the things that come out of a person are what defile him. [16 If anyone has ears to hear, he should listen!]”[h]

17 When He went into the house away from the crowd, the disciples asked Him about the parable. 18 And He said to them, “Are you also as lacking in understanding? Don’t you realize that nothing going into a man from the outside can defile him? 19 For it doesn’t go into his heart but into the stomach(AD) and is eliminated.”[i] (As a result, He made all foods clean.[j](AE)) 20 Then He said, “What comes out of a person—that defiles him. 21 For from within, out of people’s hearts, come evil thoughts, sexual immoralities,(AF) thefts, murders,(AG) 22 adulteries,(AH) greed,(AI) evil actions, deceit,(AJ) promiscuity,(AK) stinginess,[k] blasphemy,(AL) pride,(AM) and foolishness.(AN) 23 All these evil things come from within and defile a person.”

A Gentile Mother’s Faith

24 He got up and departed from(AO) there to the region of Tyre(AP) and Sidon.[l](AQ) He entered a house and did not want anyone to know it, but He could not escape notice. 25 Instead, immediately after hearing about Him, a woman whose little daughter had an unclean spirit(AR) came and fell at His feet.(AS) 26 Now the woman was Greek,(AT) a Syrophoenician by birth, and she kept asking Him to drive the demon(AU) out of her daughter. 27 He said to her, “Allow the children to be satisfied first, because it isn’t right to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs.”(AV)

28 But she replied to Him, “Lord,(AW) even the dogs under the table eat the children’s crumbs.”

29 Then He told her, “Because of this reply, you may go. The demon has gone out of your daughter.” 30 When she went back to her home, she found her child lying on the bed, and the demon was gone.

Jesus Does Everything Well

31 Again, leaving the region of Tyre,(AX) He went by way of Sidon to the Sea of Galilee,(AY) through[m] the region of the Decapolis.(AZ) 32 They brought to Him a deaf(BA) man who also had a speech difficulty,(BB) and begged Jesus to lay His hand on(BC) him. 33 So He took him away from the crowd privately. After putting His fingers in the man’s ears and spitting,(BD) He touched his tongue. 34 Then, looking up to heaven,(BE) He sighed deeply and said to him, “Ephphatha!”[n] (that is, “Be opened!”). 35 Immediately his ears were opened,(BF) his speech difficulty was removed,[o] and he began to speak clearly.(BG) 36 Then He ordered them to tell no one,(BH) but the more He would order them, the more they would proclaim(BI) it.

37 They were extremely astonished and said, “He has done everything well!(BJ) He even makes deaf(BK) people hear, and people unable to speak,(BL) talk!”

Footnotes

  1. Mark 7:4 Other mss omit and dining couches
  2. Mark 7:5 Other mss read with unwashed
  3. Mark 7:7 Is 29:13
  4. Mark 7:8 Other mss add The washing of jugs, and cups, and many other similar things you practice.
  5. Mark 7:9 Other mss read to establish
  6. Mark 7:10 Ex 20:12; Dt 5:16
  7. Mark 7:10 Ex 21:17; Lv 20:9
  8. Mark 7:16 Other mss omit bracketed text
  9. Mark 7:19 Lit goes out into the toilet
  10. Mark 7:19 Other mss read is eliminated, making all foods clean.”
  11. Mark 7:22 Lit evil eye
  12. Mark 7:24 Other mss omit and Sidon
  13. Mark 7:31 Or into
  14. Mark 7:34 An Aram expression
  15. Mark 7:35 Lit opened, the bond of his tongue was untied

And there are gathered together unto him the Pharisees, and certain of the scribes, who had come from Jerusalem, and had seen that some of his disciples ate their bread with [a]defiled, that is, unwashen, hands. (For the Pharisees, and all the Jews, except they wash their hands [b]diligently, eat not, holding the tradition of the elders; and when they come from the marketplace, except they [c]bathe themselves, they eat not; and many other things there are, which they have received to hold, [d]washings of cups, and pots, and brasen vessels[e].) And the Pharisees and the scribes ask him, Why walk not thy disciples according to the tradition of the elders, but eat their bread with [f]defiled hands? And he said unto them, Well did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written,

[g]This people honoreth me with their lips,
But their heart is far from me.
But in vain do they worship me,
Teaching as their doctrines the precepts of men.

Ye leave the commandment of God, and hold fast the tradition of men. And he said unto them, Full well do ye reject the commandment of God, that ye may keep your tradition. 10 For Moses said, [h]Honor thy father and thy mother; and, He that speaketh evil of father or mother, let him [i]die the death: 11 but ye say, If a man shall say to his father or his mother, That wherewith thou mightest have been profited by me is Corban, that is to say, Given to God; 12 ye no longer suffer him to do aught for his father or his mother; 13 making void the word of God by your tradition, which ye have delivered: and many such like things ye do. 14 And he called to him the multitude again, and said unto them, Hear me all of you, and understand: 15 there is nothing from without the man, that going into him can defile him; but the things which proceed out of the man are those that defile the man.[j] 17 And when he was entered into the house from the multitude, his disciples asked of him the parable. 18 And he saith unto them, Are ye so without understanding also? Perceive ye not, that whatsoever from without goeth into the man, it cannot defile him; 19 because it goeth not into his heart, but into his belly, and goeth out into the draught? This he said, making all meats clean. 20 And he said, That which proceedeth out of the man, that defileth the man. 21 For from within, out of the heart of men, [k]evil thoughts proceed, fornications, thefts, murders, adulteries, 22 covetings, wickednesses, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, railing, pride, foolishness: 23 all these evil things proceed from within, and defile the man.

24 And from thence he arose, and went away into the borders of Tyre [l]and Sidon. And he entered into a house, and would have no man know it; and he could not be hid. 25 But straightway a woman, whose little daughter had an unclean spirit, having heard of him, came and fell down at his feet. 26 Now the woman was a [m]Greek, a Syrophoenician by race. And she besought him that he would cast forth the demon out of her daughter. 27 And he said unto her, Let the children first be filled: for it is not meet to take the children’s [n]bread and cast it to the dogs. 28 But she answered and saith unto him, Yea, Lord; even the dogs under the table eat of the children’s crumbs. 29 And he said unto her, For this saying go thy way; the demon is gone out of thy daughter. 30 And she went away unto her house, and found the child laid upon the bed, and the demon gone out.

31 And again he went out from the borders of Tyre, and came through Sidon unto the sea of Galilee, through the midst of the borders of Decapolis. 32 And they bring unto him one that was deaf, and had an impediment in his speech; and they beseech him to lay his hand upon him. 33 And he took him aside from the multitude privately, and put his fingers into his ears, and he spat, and touched his tongue; 34 and looking up to heaven, he sighed, and saith unto him, Ephphatha, that is, Be opened. 35 And his ears were opened, and the bond of his tongue was loosed, and he spake plain. 36 And he charged them that they should tell no man: but the more he charged them, so much the more a great deal they published it. 37 And they were beyond measure astonished, saying, He hath done all things well; he maketh even the deaf to hear, and the dumb to speak.

Footnotes

  1. Mark 7:2 Or, common
  2. Mark 7:3 Or, up to the elbow. Greek with the fist.
  3. Mark 7:4 Greek baptize. Some ancient authorities read sprinkle themselves.
  4. Mark 7:4 Greek baptizings.
  5. Mark 7:4 Many ancient authorities add and couches.
  6. Mark 7:5 Or, common
  7. Mark 7:6 Isa. 29:13.
  8. Mark 7:10 Ex. 20:12; Dt. 5:16; Ex. 21:17; Lev. 20:9.
  9. Mark 7:10 Or, surely die
  10. Mark 7:15 Many ancient authorities insert verse 16 If any man hath ears to hear, let him hear. See 4:9.
  11. Mark 7:21 Greek thoughts that are evil.
  12. Mark 7:24 Some ancient authorities omit and Sidon.
  13. Mark 7:26 Or, Gentile
  14. Mark 7:27 Or, loaf