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The Tradition of the Elders

Now when the Pharisees and some of the scribes who had come from Jerusalem gathered around him, they noticed that some of his disciples were eating with defiled hands, that is, without washing them. (For the Pharisees, and all the Jews, do not eat unless they wash their hands,[a] thus observing the tradition of the elders,(A) and they do not eat anything from the market unless they wash,[b] and there are also many other traditions that they observe: the washing of cups and pots and bronze kettles and beds.[c])(B) So the Pharisees and the scribes asked him, “Why do your disciples not walk according to the tradition of the elders but eat with defiled hands?”(C) He said to them, “Isaiah prophesied rightly about you hypocrites, as it is written,

‘This people honors me with their lips,
    but their hearts are far from me;(D)
in vain do they worship me,
    teaching human precepts as doctrines.’

“You abandon the commandment of God and hold to human tradition.”(E)

Then he said to them, “You have a fine way of rejecting the commandment of God in order to keep your tradition!(F) 10 For Moses said, ‘Honor your father and your mother,’ and, ‘Whoever speaks evil of father or mother must surely die.’(G) 11 But you say that if anyone tells father or mother, ‘Whatever support you might have had from me is Corban’ (that is, an offering to God[d]),(H) 12 then you no longer permit doing anything for a father or mother, 13 thus nullifying the word of God through your tradition that you have handed on. And you do many things like this.”

14 Then he called the crowd again and said to them, “Listen to me, all of you, and understand: 15 there is nothing outside a person that by going in can defile, but the things that come out are what defile.”[e]

17 When he had left the crowd and entered the house, his disciples asked him about the parable. 18 He said to them, “So, are you also without understanding? Do you not see that whatever goes into a person from outside cannot defile, 19 since it enters not the heart but the stomach and goes out into the sewer?” (Thus he declared all foods clean.) 20 And he said, “It is what comes out of a person that defiles. 21 For it is from within, from the human heart, that evil intentions come: sexual immorality, theft, murder, 22 adultery, avarice, wickedness, deceit, debauchery, envy, slander, pride, folly. 23 All these evil things come from within, and they defile a person.”

The Syrophoenician Woman’s Faith

24 From there he set out and went away to the region of Tyre.[f] He entered a house and did not want anyone to know he was there. Yet he could not escape notice, 25 but a woman whose little daughter had an unclean spirit immediately heard about him, and she came and bowed down at his feet. 26 Now the woman was a gentile, of Syrophoenician origin. She begged him to cast the demon out of her daughter. 27 He said to her, “Let the children be fed first, for it is not fair to take the children’s food and throw it to the dogs.” 28 But she answered him, “Sir,[g] even the dogs under the table eat the children’s crumbs.” 29 Then he said to her, “For saying that, you may go—the demon has left your daughter.” 30 And when she went home, she found the child lying on the bed and the demon gone.

Jesus Cures a Deaf Man

31 Then he returned from the region of Tyre and went by way of Sidon toward the Sea of Galilee, in the region of the Decapolis. 32 They brought to him a deaf man who had an impediment in his speech, and they begged him to lay his hand on him.(I) 33 He took him aside in private, away from the crowd, and put his fingers into his ears, and he spat and touched his tongue.(J) 34 Then looking up to heaven, he sighed and said to him, “Ephphatha,” that is, “Be opened.”(K) 35 And his ears were opened, his tongue was released, and he spoke plainly.(L) 36 Then Jesus[h] ordered them to tell no one, but the more he ordered them, the more zealously they proclaimed it.(M) 37 They were astounded beyond measure, saying, “He has done everything well; he even makes the deaf to hear and the mute to speak.”

Footnotes

  1. 7.3 Meaning of Gk uncertain
  2. 7.4 Other ancient authorities read and when they come from the marketplace, they do not eat unless they purify themselves
  3. 7.4 Other ancient authorities lack and beds
  4. 7.11 Gk lacks to God
  5. 7.15 Other ancient authorities add 7.16: “If you have ears to hear, then hear”
  6. 7.24 Other ancient authorities add and Sidon
  7. 7.28 Or Lord; other ancient authorities prefix Yes
  8. 7.36 Gk he

Les pharisiens et quelques scribes, venus de Jérusalem, s'assemblèrent auprès de Jésus.

Ils virent quelques-uns de ses disciples prendre leurs repas avec des mains impures, c'est-à-dire, non lavées.

Or, les pharisiens et tous les Juifs ne mangent pas sans s'être lavé soigneusement les mains, conformément à la tradition des anciens;

et, quand ils reviennent de la place publique, ils ne mangent qu'après s'être purifiés. Ils ont encore beaucoup d'autres observances traditionnelles, comme le lavage des coupes, des cruches et des vases d'airain.

Et les pharisiens et les scribes lui demandèrent: Pourquoi tes disciples ne suivent-ils pas la tradition des anciens, mais prennent-ils leurs repas avec des mains impures?

Jésus leur répondit: Hypocrites, Ésaïe a bien prophétisé sur vous, ainsi qu'il est écrit: Ce peuple m'honore des lèvres, Mais son coeur est éloigné de moi.

C'est en vain qu'ils m'honorent, En donnant des préceptes qui sont des commandements d'hommes.

Vous abandonnez le commandement de Dieu, et vous observez la tradition des hommes.

Il leur dit encore: Vous anéantissez fort bien le commandement de Dieu, pour garder votre tradition.

10 Car Moïse a dit: Honore ton père et ta mère; et: Celui qui maudira son père ou sa mère sera puni de mort.

11 Mais vous, vous dites: Si un homme dit à son père ou à sa mère: Ce dont j'aurais pu t'assister est corban, c'est-à-dire, une offrande à Dieu,

12 vous ne le laissez plus rien faire pour son père ou pour sa mère,

13 annulant ainsi la parole de Dieu par votre tradition, que vous avez établie. Et vous faites beaucoup d'autres choses semblables.

14 Ensuite, ayant de nouveau appelé la foule à lui, il lui dit: Écoutez-moi tous, et comprenez.

15 Il n'est hors de l'homme rien qui, entrant en lui, puisse le souiller; mais ce qui sort de l'homme, c'est ce qui le souille.

16 Si quelqu'un a des oreilles pour entendre, qu'il entende.

17 Lorsqu'il fut entré dans la maison, loin de la foule, ses disciples l'interrogèrent sur cette parabole.

18 Il leur dit: Vous aussi, êtes-vous donc sans intelligence? Ne comprenez-vous pas que rien de ce qui du dehors entre dans l'homme ne peut le souiller?

19 Car cela n'entre pas dans son coeur, mais dans son ventre, puis s'en va dans les lieux secrets, qui purifient tous les aliments.

20 Il dit encore: Ce qui sort de l'homme, c'est ce qui souille l'homme.

21 Car c'est du dedans, c'est du coeur des hommes, que sortent les mauvaises pensées, les adultères, les impudicités, les meurtres,

22 les vols, les cupidités, les méchancetés, la fraude, le dérèglement, le regard envieux, la calomnie, l'orgueil, la folie.

23 Toutes ces choses mauvaises sortent du dedans, et souillent l'homme.

24 Jésus, étant parti de là, s'en alla dans le territoire de Tyr et de Sidon. Il entra dans une maison, désirant que personne ne le sût; mais il ne put rester caché.

25 Car une femme, dont la fille était possédée d'un esprit impur, entendit parler de lui, et vint se jeter à ses pieds.

26 Cette femme était grecque, syro-phénicienne d'origine. Elle le pria de chasser le démon hors de sa fille. Jésus lui dit:

27 Laisse d'abord les enfants se rassasier; car il n'est pas bien de prendre le pain des enfants, et de le jeter aux petits chiens.

28 Oui, Seigneur, lui répondit-elle, mais les petits chiens, sous la table, mangent les miettes des enfants.

29 Alors il lui dit: à cause de cette parole, va, le démon est sorti de ta fille.

30 Et, quand elle rentra dans sa maison, elle trouva l'enfant couchée sur le lit, le démon étant sorti.

31 Jésus quitta le territoire de Tyr, et revint par Sidon vers la mer de Galilée, en traversant le pays de la Décapole.

32 On lui amena un sourd, qui avait de la difficulté à parler, et on le pria de lui imposer les mains.

33 Il le prit à part loin de la foule, lui mit les doigts dans les oreilles, et lui toucha la langue avec sa propre salive;

34 puis, levant les yeux au ciel, il soupira, et dit: Éphphatha, c'est-à-dire, ouvre-toi.

35 Aussitôt ses oreilles s'ouvrirent, sa langue se délia, et il parla très bien.

36 Jésus leur recommanda de n'en parler à personne; mais plus il le leur recommanda, plus ils le publièrent.

37 Ils étaient dans le plus grand étonnement, et disaient: Il fait tout à merveille; même il fait entendre les sourds, et parler les muets.

Pharisees Object To Eating With Unwashed Hands. Jesus Condemns Their Traditions

And the Pharisees and some of the scribes are gathered-together with Him, having come from Jerusalem. And having seen some of His disciples, that they are eating their bread with defiled[a] hands, that is, unwashed[b] for the Pharisees and all the Jews do not eat unless they wash their hands with a fist[c], holding-on-to the tradition of the elders. And they do not eat [when they return][d] from the marketplace unless they cleanse[e] [themselves]. And there are many other traditions which they received to hold-on-to— the cleansing of cups and pitchers and copper-pots and couches[f]. And the Pharisees and the scribes ask Him, “For what reason are Your disciples not walking according to the tradition of the elders, but are eating their bread with defiled hands?” And the One said to them, “Isaiah prophesied rightly concerning you hypocrites, as it has been written [in Isa 29:13], that ‘This people honors Me with their lips, but their heart is far distant from Me. But they are worshiping Me in-vain[g], teaching as teachings[h] the commandments of humans’. Having neglected the commandment of God, you are holding on to the tradition of humans!” And He was saying to them, “You are nicely[i] setting-aside[j] the commandment of God in order that you may establish[k] your tradition! 10 For Moses said [in Ex 20:12], ‘Be honoring your father and your mother’, and [in Ex 21:17], ‘Let the one speaking-evil-of father or mother come-to-an-end[l] by a death’. 11 But you say if a person says to his father or mother, ‘Whatever you might be benefitted from me is Corban (which means “Gift”)’, 12 you no longer permit him to do anything[m] for his father or mother— 13 nullifying[n] the word of God by your tradition which you handed-down. And you are doing many similar such things”. 14 And having summoned the crowd again, He was saying to them, “Everyone listen-to Me and understand— 15 there is nothing outside of the person proceeding into him which is able to defile him. But the things proceeding out of the person are the things defiling the person. 16 [o]

What Goes Into The Body Does Not Defile, But What Comes Out of The Heart

17 And when He entered into a house away-from the crowd, His disciples were questioning Him as to the parable. 18 And He says to them, “So are even you without-understanding? Do you not perceive that everything outside proceeding into the person is not able to defile[p] him 19 because it does not proceed into his heart, but into his stomach, and it proceeds out into the latrine?” (He was making all foods clean[q].) 20 And He was saying that “The thing proceeding out of the person— that defiles the person. 21 For from within, out of the heart of people, proceed the evil thoughts, sexual-immoralities, thefts, murders, 22 adulteries, greeds, evils, deceit, sensuality, an evil eye[r], blasphemy, arrogance, foolishness. 23 All these evil things proceed-out from within, and defile the person”.

A Gentile Woman Begs For Crumbs From The Master’s Table

24 And having arisen, He went from there to the districts of Tyre. And having entered into a house, He was wanting[s] no one to know[t] it. And-yet He was not able to escape-notice. 25 But immediately, a woman having heard about Him— of whom her little daughter was having an unclean spirit— having come, fell at His feet. 26 Now the woman was a Greek[u], a Syro-Phoenician[v] by nationality. And she was asking Him that He cast out the demon from her daughter. 27 And He was saying to her, “First allow the children to be filled-to-satisfaction. For it is not good to take the bread of the children and throw it to the little-dogs[w]”. 28 But the one responded and says to Him, “Master, even the little dogs under the table eat from the crumbs of the children!” 29 And He said to her, “Because of this statement, go— the demon has gone out of your daughter”. 30 And having gone to her house, she found the child having been put[x] on the bed, and the demon having gone out.

Jesus Heals a Deaf-Mute

31 And again having gone out of the districts of Tyre, He went through Sidon to the Sea of Galilee in the midst of the districts of Decapolis. 32 And they bring to Him a deaf and speech-impaired one, and are begging Him that He lay His hand on him. 33 And having taken him away from the crowd privately, He put His fingers into his[y] ears. And having spit[z], He touched his[aa] tongue. 34 And having looked up to heaven, He sighed. And He says to him “Ephphatha”, which means “Be opened”. 35 And immediately his ears were opened and the binding[ab] of his tongue was released and he was speaking correctly. 36 And He gave-orders to them that they should be telling no one. But as much as He was giving orders to them, they even more abundantly were proclaiming it. 37 And they were being super-abundantly astounded, saying “He has done all things well. He even makes the deaf to hear and the mute to speak”.

Footnotes

  1. Mark 7:2 Or, unclean; that is, not ritually purified from contact with unclean things or people, according to their traditions.
  2. Mark 7:2 Mark breaks off his sentence here and explains this to his readers, then begins again in v 5.
  3. Mark 7:3 There are different opinions about the exact procedure in view here. In any case it is a ceremonial washing for which the water is seen in Jn 2:6. Some manuscripts have a different word meaning ‘often’ or ‘thoroughly’.
  4. Mark 7:4 [when they return]...cleanse [themselves]. Or, [food]...cleanse [it].
  5. Mark 7:4 This refers to a ritual cleansing, as does the related word in the next verse.
  6. Mark 7:4 That is, the dining couches on which people of that day reclined to eat.
  7. Mark 7:7 Or, to no end, pointlessly, futilely.
  8. Mark 7:7 Or, doctrines.
  9. Mark 7:9 Or, splendidly, beautifully (used sarcastically).
  10. Mark 7:9 Or, rejecting.
  11. Mark 7:9 Or, make your tradition stand. Some manuscripts say ‘keep your tradition’.
  12. Mark 7:10 That is, die. On this phrase, see Mt 15:4.
  13. Mark 7:12 In other words, if you vow to give your estate as an offering to God when you die, you must no longer honor any request from your parents to benefit from it.
  14. Mark 7:13 Or, voiding, annulling, invalidating.
  15. Mark 7:16 Some manuscripts add here ‘If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear’.
  16. Mark 7:18 Or, make him unclean or impure. It is disobedience to God’s Law that defiles a person. Their traditions are not God’s laws.
  17. Mark 7:19 making... clean. Or, declaring... clean, treating... clean. These words may be Mark’s comment, as in 3:30; 7:3-4. If these are still the words of Jesus, punctuate this ‘latrine, cleansing all foods’ (the latrine proves they are clean because they pass through the body without affecting the heart); or, ‘latrine, purging all foods’ (simply completing the physical description).
  18. Mark 7:22 This refers to envy in Mt 20:15.
  19. Mark 7:24 Or, intending, wishing.
  20. Mark 7:24 Or, learn.
  21. Mark 7:26 That is, a Gentile.
  22. Mark 7:26 That is, from Phoenicia, a region of the Roman province of Syria, in which Tyre was one city.
  23. Mark 7:27 Or, lap-dogs, house-dogs. Jesus answers with a proverbial-type statement, then she responds with the same type of statement.
  24. Mark 7:30 having been put. And therefore, lying.
  25. Mark 7:33 Or, His. The significance of this action is not clear. Some think it was a kind of sign language by which Jesus was telling the man or the onlookers what He was going to heal.
  26. Mark 7:33 Mark does not tell us where Jesus spit.
  27. Mark 7:33 Or, His.
  28. Mark 7:35 That is, the binding which held the man’s tongue and impeded his speaking.

That Which Defiles(A)

The Pharisees and some of the teachers of the law who had come from Jerusalem gathered around Jesus and saw some of his disciples eating food with hands that were defiled,(B) 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.(C) When they come from the marketplace they do not eat unless they wash. And they observe many other traditions, such as the washing of cups, pitchers and kettles.[a])(D)

So the Pharisees and teachers of the law asked Jesus, “Why don’t your disciples live according to the tradition of the elders(E) 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 honor me with their lips,
    but their hearts are far from me.
They worship me in vain;
    their teachings are merely human rules.’[b](F)

You have let go of the commands of God and are holding on to human traditions.”(G)

And he continued, “You have a fine way of setting aside the commands of God in order to observe[c] your own traditions!(H) 10 For Moses said, ‘Honor your father and mother,’[d](I) and, ‘Anyone who curses their father or mother is to be put to death.’[e](J) 11 But you say(K) 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(L) by your tradition(M) 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.” [16] [f]

17 After he had left the crowd and entered the house, his disciples asked him(N) 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(O) clean.)(P)

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,(Q) malice, deceit, lewdness, envy, slander, arrogance and folly. 23 All these evils come from inside and defile a person.”

Jesus Honors a Syrophoenician Woman’s Faith(R)

24 Jesus left that place and went to the vicinity of Tyre.[g](S) 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(T) 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(U)

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

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

36 Jesus commanded them not to tell anyone.(AE) 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