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Mark 7:1-13
Lexham English Bible

Human Traditions and God’s Commandments

7 And the Pharisees and some of the scribes who had come from Jerusalem gathered to him. 2 And they saw that some of his disciples were eating their[a] bread with unclean—that is, unwashed—hands. 3 (For the Pharisees and all the Jews do not eat unless they wash their hands ritually,[b] thus[c] holding fast to the traditions of the elders. 4 And when they come[d] from the marketplace, they do not eat unless they wash. And there are many other traditions[e] which they have received and[f] hold fast to—for example,[g] the washing of cups and pitchers and bronze kettles and dining couches.)[h] 5 And the Pharisees and the scribes asked him, “Why do your disciples not live according to the tradition of the elders, but eat their[i] bread with unclean hands?” 6 So he said to them, “Isaiah prophesied correctly about you hypocrites, as it is written,

‘This people honors me with their[j] lips,
    but their heart is far, far away from me.
7 And they worship me in vain,
    teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’[k]

8 Abandoning the commandment of God, you hold fast to the tradition of men.”

9 And he said to them, “You splendidly ignore the commandment of God so that you can keep[l] your tradition. 10 For Moses said, ‘Honor your father and your mother,’[m] and, ‘The one who speaks evil of father or mother must certainly die[n].’[o] 11 But you say, ‘If a man says to his[p] father or to his[q] mother, “Whatever benefit you would have received[r] from me is corban”[s] (that is, a gift to God), 12 you no longer permit him to do anything for his[t] father or his[u] mother, 13 thus[v] making void the word of God by your tradition that you have handed down, and you do many similar things such as this.”

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Footnotes

  1. Mark 7:2 Literally “the”; the Greek article is used here as a possessive pronoun
  2. Mark 7:3 Literally “with the fist”; although the exact meaning of the phrase is uncertain, there is general agreement it has to do with the ritual or ceremonial nature of the handwashing
  3. Mark 7:3 Here “thus” is supplied as a component of the participle (“holding fast to”) which is understood as result
  4. Mark 7:4 The phrase “when they come” is not in the Greek text but is implied
  5. Mark 7:4 The word “traditions” is not in the Greek text but is implied
  6. Mark 7:4 Here “and” is supplied because the previous participle (“have received”) has been translated as a finite verb
  7. Mark 7:4 The phrase “for example” is not in the Greek text but is supplied as a clarification in the English translation
  8. Mark 7:4 Several important manuscripts omit “and dining couches”
  9. Mark 7:5 Literally “the”; the Greek article is used here as a possessive pronoun
  10. Mark 7:6 Literally “the”; the Greek article is used here as a possessive pronoun
  11. Mark 7:7 A quotation from Isa 29:13
  12. Mark 7:9 Some manuscripts have “you can maintain”
  13. Mark 7:10 A quotation from Exod 20:12; Deut 5:16
  14. Mark 7:10 Literally “let him die the death”
  15. Mark 7:10 A quotation from Exod 21:17; Lev 20:9
  16. Mark 7:11 Literally “the”; the Greek article is used here as a possessive pronoun
  17. Mark 7:11 Literally “the”; the Greek article is used here as a possessive pronoun
  18. Mark 7:11 Literally “you would have been benefited”
  19. Mark 7:11 A Hebrew term referring to something consecrated as a gift to God and thus not available for ordinary use
  20. Mark 7:12 Literally “the”; the Greek article is used here as a possessive pronoun
  21. Mark 7:12 Literally “the”; the Greek article is used here as a possessive pronoun
  22. Mark 7:13 Here “thus” is supplied as a component of the participle (“making void”) which is understood as result
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