Mark 7
7
Jesus Teaches about Inner Purity
1One day some Pharisees and teachers of religious law arrived from Jerusalem to see Jesus. 2They noticed that some of his disciples failed to follow the Jewish ritual of hand washing before eating. 3(The Jews, especially the Pharisees, do not eat until they have poured water over their cupped hands,#7:3 Greek have washed with the fist. as required by their ancient traditions. 4Similarly, they don’t eat anything from the market until they immerse their hands#7:4a Some manuscripts read sprinkle themselves. in water. This is but one of many traditions they have clung to—such as their ceremonial washing of cups, pitchers, and kettles.#7:4b Some manuscripts add and dining couches.)
5So 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.”
6Jesus 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.
7 Their worship is a farce,
for they teach man-made ideas as commands from God.’ # 7:7 Isa 29:13 (Greek version).
8 For you ignore God’s law and substitute your own tradition.”
9Then he said, “You skillfully sidestep God’s law in order to hold on to your own tradition. 10For instance, Moses gave you this law from God: ‘Honor your father and mother,’#7:10a Exod 20:12; Deut 5:16. and ‘Anyone who speaks disrespectfully of father or mother must be put to death.’#7:10b Exod 21:17 (Greek version); Lev 20:9 (Greek version). 11But 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.’#7:11 Greek ‘What I would have given to you is Corban’ (that is, a gift). 12In this way, you let them disregard their needy parents. 13And so you cancel the word of God in order to hand down your own tradition. And this is only one example among many others.”
14Then Jesus called to the crowd to come and hear. “All of you listen,” he said, “and try to understand. 15It’s not what goes into your body that defiles you; you are defiled by what comes from your heart.#7:15 Some manuscripts add verse 16, Anyone with ears to hear should listen and understand. Compare 4:9, 23.”
17Then 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? 19Food 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.)
20And then he added, “It is what comes from inside that defiles you. 21For from within, out of a person’s heart, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, 22adultery, greed, wickedness, deceit, lustful desires, envy, slander, pride, and foolishness. 23All these vile things come from within; they are what defile you.”
The Faith of a Gentile Woman
24Then Jesus left Galilee and went north to the region of Tyre.#7:24 Some manuscripts add and Sidon. He didn’t want anyone to know which house he was staying in, but he couldn’t keep it a secret. 25Right away a woman who had heard about him came and fell at his feet. Her little girl was possessed by an evil#7:25 Greek unclean. spirit, 26and she begged him to cast out the demon from her daughter.
Since she was a Gentile, born in Syrian Phoenicia, 27Jesus told her, “First I should feed the children—my own family, the Jews.#7:27 Greek Let the children eat first. It isn’t right to take food from the children and throw it to the dogs.”
28She 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.” 30And when she arrived home, she found her little girl lying quietly in bed, and the demon was gone.
Jesus Heals a Deaf Man
31Jesus left Tyre and went up to Sidon before going back to the Sea of Galilee and the region of the Ten Towns.#7:31 Greek Decapolis. 32A 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.
33Jesus 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. 34Looking up to heaven, he sighed and said, “Ephphatha,” which means, “Be opened!” 35Instantly the man could hear perfectly, and his tongue was freed so he could speak plainly!
36Jesus told the crowd not to tell anyone, but the more he told them not to, the more they spread the news. 37They 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.”
Currently Selected:
Mark 7: NLT
Highlight
Share
Copy
Want to have your highlights saved across all your devices? Sign up or sign in
Holy Bible, New Living Translation copyright 1996, 2004, 2007, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation.
For more information about the NLT:
Mark 7
7
Defilement Comes from Within
1Then #Matt. 15:1–20the Pharisees and some of the scribes came together to Him, having come from Jerusalem. 2Now when they saw some of His disciples eat bread with defiled, that is, with #Matt. 15:20unwashed hands, they found fault. 3For the Pharisees and all the Jews do not eat unless they wash their hands in a special way, holding the #Mark 7:5, 8, 9, 13; Gal. 1:14; 1 Pet. 1:18tradition of the elders. 4When they come from the marketplace, they do not eat unless they wash. And there are many other things which they have received and hold, like the washing of cups, pitchers, copper vessels, and couches.
5#Matt. 15:2Then the Pharisees and scribes asked Him, “Why do Your disciples not walk according to the tradition of the elders, but eat bread with unwashed hands?”
6He answered and said to them, “Well did Isaiah prophesy of you #Matt. 23:13–29hypocrites, as it is written:
#Is. 29:13‘This people honors Me with their lips,
But their heart is far from Me.
7And in vain they worship Me,
Teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’
8For laying aside the commandment of God, you hold the tradition of men —the washing of pitchers and cups, and many other such things you do.”
9He said to them, “All too well #Prov. 1:25; Is. 24:5; Jer. 7:23, 24you reject the commandment of God, that you may keep your tradition. 10For Moses said, #Ex. 20:12; Deut. 5:16; Matt. 15:4‘Honor your father and your mother’; and, #Ex. 21:17; Lev. 20:9; Prov. 20:20‘He who curses father or mother, let him be put to death.’ 11But you say, ‘If a man says to his father or mother, #Matt. 15:5; 23:18“Whatever profit you might have received from me is Corban”—’ (that is, a gift to God), 12then you no longer let him do anything for his father or his mother, 13making the word of God of no effect through your tradition which you have handed down. And many such things you do.”
14#Matt. 15:10When He had called all the multitude to Himself, He said to them, “Hear Me, everyone, and #Matt. 16:9, 11, 12understand: 15There is nothing that enters a man from outside which can defile him; but the things which come out of him, those are the things that #Is. 59:3; (Heb. 12:15)defile a man. 16#Matt. 11:15If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear!”
17#Matt. 15:15When He had entered a house away from the crowd, His disciples asked Him concerning the parable. 18So He said to them, #(Is. 28:9–11; 1 Cor. 3:2; Heb. 5:11–14)“Are you thus without understanding also? Do you not perceive that whatever enters a man from outside cannot defile him, 19because it does not enter his heart but his stomach, and is eliminated, thus purifying all foods?” 20And He said, #Ps. 39:1; (Matt. 12:34–37; James 3:6)“What comes out of a man, that defiles a man. 21#Gen. 6:5; 8:21; Prov. 6:18; Jer. 17:9; Matt. 15:19For from within, out of the heart of men, #(Gal. 5:19–21)proceed evil thoughts, #2 Pet. 2:14adulteries, #1 Thess. 4:3fornications, murders, 22thefts, #Luke 12:15covetousness, wickedness, #Rom. 1:28, 29deceit, #1 Pet. 4:3lewdness, an evil eye, #Rev. 2:9blasphemy, #1 John 2:16pride, foolishness. 23All these evil things come from within and defile a man.”
A Gentile Shows Her Faith
24#Matt. 15:21From there He arose and went to the region of Tyre and Sidon. And He entered a house and wanted no one to know it, but He could not be #Mark 2:1, 2hidden. 25For a woman whose young daughter had an unclean spirit heard about Him, and she came and #Mark 5:22; John 11:32; Rev. 1:17fell at His feet. 26The woman was a Greek, a Syro-Phoenician by birth, and she kept asking Him to cast the demon out of her daughter. 27But Jesus said to her, “Let the children be filled first, for it is not good to take the children’s bread and throw it to the little dogs.”
28And she answered and said to Him, “Yes, Lord, yet even the little dogs under the table eat from the children’s crumbs.”
29Then He said to her, “For this saying go your way; the demon has gone out of your daughter.”
30And when she had come to her house, she found the demon gone out, and her daughter lying on the bed.
Jesus Heals a Deaf-Mute
31#Matt. 15:29; Mark 15:37; Luke 23:46; 24:46; Acts 10:40; 1 Cor. 15:4Again, departing from the region of Tyre and Sidon, He came through the midst of the region of Decapolis to the Sea of Galilee. 32Then #Matt. 9:32; Luke 11:14they brought to Him one who was deaf and had an impediment in his speech, and they begged Him to put His hand on him. 33And He took him aside from the multitude, and put His fingers in his ears, and #Mark 8:23; John 9:6He spat and touched his tongue. 34Then, #Mark 6:41; John 11:41; 17:1looking up to heaven, #John 11:33, 38He sighed, and said to him, “Ephphatha,” that is, “Be opened.”
35#Is. 35:5, 6Immediately his ears were opened, and the impediment of his tongue was loosed, and he spoke plainly. 36Then #Mark 5:43He commanded them that they should tell no one; but the more He commanded them, the more widely they proclaimed it. 37And they were #Mark 6:51; 10:26astonished beyond measure, saying, “He has done all things well. He #Matt. 12:22makes both the deaf to hear and the mute to speak.”
Currently Selected:
:
Highlight
Share
Copy
Want to have your highlights saved across all your devices? Sign up or sign in
The Holy Bible, New King James Version, Copyright © 1982 Thomas Nelson. All rights reserved.