Mark 7
7
Followers of Tradition
1Now the Pharisees and some of the scribes came from Jerusalem and gathered around Him, 2and they had seen that some of His disciples ate their bread with [ceremonially] impure hands, that is, unwashed [and defiled according to Jewish religious ritual]. 3(#7:3 Mark explains Jewish customs and translates Hebrew terms for his Gentile readers.For the Pharisees and all of the Jews do not eat unless they #7:3 Lit with the fist. This probably refers either to the method of washing the hands or, perhaps more likely, to the volume of water used.carefully wash their hands, holding firmly to the traditions of the elders; 4and when they come from the market place, they do not eat unless they #7:4 The Greek word used is baptize, which in this context refers to an immersion ritual normally performed in a miqveh, a special bathtub large enough for the purpose and filled with water that was to be collected naturally. The miqvehs typically were built into the ground outside where they could collect rain water.cleanse themselves [completely according to ritual]; and there are many other things [oral, man-made laws and traditions handed down to them] which they follow diligently, such as the washing of cups and pitchers and copper utensils.) 5So the Pharisees and scribes asked Jesus, “Why do Your disciples not live their lives according to the tradition of the elders, but [instead] eat their bread with [ceremonially] unwashed hands?” 6He replied, “Rightly did Isaiah prophesy about you hypocrites (play-actors, pretenders), as it is written [in Scripture],
‘These people honor Me with their lips,
But their heart is far from Me.
7 ‘They worship Me in vain [their worship is meaningless and worthless, a pretense],
Teaching the precepts of men as doctrines [giving their traditions equal weight with the Scriptures].’ [Is 29:13]
8 You disregard and neglect the commandment of God, and cling [faithfully] to the tradition of men.”
9He was also saying to them, “You are experts at setting aside and nullifying the commandment of God in order to keep your [man-made] tradition and regulations. 10For Moses said, ‘Honor your father and your mother [with respect and gratitude]’; and, ‘He who speaks evil of his father or mother must be put to death’; [Ex 20:12; 21:17; Lev 20:9; Deut 5:16] 11but you [Pharisees and scribes] say, ‘If a man tells his father or mother, “Whatever I have that would help you is Corban, (that is to say, already a gift to God),” ’ 12then you no longer let him do anything for his father or mother [since helping them would violate his vow of Corban]; 13so you nullify the [authority of the] word of God [acting as if it did not apply] because of your tradition which you have handed down [through the elders]. And you do many things such as that.”
The Heart of Man
14After He called the people to Him again, He began saying to them, “Listen [carefully] to Me, all of you, [hear] and understand [what I am saying]: 15there is nothing outside a man [such as food] which by going into him can defile him [morally or spiritually]; but the things which come out of [the heart of] a man are what defile and dishonor him. 16#7:16 Early mss do not contain this verse.[If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear.”]
17When Jesus had left the crowd and gone into the #7:17 It was probably Peter’s house.house, His disciples asked Him about the parable. 18And He said to them, “Are you, too, so foolish and lacking in understanding? Do you not understand that whatever goes into the man from outside cannot defile and dishonor him, 19since it does not enter his heart, but [only] his stomach, and [from there it] is eliminated?” (By this, He declared all foods #7:19 I.e. He abolished all prohibitions given in the Law against certain foods.ceremonially clean.) 20And He said, “Whatever comes from [the heart of] a man, that is what defiles and dishonors him. 21For from within, [that is] out of the heart of men, come base and malevolent thoughts and schemes, acts of sexual immorality, thefts, murders, adulteries, 22acts of greed and covetousness, wickedness, deceit, unrestrained conduct, envy and jealousy, slander and profanity, arrogance and self-righteousness and foolishness (poor judgment). 23All these evil things [schemes and desires] come from within and defile and dishonor the man.”
The Syrophoenician Woman
24Jesus got up and left there and went to the region of Tyre [and Sidon, the coastal area of Phoenicia]. He entered a house and did not want anyone to know about it; but it was impossible for Him to be hidden [from the public]. [Matt 15:21-28] 25Instead, after hearing about Him, a woman whose little daughter had an unclean spirit immediately came and fell at His feet. 26Now the woman was a Gentile (Greek), a #7:26 She came from an area north of Israel, between the Lebanon Mountains and the Mediterranean Sea.Syrophoenician by nationality. And she kept pleading with Him to drive the demon out of her daughter. 27He was saying to her, “First let the children [of Israel] be fed, for it is not right to take the children’s bread and throw it to the #7:27 Jews used kuon (dog) as a derogatory term referring to Gentiles. This dog (kuon) was a despised, filthy, homeless street scavenger. When speaking with this woman, Jesus uses a word for “dog” (kunarion) that refers to a household pet. The use of the word kunariois by both Jesus and the woman reflects the tenderness and spiritual depth of this exchange. More importantly, it foreshadows the fact that Gentile believers will not be spiritually homeless, but will also be welcomed into God’s household as His children. The gracious response of the woman recorded in v 28 confirms that on some level she understood this.pet dogs (non-Jews).” 28But she replied, “Yes, Lord, but even the pet dogs under the table eat the children’s crumbs.” 29And He said to her, “Because of this answer [reflecting your humility and faith], go [knowing that your request is granted]; the demon has left your daughter [permanently].” 30And returning to her home, she found the child lying on the couch [relaxed and resting], the demon having gone.
31Soon after this Jesus left the region of Tyre, and passed through Sidon to the Sea of Galilee, through the region of Decapolis [the ten Hellenistic cities]. 32They brought to Him a man who was deaf and had difficulty speaking, and they begged Jesus to place His hand on him. 33Jesus, taking him aside by himself, away from the crowd, put His fingers into the man’s ears, and after spitting, He touched the man’s tongue [with the saliva]; 34and looking up to heaven, He sighed deeply and said to the man, “Ephphatha,” which [in Aramaic] means, “#7:34 A command directed to the whole person.Be opened and released!” 35And his ears were opened, his tongue was released, and he began speaking plainly. 36Jesus commanded them not to tell anyone; but the more He ordered them, the more widely they continued to proclaim it. 37They were thoroughly astounded and completely overwhelmed, saying, “He has done everything well! He even makes the deaf hear and the mute speak!”
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Mark 7
7
1 And the Pharisees and some of the scribes, arriving from Jerusalem, gathered together before him.
2 And when they had seen certain ones from his disciples eating bread with common hands, that is, with unwashed hands, they disparaged them.
3 For the Pharisees, and all the Jews, do not eat without repeatedly washing their hands, holding to the tradition of the elders.
4 And when returning from the market, unless they wash, they do not eat. And there are many other things which have been handed down to them to observe: the washings of cups, and pitchers, and bronze containers, and beds.
5 And so the Pharisees and the scribes questioned him: "Why do your disciples not walk according to the tradition of the elders, but they eat bread with common hands?"
6 But in response, he said to them: "So well did Isaiah prophesy about you hypocrites, just as it has been written: 'This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me.
7 And in vain do they worship me, teaching the doctrines and precepts of men.'
8 For abandoning the commandment of God, you hold to the tradition of men, to the washing of pitchers and cups. And you do many other things similar to these."
9 And he said to them: "You effectively nullify the precept of God, so that you may observe your own tradition.
10 For Moses said: 'Honor your father and your mother,' and, 'Whoever will have cursed father or mother, let him die a death.'
11 But you say, 'If a man will have said to his father or mother: Korban, (which is a gift) whatever is from me will be to your benefit,'
12 then you do not release him to do anything for his father or mother,
13 rescinding the word of God through your tradition, which you have handed down. And you do many other similar things in this way."
14 And again, calling the crowd to him, he said to them: "Listen to me, all of you, and understand.
15 There is nothing from outside a man which, by entering into him, is able to defile him. But the things which procede from a man, these are what pollute a man.
16 Whoever has ears to hear, let him hear."
17 And when he had entered into the house, away from the crowd, his disciples questioned him about the parable.
18 And he said to them: "So, are you also without prudence? Do you not understand that everything entering to a man from outside is not able to pollute him?
19 For it does not enter into his heart, but into the gut, and it exits into the sewer, purging all foods."
20 "But," he said "the things which go out from a man, these pollute a man.
21 For from within, from the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders,
22 thefts, avarice, wickedness, deceitfulness, homosexuality, an evil eye, blasphemy, self-exaltation, foolishness.
23 All these evils procede from within and pollute a man."
24 And rising up, he went from there to the area of Tyre and Sidon. And entering into a house, he intended no one to know about it, but he was not able to remain hidden.
25 For a woman whose daughter had an unclean spirit, as soon as she heard about him, entered and fell prostrate at his feet.
26 For the woman was a Gentile, by birth a Syro-Phoenician. And she petitioned him, so that he would cast the demon from her daughter.
27 And he said to her: "First allow the sons to have their fill. For it is not good to take away the bread of the sons and throw it to the dogs."
28 But she responded by saying to him: "Certainly, Lord. Yet the young dogs also eat, under the table, from the crumbs of the children."
29 And he said to her, "Because of this saying, go; the demon has gone out of your daughter."
30 And when she had gone to her house, she found the girl lying on the bed; and the demon had gone away.
31 And again, departing from the borders of Tyre, he went by way of Sidon to the sea of Galilee, through the midst of the area of the Ten Cities.
32 And they brought someone who was deaf and mute to him. And they begged him, so that he would lay his hand upon him.
33 And taking him away from the crowd, he put his fingers into his ears; and spitting, he touched his tongue.
34 And gazing up to heaven, he groaned and said to him: "Ephphatha," which is, "Be opened."
35 And immediately his ears were opened, and the impediment of his tongue was released, and he spoke correctly.
36 And he instructed them not to tell anyone. But as much as he instructed them, so much more did they preach about it.
37 And so much more did they wonder, saying: "He has done all things well. He has caused both the deaf to hear and the mute to speak."
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