Mark 7:1-23
With defiled, that is unwashen hands ( κοιναις χερσιν, τουτ' εστιν ανιπτοις ). Associative instrumental case. Originally κοινος meant what was common to everybody like the Koine Greek. But in later Greek it came also to mean as here what is vulgar or profane. So Peter in Ac 10:14 "common and unclean." The next step was the ceremonially unclean. The emissaries of the Pharisees and the scribes from Jerusalem had seen "some of the disciples" eat without washing their hands, how many we are not told. Swete suggests that in going through the plain the disciples were seen eating some of the bread preserved in the twelve baskets the afternoon before across the lake. There was no particular opportunity to wash the hands, a very proper thing to do before eating for sanitary reasons. But the objection raised is on ceremonial, not sanitary, grounds.Diligently ( πυγμη ). Instrumental case,
with the fist, up to the elbow, rubbing one hand and arm with the other hand clenched. Aleph had πυκνα probably because of the difficulty about πυγμη (kin to Latin pugnus). Schultess considers it a dry wash or rubbing of the hands without water as a ritualistic concession. The middle voice νιψωντα means their own hands. This verb is often used for parts of the body while λουω is used of the whole body (Joh 13:10). On the tradition of the elders see on Mt 15:2.
From the marketplace ( απ' αγορας ). Ceremonial defilement was inevitable in the mixing with men in public. This αγορα from αγειρω to collect or gather, was a public forum in every town where the people gathered like the courthouse square in American towns. The disciples were already ceremonially defiled.
Wash themselves ( βαπτισωντα ). First aorist middle subjunctive of βαπτιζω, dip or immerse. Westcott and Hort put ραντισωντα in the text translated "sprinkle themselves" in the margin of the Revised Version, because Aleph, B, and some of the best cursives have it. Gould terms ραντισωντα "a manifest emendation," to get rid of the difficulty of dipping or bathing the whole body. Meyer says: "The statement proceeds by way of climax: before eating they wash the hands always. When they come from market they take a bath before eating." This is not the place to enter into any controversy about the meaning of βαπτιζω, to dip, ραντιζω, to sprinkle, and εχχεω, to pour, all used in the New Testament. The words have their distinctive meanings here as elsewhere. Some scribes felt a difficulty about the use of βαπτισωντα here. The Western and Syrian classes of manuscripts add "and couches" ( κα κλινων ) at the end of the sentence. Swete considers the immersions of beds ( βαπτισμους κλινων ) "an incongruous combination." But Gould says: "Edersheim shows that the Jewish ordinance required immersions, βαπτισμους, of these vessels." We must let the Jewish scrupulosity stand for itself, though "and couches" is not supported by Aleph, B L D Bohairic, probably not genuine.
Well ( καλως ). Appositely here, but ironical sarcasm in verse 9. Note here "you hypocrites" ( υμων των υποκριτων ).
Ye leave the commandment of God ( αφεντες την εντολην του θεου ). Note the sharp contrast between the command of God and the traditions of men. Jesus here drives a keen wedge into the Pharisaic contention. They had covered up the Word of God with their oral teaching. Jesus here shows that they care more for the oral teaching of the scribes and elders than for the written law of God. The Talmud gives abundant and specific confirmation of the truthfulness of this indictment.
Full well do ye reject the commandment of God that ye may keep your traditions ( καλως αθετειτε την εντολην του θεου ινα την παραδοσιν υμων τηρησητε ). One can almost see the scribes withering under this terrible arraignment. It was biting sarcasm that cut to the bone. The evident irony should prevent literal interpretation as commendation of the Pharisaic pervasion of God's word. See my The Pharisees and Jesus for illustrations of the way that they placed this oral tradition above the written law. See on Mt 15:7.
Corban ( κορβαν ο εστιν δωρον ). See on Mt 15:5. Mark preserves the Hebrew word for a gift or offering to God (Ex 21:17; Le 20:9), indeclinable here, meaning
gift ( δωρον ), but declinable κορβανας in Mt 27:6, meaning sacred treasury. The rabbis ( but ye say, υμεις δε λεγετε ) actually allowed the mere saying of this word by an unfaithful son to prevent the use of needed money for the support of father or mother. It was a home thrust to these pettifogging sticklers for ceremonial punctilios. They not only justified such a son's trickery, but held that he was prohibited from using it for father or mother, but he might use it for himself.
Making void the word of God by your tradition ( ακυρουντες τον λογον του θεου τη παραδοσε υμων ). See on Mt 15:6 for the word ακυρουντες, invalidating, a stronger word than αθετειν, to set aside, in verse 9. See both used in Ga 3:15, 17. Setting aside does invalidate.
And he called to him the multitude again ( κα προσκαλεσαμενος παλιν τον οχλον ). Aorist middle participle, calling to himself. The rabbis had attacked the disciples about not washing their hands before eating. Jesus now turned the tables on them completely and laid bare their hollow pretentious hypocrisy to the people.
Hear me all of you and understand ( ακουσατε μου παντες κα συνιετε ). A most pointed appeal to the people to see into and see through the chicanery of these ecclesiastics. See on Mt 15:11 for discussion.
When he was entered into the house from the multitude ( οτε εισηλθεν εις οικον απο του οχλου ). This detail in Mark alone, probably in Peter's house in Capernaum. To the crowd Jesus spoke the parable of corban, but the disciples want it interpreted (cf. 4:10ff.,33ff.). Mt 15:15 represents Peter as the spokesman as was usually the case.
Are ye so without understanding also? ( Hουτως κα υμεις ασυνετο εστε; ). See on Mt 15:16. You also as well as the multitude. It was a discouraging moment for the great Teacher if his own chosen pupils (disciples) were still under the spell of the Pharisaic theological outlook. It was a riddle to them. "They had been trained in Judaism, in which the distinction between clean and unclean is ingrained, and could not understand a statement abrogating this" (Gould). They had noticed that the Pharisees stumbled at the parable of Jesus (Mt 15:12). They were stumbling themselves and did not know how to answer the Pharisees. Jesus charges the disciples with intellectual dulness and spiritual stupidity.
Making all meats clean ( καθαριζων παντα τα βρωματα ). This anacoluthon can be understood by repeating
he says ( λεγε ) from verse 18. The masculine participle agrees with Jesus, the speaker. The words do not come from Jesus, but are added by Mark. Peter reports this item to Mark, probably with a vivid recollection of his own experience on the housetop in Joppa when in the vision Peter declined three times the Lord's invitation to kill and eat unclean animals (Ac 10:14-16). It was a riddle to Peter as late as that day. "Christ asserts that Levitical uncleanness, such as eating with unwashed hands, is of small importance compared with moral uncleanness" (Vincent). The two chief words in both incidents, here and in Acts, are
defile ( κοινοω ) and
cleanse ( καθαριζω ). "What God cleansed do not thou treat as defiled" (Ac 10:15). It was a revolutionary declaration by Jesus and Peter was slow to understand it even after the coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost. Jesus was amply justified in his astonished question:
Perceive ye not? ( ου νοειτε; ). They were making little use of their intelligence in trying to comprehend the efforts of Jesus to give them a new and true spiritual insight.
Evil thoughts ( ο διαλογισμο ο κακο ). These come out of the heart ( εκ της καρδιας ), the inner man, and lead to the dreadful list here given like the crimes of a modern police court:
fornications ( πορνεια, usually of the unmarried),
adulteries ( μοιχαια, of the married),
thefts ( κλοπα, stealings),
covetings ( πλεονεξια, craze for more and more),
murders ( φονο, growing out of the others often),
wickednesses ( πονηρια, from πονος, toil, then drudge, bad like our knave, serving boy like German Knabe, and then criminal),
deceit ( δολος, lure or snare with bait),
lasciviousness ( ασελγεια, unrestrained sex instinct),
evil eye ( οφθαλμος πονηρος ) or eye that works evil and that haunts one with its gloating stare,
railing ( βλασφημια, blasphemy, hurtful speech),
pride ( υπερηφανια, holding oneself above others, stuck up),
foolishness ( αφροσυνη, lack of sense), a fitting close to it all.
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