The Gospel According to Saint Mark
Mark 7
Chapter VII · Vol. IV, pp. 121–124
1 The Pharisees find fault with the disciples for eating with unwashen hands. 8 They break the commandments of God by the traditions of men. 14 Meat defileth not a man. 24 He healeth the Syrophenician woman's daughter of an unclean spirit, 31 and one that was deaf, and had an impediment in his speech.
1 Then camea together unto him the Pharisees, and certain of the scribes, which came from Jerusalem.
2 And when they saw some of his disciples eat bread with defiled,1 that is to say, with unwashen, hands, bthey found fault.
1 Or, common.
3 For the Pharisees, and all the Jews, except they wash their hands oft,2 eat not, cholding the tradition of the elders.
2 Or, diligently, or with the fist, or up to the elbow.
c Ga.1.14. Col.2.8,22,23.
4 And when they come from the market. except they dwash,3 they eat not. And many other things there be, which they have received to hold, as the washing of cups, and pots,4 brazen vessels, and of 5tables.6Cited in WCF 28.3
d Mat.23.25. Lu.11.39. Job 9.30,31.
3 There was a positive law (Le. 15. 11) that the Israelites, on returning from any place of public concourse, should wash their hands before sitting down to eat, lest they should have been ceremonially defiled by touching anything unclean; but, as if they could improve, by adding to the divine law, the Pharisees insisted that none should eat, at any time, without having previously washed their hands. To this they added a multitude of other purifications, upon which they insisted as necessary to righteousness and salvation, and which they superstitiously and impiously elevated above the law of God.—C.
A.M. cir. 4036. A.D. cir. 32.
4 Sextarius, containing 33 solid inches.
5 Or, beds.—[Rather, 'seats, forms, or benches' on which they sat.—C.]
6 The explanations contained in ver. 2-4 are peculiar to Mark; they are not found in the parallel passage in Mat. xv. The reason is, Matthew wrote for Jews who were familiar with their own traditions and customs; but Mark wrote for Gentiles, who required full information on such matters ere they could comprehend the force and meaning of Christ's rebuke.—P.
5 Then the Pharisees and scribes asked him, Whye walk not thy disciples according to the tradition of the elders, but eat bread with unwashen hands?
6 He answered and said unto them, Well hath Esaias prophesied of you ghypocrites,7 as it is written, hThis people honoureth me with their lips, but their heart is far from me.
g Mat.23.13-29.
7 Hypocrites. He that knew the heart of man, could justly apply the title; but to others this will furnish no authority, unless where 'the tree is known by its fruits.'—C.
h Is.29.13;1.11-15. Mat.15.8,9. Eze.33.31. Col.2.18-22. Tit.1.14,16. 2 Ti.3.5. 1 Ti.1.6,7.
7 Howbeit, in vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.
8 For laying aside the commandment of God, ye hold the tradition of men, as the washing of pots and cups: and many other such like things ye do.
9 And he said unto them, 'Full well ye reject8 the commandment of God, that ye may keep your own tradition.
8 Or, frustrate. ver.13.
10 For Moses said, jHonour thy father and thy mother; and, Whoso curseth father or mother, let him die the death:
11 But ye say, If a man shall say to his father or mother, It is Corban,9 that is to say, a gift, by whatsoever thou mightest be profited by me; he shall be free.
12 And ye suffer him no more to do ought for his father or his mother;
13 Makingk the word of God of none effect through your tradition, which ye have delivered: and many such like things do ye.
k Pr.1.25. Ho.8.12. Is.24.5. Je.44.16,17. Ga.1.14. 1 Ti.1.6,7. Tit.1.14.
14 Andl when he had called all the people unto him, he said unto them, Hearken unto me every one of you, and understand:
15 Theren is nothing from without a man, that entering into him can defile him: but the things which come out of him, those are they that defile the man.
17 Andp when he was entered into the house from the people, his disciples asked him concerning the parable.
p Mat.13.36;15.15. Ac.8.30,31.
18 And he saith unto them, qAre ye so without understanding also? Do ye not perceive, that whatsoever thing from without entereth into the man, it cannot defile him;
q Mat.15.16,17;16.9-11. He.5.11. 1 Co.3.2. De.29.29. Is.28.9,10. See ver.14.
19 Becauser it entereth not into his heart, but into the belly, and goeth out into the draught, purging all meats?
A.M. cir. 4036. A.D. cir. 32.
r 1 Co.6.13. Col.2.21,22.
20 And he said, sThat which cometh out of the man, that defileth the man.
s Ja.3.6. Mat.12.34-37. Ps.39.1.
21 Fort from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders,Cited in WLC 193
t Ge.6.5;8.21. Mat.15.19;20.15. Pr.6.14-19. Je.17.9;4.14;6.7. Ga.5.19-21. 1 Co.6.9,10. Ro.13.13. Ac.8.22. Tit.3.2,3. Ja.4.11.
22 Thefts, covetousness,1 wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness:Cited in WLC 193
* Covetousness. Not covetousness, but covetousnesses; that is, immoderate desire of wealth, and the sensual gratifications upon which wealth is so often expended.—Wickedness is also, in the original, wickednesses—ill-will, hatred, malice, with all their brood of evil-speaking, calumny, and false-witness.—Foolishness, forwardness, impertinence, self-sufficiency, impudence, and inconsiderate rashness in speaking and acting.—C.
1 See note * in first column.
23 All these evil things come from within, and defile the man.
24 Andu from thence he arose, and went into the borders of Tyre and Sidon, and ventered into an house, and would have no man know it: but he could not be hid.
25 For xa certain woman, whose young daughter had an unclean spirit, heard of him, and came and fell at his feet:
26 The woman was a Greek,2 a Syrophenician by nation;3 and yshe besought him that he would cast forth the devil out of her daughter.
27 But Jesus said unto her, zLet the children first be filled: for it is not meet to take the children's bread, and to cast it unto the dogs.
28 And she answered and said unto him, Yes, Lord: ayet the dogs under the table eat of the children's crumbs.
30 And cwhen she was come to her house, she found the devil gone out, and her daughter laid upon the bed.4
c ch.9.23. 1 Co.10.13. Ep.3.20. 1 Jn.3.8. Ps.12.6. 2 Co.1.20.
4 The minute points of difference between this narrative and that in Mat.15.21-28 are worthy of note. Our Lord's words, 'I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel,' are not recorded by Mark. They might have been misunderstood by Gentiles, who would have been thereby discouraged from embracing the gospel.—P.
31 Andd again, departing from the coasts of Tyre and Sidon, he came unto the sea of Galilee, through the midst of the coasts of 5Decapolis.6
† Our Lord's course must have been over the ridge of Lebanon, probably by the old Phœnician road which connected Sidon with the colony at Laish; then by Cæsarea Philippi, which was one of the cities of Decapolis, through the province of Gaulanitis, to the eastern shore of the Sea of Galilee.—P.
d Mat.15.29-31.
5 A country of ten cities in east Galilee.
6 See note † in first column.
32 And ethey bring unto him one that was deaf, and had an impediment in his 7speech; and they beseech him to put his hand upon him.
e Mat.9.32. Lu.11.14. Mat.19.15. ch.8.22.
7 A man that was born deaf, could not, by ordinary means, have learned to speak; and, therefore, could not be said to have 'an impediment in his speech;' that is, to be a stammerer. The case seems to indicate one that had been born with the power of hearing, and had learned the use of the organs of speech; but who, having lost his hearing, and whose tongue being also partially affected, retained merely the power of inarticulate and unintelligible sounds—and was therefore, so far as meaning was concerned, absolutely dumb. See ver.37.—C.
33 And he took him gaside from the multitude, and put his fingers into his ears, and he spit, and touched his tongue;8
34 And hlooking up to heaven, he 9sighed, and saith unto him, Ephphatha, that is, Be opened.
h ch.6.41. Jn.11.33,38,41;17.1. He.4.15.
9 He sighed over the imperfections, sufferings, and sorrows of humanity.—C.
35 And straightway his ears were opened, and the string of his tongue1 was loosed, and he spake plain.2
1 The string of his tongue. The lingual nerve was restored to its power and function—his memory of words was restored, and 'he spake plain.' All being intended to show that Jesus is Lord of the flesh, as well as of the spirit.—C.
36 And ihe charged them that they should tell no man: but the more he charged them, so much the more a great deal they published it;
A.M. cir. 4036. A.D. cir. 32.
i ch.1.27,31,42;2.12;3.5;5.30,42;8.25;10.52. Mat.8.3,15. Ps.33.9. Is.35.6.
2 This miracle is only found in Mark, though it is doubtless embraced under the general statement in Mat. 15. 30. From the signs and means used by our Lord the miracle appears to have attracted even more than the ordinary attention.—P.
Notes
Ver. 9. Full well. This is commonly pronounced an irony; but such a figure seems utterly unsuited to the character of Christ. But as no meaning can be fairly extracted from the word καλῶς, except one cognate to 'fairly, justly, properly, full well,' &c., may not the imagined irony be removed by taking the words interrogatively? 'And he said unto them, Do you properly set aside the commandment of God that you may establish your own tradition?' C.
**Reflections.—**What self-deceivers are human hearts! The most trifling superstitions are often substituted in the place of the substantial duties of religion and morality. But no devotion, which is not commanded by God, and offered up in faith and sincerity, can be acceptable to him or profitable to us. Alas! what an infernal fountain of wickedness is every unregenerate heart! It is ready to burst forth on every occasion. And there is an absolute necessity of God's offering an abiding principle of life, light, faith, and love, in opposition to our natural corruption. His grace indeed makes a wonderful change even in the weakest believer. It gives the highest and most honourable views of Christ; the tenderest compassion to friends; earnest importunity in prayer for their souls; and great humility and patience under seeming crosses and denials of help. And Jesus sometimes tries the faith of his people by great discouragements, even while he secretly upholds and animates it, till at last he crown it with the full enjoyment of all that it can wish. What complicated diseases spring from our lusts and crimes! And it is a great mercy that Jesus Christ has power over all plagues. Let me then, conscious of sinful pollutions and miseries unnumbered, look up to him for relief in his own time and way. No hardened heart, deaf ears, nor stammering tongue, can withstand his healing words of power. Let me listen to his instructions with an obedient ear; and ascribe to him, as he shall direct, the glory due to his name, who is wonderful in counsel, and excellent in working.