1.
Then came together unto him the Pharisees, and certain of the scribes, which came from Jerusalem.
unto . Greek pros. App-104 .
Pharisees . See App-120 .
from = away from. Greek. apo App-104 .
Jerusalem . Their head-quarters. Compare Matthew 15:1 .
2.
And when they saw some of his disciples eat bread with defiled, that is to say, with unwashen, hands, they found fault.
saw. Greek. eidon, App-133 .
defiled = not ceremonially cleansed.
that is to say . Explanation for Gentile readers.
3.
For the Pharisees, and all the Jews, except they wash their hands oft, eat not, holding the tradition of the elders.
For , &c. Mark 7:3-4 are interposed by the Figure of speech Parembole ( App-6 ).
wash . Greek. nipto. App-136 .
oft = diligently. Greek. pugme = with the fist. T reads pukna = often. Syr, reads
not . Greek. ou . App-105 .
holding = holding fast or firmly. Compare Hebrews 4:14 .Revelation 2:25 . Implying (here) determined adherence to.
elders . Always denoting in the Papyri an official class, whether sacred or secular.
4.
And when they come from the market, except they wash, they eat not. And many other things there be, which they have received to hold, as the washing of cups, and pots, brasen vessels, and of tables.
when they come . Figure of speech Ellipsis (absolute). App-6 .
wash = wash themselves (ceremonially). Greek. baptizo. WH R margin read rhantizo = sprinkle (ceremonially). See App-136 . .
washing . The ceremonial cleansing effected by means of water (Numbers 8:6 , Numbers 8:7 ). Greek. baptismos = the act of cleansing: not baptisma = the rite or ceremonial of baptism, which is the word in all the other passages, except Mark 7:8 , and Hebrews 6:2 ; Hebrews 9:10 . See App-115 . .
pots . Greek. xestes . A Latin word (sextarius); a pitcher of any kind, holding about a pint. and of tables = and of couches. So Syriac.
5.
Then the Pharisees and scribes asked him, Why walk not thy disciples according to the tradition of the elders, but eat bread with unwashen hands?
according to . Greek. kata . App-104 .
6.
He answered and said unto them, Well hath Esaias prophesied of you hypocrites, as it is written, This people honoureth me with their lips, but their heart is far from me.
Esaias = Isaiah. See App-79 .
of = concerning. Greek peri. App-104 .,
hypocrites . The definition of the word follows.
it is written = it standeth written.
This People, &c. Quoted from Isaiah 29:13 . See App-107 .
7.
Howbeit in vain do they worship me, teaching for doctines the commandments of men.
worship . Greek. sebomai. App-137 .
commandments = injunctions.
men. Greek plural of anthropos . App-123 .
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 reject the commandment of God, that ye may keep your own tradition.
Full well. Same as "Well" in Mark 7:6
reject = set aside.
keep = observe.
10.
For Moses said, Honour thy father and thy mother; and, Whoso curseth father or mother, let him die the death:
Moses . See note on Mark 1:44 .
Honour, &c. Quoted from Exodus 20:12 ; Exodus 21:17 .
die the death = surely die.
11.
But ye say, If a man shall say to his father or mother, It is Corban, that is to say, a gift, by whatsoever thou mightest be profited by me; he shall be free.
If. The condition being purely hypothetical. See App-118 .
Corhan = a gilt dedicated to God. A Divine supplement, giving the word and then translating it. See notes on Matthew 15:5 .Leviticus 1:2 .Ezekiel 40:43 .
by = from. Greek. ek. App-104 .
12.
And ye suffer him no more to do ought for his father or his mother;
13.
Making the word of God of none effect through your tradition, which ye have delivered: and many such like things do ye.
Making. of none effect = Making void, or annulling. Compare Matthew 15:6 .
the word of God . Notice the Lord's claim here for the Mosaic Law. Greek logos. See note on Mark 9:32 .
ye have delivered. Note the Past Tense, thus identifying them with their forefathers. Compare Matthew 23:35 , "ye slew".
14.
And when he had called all the people unto him, he said unto them, Hearken unto me every one of you, and understand:
people = crowd.
every one of you = all. But there are many to-day who neither "hear" nor understand.
15.
There 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.
into. Greek. eis. App-104 .
can defile = is able to defile.
of = away from. Greek apo. App-104 .
16.
If any man have ears to hear, let him hear.
If any man = If any one. See App-118 and App-142 . Assuming the hypothesis, the result being yet unfulfilled. T WH R omit Mark 7:16 . TR and A put it in brackets. But the Structure requires it; and the Syriac has it.
17.
And when he was entered into the house from the people, his disciples asked him concerning the parable.
18.
And he saith unto them, Are ye so without understanding also? Do ye not perceive, that whatsoever thing from without entereth into the man, it cannot defile him;
so . . . also = even so.
whatsoever thing from without = all [counted unclean] from without.
cannot = is not ( App-105 ) able to.
19.
Because it entereth not into his heart, but into the belly, and goeth out into the draught, purging all meats?
draught = sewer. Syriac reads "digestive process". purging all meats. Supply the Ellipsis thus (being the Divine comment on the Lord's words): "[this He said], making all meats clean", as in Acts 10:15 . The Syriac reads "carrying off all that is eaten": making it part of the Lord's parable.
20.
And he said, That which cometh out of the man, that defileth the man.
And He said , &c. Note the Figure of speech Epimone. App-6 .
cometh = issueth,
out of. Greek. ek . App-101 .
21.
For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders,
evil . App-128 . Note the Figure Asyndeton, leading up to the climax in Mark 7:23 . Note that in the Greek the first seven are plural, and the other six singular,
thoughts = reasonings,
22.
Thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness:
covetousness = covetous desires.
Wickedness = wickednesses. App-128 .
deceit = guile.
lasciviousness = licentiousness.
evil . App-128 .
evil eye . Figure of speech Catachresis. App-6 . Denoting envy, which proceeds out of the heart.
blasphemy = evil speaking in general. Matthew 27:39 . Romans 3:8 ; Romans 14:16 , 1 Peter 4:4 .
pride = haughtiness. Compare Proverbs 16:5 , Rom 12:16 , 1 Timothy 3:6 .
23.
All these evil things come from within, and defile the man.
come = issue. A Divine supplement, here.
24.
And from thence he arose, and went into the borders of Tyre and Sidon, and entered into an house, and would have no man know it: but he could not be hid.
25.
For a 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, a Syrophenician by nation; and she besought him that he would cast forth the devil out of her daughter.
The woman But (or Now) the woman.
Greek = Gentile, Greek. hellenis . Used in a general sense for non-Jewish.
Syrophenician . Phenicia in Syria, to distinguish it from Phenicia in North Africa (Libyo-Phenicia).
besought. App-134 . Not the same word as in Mark 7:22 .
the devil = the demon: the spirit of Mark 7:25 .
27.
But Jesus said unto her, Let the children first be filled: for it is not meet to take the children's bread, and to cast it unto the dogs.
Jesus. App-98 .
Let the children first be filled. This is a summary of Matthew 15:23 , Matthew 15:24 , and a Divine supplement, here.
children . Greek. Plural of teknon. See App-108 . Not the same word as in Mark 7:28 .
meet = good,
dogs = little or domestic dogs. Greek. kunarion. Dim. of kuon . Occ, only here and Matthew 15:26 , Matthew 15:27 . These were not the pariah dogs of the street, but domestic pets.
28.
And she answered and said unto him, Yes, Lord: yet the dogs under the table eat of the children's crumbs.
answered and said . See notes on Deuteronomy 1:41 and on Matthew 15:26 , &c.
Lord. App-98 . B.
under the table . A Divine supplement, here.
children's. See App-108 . Not the same word as in Mark 7:27 .
29.
And he said unto her, For this saying go thy way; the devil is gone out of thy daughter.
And , &c. Verses Mar 29:30 are a Divine supplement, here.
For = Because, or on account of. Greek. dia . App-104 .Mark 7:2 .
30.
And when she was come to her house, she found the devil gone out, and her daughter laid upon the bed.
31.
And again, departing from the coasts of Tyre and Sidon, he came unto the sea of Galilee, through the midst of the coasts of Decapolis.
from = out of. Greek ek. App-104 .
coasts = borders.
Galilee. See App-169 .
32.
And they bring unto him one that was deaf, and had an impediment in his speech; and they beseech him to put his hand upon him.
And Mark 7:32-37 are a Divine supplement, here.
deaf. impediment. Not horn deaf, and dumb in consequence; but the impediment may have come through subsequent deafness. He could speak, but with difficulty, through not being able to hear his own voice. Compare Mark 7:35 .
beseech. App-134 .; not the same word as in Mark 7:26 .
put = lay. Not the same word as in next verse.
33.
And he took him aside from the multitude, and put his fingers into his ears, and he spit, and touched his tongue;
34.
And looking up to heaven, he sighed, and saith unto him, Ephphatha, that is, Be opened.
heaven = the heaven. Singular. See note on Matthew 6:9 , Matthew 6:10
sighs = groaned.
Ephphatha . An Aramaic word. See App-94 .
35.
And straightway his ears were opened, and the string of his tongue was loosed, and he spake plain.
straightway = immediately. See note on Mark 1:10 , Mark 1:12 .
string = band. Not a physiological or technical ex pression, but the bond of demoniac influence which is thus indicated. The Papyri contain detailed prescriptions for "binding" a man; and cases are particu larly common in which a man's tongue is specially to be bound. See Prof. Deissmann's Light from the Ancient East, pp. 306-310. The Lord alludes to this in Luke 13:16 .
loosed . The demoniac's fetters were loosed, and the work of Satan was undone.
spake = began speaking.
plain = correctly. Denoting the fact of articulation, not the words spoken.
36.
And he charged them that they should tell no man: but the more he charged them, so much the more a great deal they published it;
published = kept proclaiming. See App-121 .
37.
And were beyond measure astonished, saying, He hath done all things well: he maketh both the deaf to hear, and the dumb to speak.