Mark 7

 

 1 Then (*) (1) gathered unto him the Pharisees, and certain of the Scribes which came from Jerusalem.

 

(*) Matthew 15:1 .

(1) None do more resist the wisdom of God, than they that should be wisest, and that upon a zeal of their own traditions; for men do not please themselves more in anything than in superstition, that is to say, in a worship of God fondly devised of themselves.

 

 2 And when they saw some of his disciples (a) eat meat with (b) (♣) common (*) hands, (that is to say, unwashen) they complained.

 

(a) Word for word, eat bread; a kind of speech which the Hebrews use, taking bread for all kind of food.
(b) For the Pharisees would not eat their meat with unwashed hands, because they thought that their hands were defiled with common handling of things; Matthew 15:11-12 .

(♣) Or, filthy.

(*) The Pharisees would not eat with unwashed hands because they thought that the common handling of things defiled them, so that they made holiness and religion to depend in hand washings.

 

 3 (For the Pharisees, and all the Jews, except they wash their hands (*) oft, eat not, (c) holding the traditions of the Elders.

 

(*) Or, contentiously, striving to wash best.

(c) Observing diligently.

 

 4 And when they come from the (d) market, except they wash, they eat not; and many other things there be, which they have taken upon them to observe, as the washing of cups, and (e) (*) pots, and of brazen vessels, and of tables.)

 

(d) That is to say, from civil affairs and worldly, they go not meat, unless they wash themselves first.
(e) By these words are understood all kind of vessels, which are appointed for our daily use.

(*) Little pots, somewhat more in quantity than a wine pint.

 

 5 Then asked him the Pharisees and Scribes, Why (f) walk not thy disciples according to the tradition of the Elders, but eat (*) meat with unwashen hands?

 

(f) Why live they not? A kind of speech from the Hebrews; for amongst them, the way is taken for trade of life.

(*) Or, bread.

 

 6  (2) Then he answered and said unto them, Surely (*) Isaiah hath prophesied well of you, hypocrites, as it is written, This people honoreth me with (♣) lips, but their heart is far away from me.

 

(2) Hypocrisy is always joined with superstition.

(*) Isaiah 29:14 .

(♣) With an outward shew.

 

 7  (3) But they worship me in vain, teaching for doctrines the (*) commandments of men.

 

(3) The more earnest the superstitious are, the more they are mad, in promising themselves God's favor by their deserts.

(*) Whosoever teacheth any doctrine but God’s word, is a false worshipper, and a seducer of the people, seem his doctrine never so probable to the judgment of man.

 

 8  (4) For ye lay the commandment of God apart, and observe the tradition of men, as the washing of pots and of cups, and many other such like things ye do.

 

(4) The devices of superstitious men do not only not fulfill the Law of God (as they blasphemously persuade themselves) but also do utterly take it away.

 

 9  (5) And he said unto them, Will ye reject the commandment of God, that ye may observe your own tradition.

 

(5) True Religion, which is clean contrary to superstition, consisteth in spiritual worship; and all enemies of true Religion, although they seem to have taken deep root, shall be plucked up.

 

 10 For Moses said, (*) Honor thy father and thy mother; and (♣) Whosoever shall speak evil of father or mother, let him (g) die the death.

 

(*) Exodus 20:12, Deuteronomy 5:16; Ephesians 6:2 .

(♣) Exodus 21:17; Leviticus 20:9; Proverbs 20:20 .

(g) Without hope of pardon, he shall be put to death.

 

 11 But ye say, If a man say to father or mother, Corban, that is, By the gift that is offered by me, thou mayest have profit, he shall be free.

 

 12 So ye suffer him no more to do anything for his father or his mother.

 

 13 Making the word of God of none authority, by your tradition which ye have ordained; and ye do many such like things.

 

 14  (*) Then he called the whole multitude unto him, and said unto them, Hearken you all unto me, and understand.

 

(*) Matthew 15:10 .

 

 15 There is (*) nothing without a man, that can defile him, when it entereth into him; but the things which proceed out of him, are they which defile the man.

 

(*) There is no outward or corporal thing, which entereth into a man, that can defile his meaning chiefly of meats, which if they be taken excessively, it cometh of the inordinate lust of the heart, and so the lust is evil.

 

 16 If any have ears to hear, let him hear.

 

 17 And when he came into a house, away from the people, his disciples asked him concerning the parable.

 

 18 And he said unto them, What? Are ye without understanding also? Do ye not know that whatsoever thing from without entereth into a man, cannot defile him,

 

 19 Because it entereth not into his heart, but into the belly, and goeth out into the draught which is the (h) purging of all meats?

 

(h) For that which goeth into the draught, purgeth all meats.

 

 20 Then he said, That which cometh out of man, that defileth man.

 

 21  (*) For from within, even out of the heart of men proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders,

 

(*) Genesis 6:5; Genesis 8:21 .

 

 22 Thefts, (i) covetousness, wickedness, deceit, (*) uncleanness, a (k) (♣) wicked eye, backbiting, pride, foolishness.

 

(i) All kind of craftiness whereby men profit themselves by other men's losses.

(*) Or, wantonness.
(k) Cankered malice.

(♣) Or, envy.

 

 23 All these evil things come from within, and defile a man.

 

 24  ¶ (*) (6) And from thence he rose, and went into the (l) borders of Tyre and Sidon, and entered into a house, and would that no man should have known; but he could not be hid.

 

(*) Matthew 15:21 .

(6) That which the proud do reject when it is offered unto them, that same do the modest and humble sinners as it were violently wrung out.
(l) Into the uttermost coasts of Palestina, which were next to Tyre and Sidon.

 

 25 For a certain woman, whose little daughter had an unclean spirit, heard of him, and came, and fell at his feet,

 

 26 (And the woman was a (m) Greek, a (n) Syrophenician by nation) and she besought him that he would cast out the devil out of her daughter.

 

(m) By profession, profane.
(n) Neighbor or near to Damascus.

 

 27 But Jesus said unto her, Let the (*) children first be fed, for it is not good to take the children’s bread, and to cast it unto (o) (♣) whelps.

 

(*) Meaning the Jews, to whom the promises were first made.

(o) He useth this word Whelps rather than the word Dogs, that he may seem to speak more contumaciously.

(♣) The Jews took strangers no better than the dogs, and therefore Christ speaketh according to their opinion.

 

 28 Then she answered, and said unto him, (p) Truth, Lord, yet indeed the whelps eat under the table of the children’s (*) crumbs.

 

(p) As if she said, It is as thou sayest Lord, for it is enough for the whelps, if they can but gather up the crumbs that are under the table; therefore I crave the crumbs, and not the children's bread.

(*) She asketh but the poor crumbs, and not the children’s bread, wherein she declareth her faith and humility.

 

 29 Then he said unto her, For this saying go thy way; the devil is gone out of thy daughter.

 

 30 And when she was come home to her house, she found the devil departed, and her daughter lying on the bed.

 

 31  ¶ (7) And he departed again from the coasts of Tyre and Sidon, and came unto the sea of Galilee, through the midst of the coasts of (q) Decapolis.

 

(7) As the Father created us to this life in the beginning in his only son, so doth he also in him alone renew us unto everlasting life.
(q) It was a little country, and so called of ten cities, which the four governments do run between and compass, Pliny, book 3, chapter 8 .

 

 32 And they brought unto him one that was deaf and stammered in his speech, and prayed him to put his hand upon him.

 

 33 Then he took him aside from the multitude, and put his fingers in his ears, and did spit, and touched his tongue.

 

 34 And looking up to heaven, he (*) sighed, and said unto him, Ephphatha, that is, Be opened.

 

(*) Declaring by this sign the compassion that he hath upon man’s miseries.

 

 35 And straightway his ears were opened, and the string of his tongue was loosed, and he spake plain.

 

 36 And he commanded them that they should tell no man; but how much soever he forbade them, the more a great deal they published it,

 

 37 And were beyond measure astonied, saying, (*) (♣) He hath done all things well; he maketh both the deaf to hear, and the dumb to speak.

 

(*) Genesis 1:31 .

(♣) As if they would say, besides all the miracles that he hath done, even this now declareth that whatsoever he doeth, is very well.

 

 

Steve

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