1 THEN came 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, that is to say, with unwashen hands, they found fault.

3 For the Pharisees, and all the Jews, except they wash their hands oft, eat not, holding the tradition of the elders.

4 And when they come from the market, except they wash, they eat not. And many other things

VII.

1 1 AND there are gathered together unto him the Pharisees, and certain of the scribes, 2 which 2 had come from Jerusalem, and had seen that some of his disciples ate their bread with 3 de3 filed, that is, unwashen, hands. For the Pharisees, and all the Jews, except they wash their hands diligently, eat not, holding the tradi4 tion of the elders: and when they come from the marketplace, except they wash themselves, they

We

Chap. 7. 1-23. (Comp. Matt. 15: 1-20.) now enter upon the last twelve months of our Lord's ministry, and the last six months of his ministry in Galilee. The Passover immediately after his feeding the five thousand (John 6: 4) he did not attend, because at Jerusalem "the Jews sought to kill him" (John 7:1). It was probably after the Passover that certain Pharisees and scribes came from Jerusalem to Galilee and set themselves again to oppose him, and he does not shrink from denouncing them as hypocrites, and attacking their most cherished opinions.

I. THE PHARISEES COMPLAIN THAT THEIR TRADITION AS TO WASHING HANDS IS DISREGARDED, 1-5. 1. This verse leaves it doubtful whether these Pharisees also had come from Jerusalem, or only the scribes; in Matt. 15:1 both come from Jerusalem; and therefore the same is probably meant here. At Jerusalem the hatred to Jesus was much more intense than in Galilee. They had long before this sought to kill him (John 5: 18), and here in Galilee the blasphemous accusation was made by scribes who came from Jerusalem (3:22). 2. On the present occasion some of the disciples were observed by these Pharisees to eat without washing their hands. This does not probably mean that the rest of the disciples did otherwise, but simply that some were observed. Defiled, literally common" (as in Margin). Only hands recently washed were considered ceremonially clean; otherwise, in their common" condition, they were considered unclean. So "uncommon" is correctly enough translated by "defiled," and Mark explains it by unwashen.

66

As he is writing especially for Gentiles, Mark now pauses to tell how extremely scrupulous the Jews were about ceremonial purifications in connection with eating; which Matthew has no need to do, as he writes especially for Jewish readers. This explanatory statement seemed to

ances.

break Mark's connection, and some copies inserted "they found fault" at the end of ver. 2 (as in King James); but the apparent break is avoided by translating as in Revised version. 3. And all the Jews must be taken as a popular expression for the Jews in general, showing that this scrupulosity was not confined to the Pharisees. It cannot be taken strictly, for there were Jews who neglected such observWash is here in Greek nipto, a word applied only to washing some part of the person, as hands or feet; another word louo is applied only to washing the whole person, bathing (Acts 16: 33; John 13: 10); and a third word, pluno, is applied only to washing garments, nets, etc. -the Greek being well supplied with such terms, and using them with accuracy. Diligently, literally "with the fist" (as in Margin), probably meaning that they rubbed one hand with the other fist; Theophylact's explanation, "up to the elbow" (Margin), is very difficult and improbable, but would make no substantial difference in the sense. The obscurity of the expression caused a change in some copies to a somewhat similar Greek word which means "oft" (so in early English versions). The practical point is that they not only washed their hands, but did it with care. The tradition of the elders. The law of Moses enjoined various purifications, but not a special purification before eating. This was required by a tradition handed down from the elders, or teachers of former times. Numerous traditions of this sorts were cherished by our Lord's contemporaries as equally binding with the law of Moses, and were often regarded as even surpassing the law in importance. To wash the hands carefully before eating was the rule, under ordinary circumstances. 4. But in the market-place one might easily chance to come in contact with a person or thing that was ceremonially unclean. So upon returning from the marketplace they were not content with the ordinary washing, but would before eating wash, bathe, themselves, literally "baptize themselves "

there be, which they have received to hold, as the washing of cups, and pots, brazen vessels, and of tables.

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?

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.

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 reject the commandment of God, that ye may keep your own tradition.

10 For Moses said, Honour thy father and thy mother; and, d 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, that is to say, a gift, by

eat not: and many other things there be, which they have received to hold, washings of 5 2 cups, and pots, and brasen vessels. And the Pharisees and the scribes ask him, Why walk not thy disciples according to the tradition of 4 the elders, 5 but eat their bread with defiled 6 hands? And he said unto them, Well did Isaiah prophesy of you 7 hypocrites, as it is written, 8 This people honoreth me with their lips, But their heart is far from me.

7 But in vain do they worship me,

Teaching as their doctrines the precepts of

men.

8 Ye leave the commandment of God, and hold 9 fast the tradition of men. And he said unto them, Full well do ye 10 reject the commandment 10 of God, that ye may keep your tradition. For Moses said, 11 Honor thy father and thy mother; and, 12 He that speaketh evil of father or mother, 11 let him die the death: but ye say, If a man shall say to his father or his mother, That wherewith

(Margin). The same word is used in Luke 11: 38. This excessive scrupulosity, together with the baptizing of cups and pots, etc. (ver. 4), strikes some modern readers as too marvelous to be credible; and they imagine that baptize must here mean only "wash," as in the early English versions. But Mark evidently meant to describe very remarkable practices; and that people should wash cups, etc., would not be strange. Moreover, ver. 4 would then be an unmeaning repetition: They always wash before eating, and when they come from the marketplace they wash before eating. A few early copyists saw the strangeness of the practice and changed "baptize themselves" into "sprinkle themselves," which is found in our two oldest uncial manuscripts, in nine cursives, and one Greek father of the twelfth century. This is manifestly an alteration to remove a difficulty. but Westcott and Hort adopt "sprinkle" as the text, with resolute purpose to follow the Vatican codex, whenever supported by one other principal uncial. It is perfectly easy to see how baptize might be changed into sprinkle, but the reverse process is hard to explain. All this difficulty which ancient or modern writers have with Mark's statement arises from not knowing, or from failing to consider, the extreme scrupulosity of the Jews about ceremonial purification. No careful housewife among us would take more pains in cleansing persons or things connected with yellow fever or smallpox than they took with persons or things that had become ceremonially unclean. (See examples in Geikie, Chap. XLIV.) The same considerations would explain also the additional word “couches,” at

the end of ver. 4, which the Revised version strikes out, because it is wanting in other important authorities besides the two oldest uncials, but which was very likely omitted because the process seemed so difficult. These couches would from the connection naturally mean those upon which people reclined at table, and hence the early English versions rendered "tables" (Margin of King James "beds "). The great Jewish scholar Maimonides (twelfth century) says: "A bed that is wholly defiled, if a man dips it part by part, is pure." This shows how couches could be immersed.

Ver. 5 resumes the statement of ver. 1. The scribes generally belonged to the party of the Pharisees, and so they are often mentioned together.

II. JESUS REBUKES THE PHARISEES FOR EXALTING TRADITION ABOVE SCRIPTURE, 6-13. 6-8. He denounces them as hypocrites, who fulfill a prediction of Isaiah. The quotation here and in Matt. 15:8, 9 is condensed from the Septuagint (Isa. 29: 13), differing verbally from the Hebrew, but not differing in substantial meaning. Their reverence of God rested on human teaching, and so was unacceptable and vain. They were thus hypocrites, honoring God in profession and ceremony but not in heart. The addition to ver. 8 in King James is spurious, being added from ver. 4 and 13.

9-13. He declares and proves that they make tradition overrule the express command of God's word. Ver. 10 quotes from Exod. 20: 12 and 21: 17. 10. Die the death means either a death of severe suffering or a certain death (as in Margin). 11. Corban is a Hebrew word, meaning

whatsoever thou mightest be profited by me; he shall be free.

12 And ye suffer him no more to do aught 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.

14 And when he had called all the people unto him, he said unto them, Hearken unto me every one of you, and 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.

16 b If any man have ears to hear, let him hear. 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;

19 Because it entereth not into his heart, but into the belly, and goeth out into the draught, purging all meats?

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

thou mightest have been profited by me is 1 Cor 12 ban, that is to say, Given to God; ye no longer suffer him to do aught for his father or his 13 mother; 2 making void the word of God by your tradition, which ye have delivered and many 14 such like things ye do. And he called to him the multitude again, and said unto them, 3 Hear 15 me all of you, and understand: there is nothing from without the man, that going into him can defile him: but the things which proceed out of the man are those that defile the man. 17 And when he was entered 5 into the house from the multitude, his disciples asked of him the 18 parable. And he saith unto them, Are ye so without understanding also? Perceive ye not, that whatsoever from without goeth into the 19 man, it cannot defile him; because it goeth not into his heart, but into his belly, and goeth out into the draught? 9 This he said, making all 20 meats clean. And he said, 10 That which proceedeth out of the man, that defileth the man.

a sacrifice, offering, gift-as here interpreted by Mark. For example, if a hungry father should ask his son for a loaf of bread, and the son should say, That bread is Corban, having in his mind resolved to make it an offering to God, then it would be a sin for him to give it to his father. And so their traditional provisions would excuse or prevent a son from fulfilling a most sacred duty expressly commanded in Scripture. The Talmud mentions this and many similar examples-precisely as said in the close of ver. 13.

III. JESUS TEACHES THAT RELIGIOUS DEFILEMENT IS NOT OF THE BODY, BUT OF THE SOUL, 14-23. He states this to the multitude. In the preceding he has been addressing the scribes and Pharisees (ver. 1, 5, 6), and though many of the common people were near they were probably inattentive and scattering, regarding the question as one for rabbis to discuss. 14. But now he called to him the multitude again, and addressed himself to them as was his custom. From not understanding this "again" some copies got it changed into "all" (King James). All of you, the multitude as well as the scribes. And understand, for the subject was difficult, and what he was about to say would be startling, paradoxical. In the way of strengthening this call for attention and reflection, ver. 16 of King James' version crept into many copies, probably derived from 4: 9. The great declaration our Lord now makes (ver. 15) must have seemed to the Jews not only surpassingly strange, but utterly revolutionary.

The law of Moses had declared many kinds of food unclean, the cherished traditions were largely occupied with this subject-the Nazarene appeared to be assailing one of the main points in religion. (So it had been as to the Sabbath, 2:27, 28.) Accordingly, in Matt. 15: 12, the disciples tell Jesus that "the Pharisees were offended when they heard this saying"-they found it an obstacle which prevented their admitting his authority to teach. Observe what Matthew tells us Jesus replied (15: 13, 14).

17-23. He explains it to his disciples. 17. Into the house, some house close by that is unknown to us but was probably well known to Peter, under whose direction Mark is said to have written. His disciples asked, through Peter as spokesman (Matt. 15: 15). He censures them for showing such a lack of understanding (ver. 18; comp. ver. 14), and then explains, showing (1) how things from without cannot defile the man (ver. 18, 19), and (2) how things from within do defile (ver. 20-23). 19. At the end of this verse the Revised version follows a different Greek text, which refers the cleansing to Jesus. By this teaching he virtually declared all meats, articles of food, to be clean. It is easy for us to see that this was indeed involved in the great saying of ver. 15, as explained in ver. 18, 19. But the disciples for a long time failed to see it, and needed the vision of Peter (Acts 10: 9-16), and the providential training of many years, before it became plain to them.

The great thought here is, that outward cleans ing does not cleanse the heart, the soul. Christ

enjoined upon believers a most thorough and impressive bodily purification, yet it was not to be a means, but only a symbol, of spiritual purification (comp. 1 Peter 3: 21; Acts 16). Some two centuries or more after Christ the erroneous idea that baptism is a means of purification and of regeneration had so far gained currency that some well-meaning Christians began (very naturally, with such a theory) to baptize infants, and when a man was dying and baptism was impossible, then to substitute pouring, and at a later period sprinkling. But if circumstances make the symbolic action impossible, the thing symbolized exists just as well without it; nobody supposes the penitent robber on the cross needed baptism. So when we cannot really baptize let us not substitute something else, but have simply no symbol at all. And infants are saved as infants, through the atonement of Christ and the work of the Holy Spirit, just as well without baptism as with it.

24-37. (Comp. Matt. 15: 21-31.) Our Lord here withdraws from Galilee, and will continue to withdraw in various directions, so as to be away from Galilee during the greater part of the six months preceding his final departure from that district (10 : 1). We can discern three reasons for his thus keeping away from Galilee. (1) Herod, the tetrarch of Galilee, had adopted the notion that this was John the Baptist risen from the dead (6: 14), and so would be apprehensive, suspicious, and disposed to interfere with him (compare at a later period in Peræa, Luke 13: 31). (2) Many Galileans had become fanatical about Jesus, and ready to proclaim him King Messiah, and rise in revolt against the Romans (6: 45; John 6: 15). (3) Certain scribes and Pharisees had come from Jerusalem to watch and misrepresent him (7:1), and would be ready to precipitate the conflict between him and them which had to come, but which our Lord was carefully avoiding till his "hour" should come (John 7: 30; 13: 1).

IV. THE SYRO-PHOENICIAN MOTHER'S APPEAL FOR HER CHILD, 24-30. 24. From thence, from the place at which the scribes and Pharisees had complained about the neglect of handwashing-probably Capernaum. Went away, from Galilee, for reasons such as have been given above. Into the borders. This might mean only that he went to the boundary of Phoenicia, and so would not make it certain that he left Galilee and entered the heathen country; but ver. 31 (in the correct text) does make it certain, and so we must understand "borders" as meaning the territory-a common sense. Tyre and Sidon were the principal cities in the district which the Greeks called Phoenicia. They are very often mentioned in Old Testament history and prophecy, and were famous for their commerce and manufactures. Our Lord stopped at first in the southern part of the district, the part belonging to Tyre, and afterward went northward through Sidon (ver. 31). Would have no man know it. He wished to live here for a time in absolute retirement, so as not to be disturbed by the foes or the friends he had left in Galilee. So Elijah had remained concealed a long time in the same neighborhood (Zarephath, a city of Sidon, 1 Kings 17: 9), while his enemies sought for him in all the surrounding countries (1 Kings 18: 10). And he could not be hid. Jesus was not discovered by emissaries of Herod or of the Pharisees, nor by fanatical friends from Galilee, but by a mother's loving anxiety for her afflicted child. So his attempt to rest not long before had to be abandoned in order to teach and heal (6 : 34; Matt. 14: 14).

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.

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.

28 And she answered and said unto him, Yes, Lord yet the dogs under the table eat of the children's crumbs.

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

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 canie unto the sea of Galilee, through the midst of the coasts of Decapolis.

26 down at his feet. Now the woman was a 2 Greek,

a Syrophoenician by race. And she besought

him that he would cast forth the devil out of 27 her daughter. And he said unto her, Let the children first be filled: for it is not meet to take the children's bread and 5 cast it to the dogs. 28 But she answered and saith unto him, Yea, Lord: even the dogs under the table eat of the 29 children's crumbs. And he said unto her, For this saying go thy way; the devil is gone out 30 of thy daughter. And she went away unto her house, and found the child laid upon the bed, and the devil gone out.

31

And again he went out from the borders of Tyre, and came through Sidon unto the sea of Galilee, through the midst of the borders of

possessed-and "grievously vexed" (Matt. 15:22). But children share almost all the ills that sin has brought upon our race, sickness, mental suffering, death. And no wonder, for children are themselves sinful, and they know it very well. 26. A Greek, that is, not a Jew. The Greeks having for centuries ruled Palestine and all the surrounding countries, it had become common to include all other races than the Jews as Greeks (Rom. 1:16). So the term Greek is here equivalent to Gentile (Marg.). It is immediately added that by race she was a Syrophœnician, that is, one of the Syrian Phoenicians, as distinguished from the Libyan Phoenicians or Carthaginians. The Phoenicians were of essentially the same race as the old inhabitants of Canaan, whom the Israelites found there, and so Matthew (15:22) calls her "a Canaanitish woman.' Came and fell down (ver. 25). He seems to have been walking out with his disciples, and she followed them with her entreaties (Matt. 15: 23). Matthew tells us that she said, "O Lord, thou Son of David," showing that she regarded him as the Jewish Messiah. It is likely that she or some of her friends had been among the many persons from "about Tyre and Sidon " who went into Galilee, saw the miracles of Jesus upon sick and possessed persons (3: 8-11), and perhaps heard the Sermon on the Mount (3:13); this would account for his being recognized, and for the conviction that he was the Messiah. Matthew (1523) also tells us that at first Jesus gave her no answer, even when the disciples begged him to grant her request. But she came nearer to him, and continued her entreaty. 27. The children's bread . . the dogs. Jews were accustomed to speak with bitter contempt of Gentiles as dogs, just as Mohammedans now speak of Christians. Our Lord employs this familiar and seemingly harsh expression in order to test and develop her faith and humility.

Notice her beautifully wise and humble reply (ver. 28). Even the dogs are allowed a lowly portion; she is content to be regarded as a dog, if she may have a dog's part, some crumbs of blessing. This is probably the only passage of the Bible in which dogs are spoken of kindly. In the East dogs have no masters, but run wild, and while useful as scavengers are regarded with dislike. 29. For this saying. Matthew adds (15:28) that he said, O woman, great is thy faith." Great faith produced great humility and great perseverance, and brought great success.

V. THE DEAF MAN HEALED IN DECAPOLIS, 31-37. He left the region pertaining to Tyre, because the news of this healing would bring other applicants, and friend and foe in Galilee would soon learn where he was. 31. Borders, as in ver. 24. King James' version here has "coasts," from the passion for varying the translation. Leaving southern Phoenicia our Lord does not return across Galilee to Capernaum, but goes northward through Sidon. This is the correct Greek text, and it throws light on the Lord's movements at this juncture. He is keeping away from the dominions of Herod Antipas. From Tyre to Sidon is about twenty miles. From northern Phoenicia he goes eastward above Galilee into the dominions of Philip the tetrarch (Luke 3: 1), which included all the country immediately east of the upper Jordan and the Sea of Galilee. Then turning southward he goes down to Decapolis, southeast of the Sea of Galilee. Philip was a much more mild and just ruler than his brother Herod Antipas, and had no special cause of apprehension such as the slayer of John the Baptist felt. Decapolis, as in 5: 20, was a region of ten associated towns, which had certain privileges in common. Matthew says (15: : 29) "into the mountain," i. e., the mountain range that runs all along east of the Jordan and of its lakes.