Mark 7:1-13

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Mark 7:7

Howbeit, in vain do they worship me ,.... This is the continuation of the citation out of Isaiah, as is also what follows: teaching for doctrines the commandments of men . As all these traditions mentioned were such; as washing their hands before they ate bread, and their whole bodies, when they came from the market, or from any court of judicature, or concourse of men, where they had been touched by the common people, and the washing of cups, pots, brazen vessels, and tables, or beds;... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Mark 7:8

For laying aside the commandment of God ,.... Meaning not any particular commandment, but all the commandments of God, the whole written law; to which they preferred the oral law, or the traditions of the elders, and the decisions of their doctors. So the Syriac, Arabic, Persic, and Ethiopic versions read, "the commandments of God". Ye hold the tradition of men : very significantly are the elders, whom the, Jews revered, and whose traditions and constitutions they extolled above the... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Mark 7:9

And he said unto them ,.... He continued his discourse, saying, full well , or "fairly", ye reject the commandment of God, that ye may keep your own tradition : these words may be considered, as spoken ironically, thus; as pious and excellently good men, you in a very fair and handsome manner, reject and make void the commandments and laws of God; and it is very fit it should be so, in order to preserve your own traditions, that nothing may be wanting to keep up the honour of them,... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Mark 7:10

For Moses said ,.... That is, God by Moses; for the following precept was spoken by God, and written by him on one of the tables of stone, and delivered into the hands of Moses, to be given to the children of Israel: honour thy father and thy mother , Exodus 20:12 , the sanction of which law is, and whoso curseth father or mother, let him die the death , Exodus 21:17 . As the former of these commands is to be understood, not only of honouring parents in thought, word, and deed,... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Mark 7:11

But ye say ,.... Your elders, doctors, and wise men, in opposition to God and Moses: if a man shall say to his father or his mother, it is Corban, that is to say, a gift ; in the same manner is this word interpreted by Josephus, who speaking of some that call themselves Corban unto God, says F21 Autiqu. Jud. l. 4. c. 4. sect. 4. in the Greek tongue, δωρον δε τουτο σεμαινει , "this signifies a gift": now, according to the traditions of the elders, whoever made use of that word to... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Mark 7:12

And ye suffer him no more to do ought for his father, or his mother. According to the Jewish canons F23 Maimon. Hilch. Nedarim, c. 3. sect. 1. , if a man vowed a thing which is contrary to a command, he was obliged to keep his vow, and break the command: thus, if a man vowed that his father or his mother should never receive any benefit from what he had, but that his substance was as "Corban", or as any thing devoted to divine service, he was obliged to keep his vow; nor was he allowed... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Mark 7:13

Making the word of God of none effect, through your tradition ,.... Beza says, in his most ancient copy it is read, "your foolish tradition"; and such it was indeed, that a vow made rashly, and in a passion, or if ever so deliberately entered into, should be more binding upon a man than the law of God; that rather than break this, he should transgress a divine command; and that though he might see his folly, and repent of his sin in making such a wicked vow, he could not go back from it,... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Mark 7:1

Came from Jerusalem - Probably for the express purpose of disputing with Christ, that they might entangle him in his talk. Malice and envy are never idle - they incessantly hunt the person they intend to make their prey. read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Mark 7:2

They found fault - This is wanting in ABEHLV, nineteen others, and several versions: Mill and Bengel approve the omission, and Griesbach rejects the word. If the 3d and 4th verses be read in a parenthesis, the 2d and 5th verses will appear to be properly connected, without the above clause. read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Mark 7:3

Except they wash their hands - πυγμῃ , the hand to the wrist - Unless they wash the hand up to the wrist, eat not. Several translations are given of this word; that above is from Dr. Lightfoot, who quotes a tradition from the rabbins, stating that the hands were to be thus washed. This sort of washing was, and still continues to be, an act of religion in the eastern countries. It is particularly commanded in the Koran, Surat v. ver. 7, "O believers, when ye wish to pray, wash your faces,... read more

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