Mark 7:1-37

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Mark 7:2

And when they saw some of his disciples ,.... An opportunity soon offered of giving them an handle against him: for observing some of his disciples to sit down to meat, they took notice that they eat bread with defiled (that is to say, with unwashen) hands , and they found fault ; with them, and charged them with the breach of the traditions of the elders, and took an occasion from hence of quarrelling with Christ. The Jews use the same phrase the evangelist here does, and interpret... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Mark 7:3

For the Pharisees, and all the Jews ,.... The far greater part of them; all, excepting the Sadducees; and especially the Pharisees, were very tenacious of this tradition of washing hands before eating: hence Pharisees are described as such, אוכלי חוליהן בטהרה , "that eat their common food with cleanness" F14 Gloss in T. Bab. Chagiga, fol. 18. 2. Maimon. & Bartenora in Misn. Chagiga, c. 2. sect. 7. , i.e. of hands: these, except they wash their hands oft, eat not ; or... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Mark 7:4

And when they come from the market ,.... In Beza's most ancient copy, and in one of Stephens's, it is read as we supply, "when they come": wherefore this respects not things bought in the market, a sense favoured by all the Oriental versions, for many of them could not be washed; but the persons of the Scribes and Pharisees, who when they came from market, or from any court of judicature, immersed themselves all over in water, according to the true sense of the word βαπτιζω , here used:... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Mark 7:5

Then the Pharisees and Scribes asked him ,.... Not the disciples, but Christ himself; for their chief view was to find fault, and quarrel with him: why walk not thy disciples according to the tradition of the elders, but eat with unwashen hands ? or "with common", that is, defiled "hands", as in Mark 7:2 . So the words are read in Beza's most ancient copy, and in one of Stephens's copies, and in the Vulgate Latin version. The word "common" is used for that which is unclean or unholy, ... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Mark 7:6

He answered and said unto them ,.... Matthew postpones the following citation and application of the prophecy of Isaiah, to the account of the command of God being broken by the tradition of Corban; which Mark makes the answer of Christ to begin with: well hath Esaias prophesied of you hypocrites ; which in Matthew is read, "ye hypocrites, well did Esaias prophesy of you", Matthew 15:7 ; to the same sense as here: for the prophecy of Isaiah not only described the hypocrites of his... read more

John Gill

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

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