Mark 7:2-5,Mark 7:8,Mark 7:9

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Mark 7:1-23

One great design of Christ's coming, was, to set aside the ceremonial law which God made, and to put an end to it; to make way for which he begins with the ceremonial law which men had made, and added to the law of God's making, and discharges his disciples from the obligation of that; which here he doth fully, upon occasion of the offence which the Pharisees took at them for the violation of it. These Pharisees and scribes with whom he had this argument, are said to come from Jerusalem down... read more

William Barclay

William Barclay's Daily Study Bible - Mark 7:1-4

7:1-4 There gathered together to Jesus the Pharisees, and some of the experts in the law who had come down from Jerusalem. They saw that some of his disciples ate their bread with hands which were ceremonially unclean, that is to say hands which had not undergone the prescribed washings; for the Pharisees, and all the Jews, who hold to the traditions of the ciders, do not eat unless they wash their hands, using the fist as the law prescribes; and when they come in from the market-place they... read more

William Barclay

William Barclay's Daily Study Bible - Mark 7:5-8

7:5-8 So the Pharisees and the experts in the law asked him, "Why do your disciples not conduct themselves as the tradition of the elders prescribes, but eat bread with hands that are unclean?" He said to them, "Isaiah did well when he prophesied about you hypocrites, as it stands written, 'This people honour me with their lips, but their heart is far away from me. This so-called reverence of men is an empty thing, for they teach as doctrine human rules and regulations.' While you hold fast... read more

John Gill

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

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

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Mark 7:4

And when they come - This clause is added by our translators, to fill up the sense; but it was probably a part of the original: for εαν ελθωσι is the reading of the Codex Bezae, Vulgate, Armenian, and most of the Itala. The clause in my old MS. Bible is read thus: And thei turninge agein fro chepinge . The words seem essentially necessary to a proper understanding of the text; and, if not admitted on the above authority, they must be supplied in italics, as in our common translation. ... read more

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Mark 7:1-23

William Barclay's Daily Study Bible - Mark 7:1-4

William Barclay's Daily Study Bible - Mark 7:5-8

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

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

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

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

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

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

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Mark 7:4

Group of Brands