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Matthew Henry

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 7:5-8

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

William Barclay

William Barclay's Daily Study Bible - Mark 7:9-13

7:9-13 He said to them, "You make an excellent job of completely nullifying the command of God in order to observe your own tradition. For Moses said, 'Honour your father and your mother.' And, 'He who speaks evil of his father or mother shall certainly die.' But you say, that, if a man says to his father or mother, 'That by which you might have been helped by me is Korban,'--that is to say, God-dedicated--you no longer allow him to do anything for his father and mother, and you thereby... 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

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Mark 7:6

Honoreth me - Με τιμᾳ - but the Codex Bezae, and three copies of the Itala, have με αγαπᾳ , loveth me: - the Ethiopic has both readings. read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Mark 7:8

Washing of pots and cups, etc. - This whole clause is wanting in BL, five others, and the Coptic: one MS. omits this and the whole of the ninth verse. The eighth verse is not found in the parallel place of Matthew 15:7-9 . read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Mark 7:9

Full well - Καλως , - a strong irony. How noble is your conduct! From conscientious attachment to your own traditions ye have annihilated the commandments of God! That ye may keep - But στησητε , that ye may establish, is the reading of D, three others, Syriac, all the Itala, with Cyprian, Jerome, and Zeno. Griesbach thinks it should be received instead of the other. God's law was nothing to these men, in comparison of their own: hear a case in point. "Rabba said, How foolish are... read more

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