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

And when they come from the market, except they wash, they eat not. And many other things 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, 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 whatsoever thou mightest be profited by me; he shall be free.

12

And ye suffer him no more to do ought 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.

Mark 7:3

7:3 wash. The word “wash” is baptizo, normally translated (or really just transliterated) as “baptize.” Whatever is “washed,” or “baptized,” is obviously washed all over, whether the object is a hand, a cup (Mark 7:4) or a person.

Mark 7:6

7:6 Esaias prophesied. This passage is quoted from Isaiah 29:13.

Mark 7:7

7:7 doctrines. Those professing believers who reject or distort the Scriptures in order to accommodate some humanistic doctrine (e.g., evolution, uniformitarianism, abortionism) need to study this strong warning from Christ. In context, He was talking about the extra-Biblical humanistic legalism of the Pharisees, but the principle seems applicable to any displacement of Scripture by some human precept.

Mark 7:11

7:11 Corban. The tradition of “Corban”—that is, “something dedicated to God”—permitted a son to be released from any obligation to care for his parents, thus breaking the fifth commandment. He would claim his possessions belonged to God and were therefore unavailable for other purposes.

Mark 7:13

7:13 of none effect. This tendency to distort or negate or augment Scripture with one’s own interpretations (or those of others) was not unique to the ancient scribes and Pharisees. God repeatedly warns against tampering with His inspired and now-completed Scriptures (Matthew 5:18; John 10:35; II Peter 3:16; etc.). The last chapter of the Bible strongly warns against adding or taking away any of the words of the Bible (Revelation 22:18-19).

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