Chapter Seven
Mk. 7:1. And there assembled unto Him the Pharisees and certain of the scribes, who had come from Jerusalem,
Mk. 7:2. And having seen some of His disciples eating bread with unclean, that is, unwashed hands, they found fault.
Mk. 7:3. For the Pharisees and all the Jews, holding to the tradition of the elders, do not eat unless they have thoroughly washed their hands;
Mk. 7:4. Coming from the marketplace, they do not eat unless they wash themselves. And there are many other things which they have received to hold: the washing of cups, pitchers, kettles, and benches.
Mk. 7:5. Then the Pharisees and scribes ask Him: Why do Your disciples not walk according to the tradition of the elders, but eat bread with unwashed hands?
Having been taught to hold to one virtue alone and to be concerned with nothing else besides it, the disciples of the Lord ate with unwashed hands without any deliberate intent and in simplicity. Meanwhile the Pharisees, wishing to find a pretext for reproach, seize upon this occasion and accuse the apostles, though not as violators of the Law, but as violators of the tradition of the elders, for there is no commandment in the Law to wash one's hands up to the elbows before eating, but they held to this as a tradition of the elders.
Mk. 7:6. He said to them in reply: Well did Isaiah prophesy about you, hypocrites, as it is written: This people honors Me with their lips, but their heart is far from Me,
Mk. 7:7. But in vain do they worship Me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.
Mk. 7:8. For you, having left the commandment of God, hold to the tradition of men, the washing of cups and chalices, and you do many other things similar to this.
Mk. 7:9. And He said to them: is it well that you set aside the commandment of God in order to keep your own tradition?
Mk. 7:10. For Moses said: Honor your father and your mother; and: He who speaks evil of father or mother, let him be put to death.
Mk. 7:11. But you say: whoever says to his father or mother: Corban, that is, a gift to God, is that which you would have benefited from me,
Mk. 7:12. then you no longer permit him to do anything for his father or his mother,
Mk. 7:13. Making the word of God of no effect through your tradition which you have established; and you do many other things similar to this.
In order to more strongly convict the Jews, the Lord also brings forward a prophet who condemns them. They accused the disciples for transgressing the tradition of the elders, but the Lord directs against them a far stronger accusation, namely, that they transgress the Law of Moses. The Law, He says, teaches: "Honor your father and your mother" (Exodus 20:12); but you teach children to say to their parents: that which you want from me is corban, that is, dedicated to God. For the Pharisees, wishing to profit from the property of simple people, taught children (when the children had any possessions and the parents demanded from them) to say the following: I have already dedicated that to God, and you must not demand what has been dedicated to God. By thus deceiving children and persuading them to dedicate their possessions to God, the Pharisees through this made them neglect their parents, and they themselves consumed what had been dedicated to God. This is precisely what the Lord charges them with—that for the sake of gain they transgress the Law of God.
Mk. 7:14. And when He had called all the people unto Him, He said unto them, Hearken unto Me every one of you, and understand:
Mk. 7:15. Nothing that enters a man from outside can defile him; but the things which come out of him, those are what defile a man.
Mk. 7:16. If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear!
Mk. 7:17. And when He had entered into a house away from the crowd, His disciples asked Him about the parable.
Mk. 7:18. He said to them: Are you so lacking in understanding as well? Do you not comprehend that nothing entering a person from outside can defile him?
Mk. 7:19. Because it does not enter into his heart, but into the belly, and goes out, thereby purging all foods.
Mk. 7:20. Then He said: that which comes out of a man, that defiles a man.
Mk. 7:21. For from within, out of the heart of man, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders,
Mk. 7:22. thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness—