New Testament Commentary - Mark 7

by Don R. Hender

Scriptural Text [& Editorial]	Commentary & Explanation	Footnotes ~ References ~ JST
CHAPTER 7 Jesus reproves the Pharisees for their false traditions and ceremonies—He casts a devil out of the daughter of a Greek woman—He opens the ears and loosens the tongue of one with an impediment.
1 THEN came together unto him the Pharisees, and certain of the scribes, which came from Jerusalem. 2 And when they saw some of his disciples eat bread with defiled, that is to say, with unwashen, hands, they found fault. 3 For the Pharisees, and all the Jews, except they ^awash their hands oft, eat not, holding the tradition of the elders^a.	3^a the tradition of the elders Over the space of much time a people united develop certain 'traditions' which become as important if not more important that the very Laws of God. Indeed, though it is a matter of personal hiygene to wash one's hands before eating and handling food, it is not one of the weightier matters of eternal salvation. But the Pharisees and the scribes had come to keep this tradition as particularly as one would keep one of the Lord's Ten Commandments.	1^a D&C 128:20; 2^a Mark 9:2 (2-13); Luke 9:29 (28-36); John 1:14; 2 Pet. 1:16 (16-19); TG Jesus Christ, Glory of;
4 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, brasen 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 ^aunwashen hands?		1^a D&C 128:20; 2^a Mark 9:2 (2-13); Luke 9:29 (28-36); John 1:14; 2 Pet. 1:16 (16-19); TG Jesus Christ, Glory of;
6 He answered and said unto them, Well hath Esaias prophesied of you hypocrites^a, as it is written, This people ^ahonoureth 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 ^atradition of men, as the washing of pots and cups: and many other such like things ye do.	6^a Well hath Esaias [Isaiah] prophesied of you hypocrites This is from Isaiah 29:13 which is also spoken by the mouth of Jesus Christ unto the prophet Joseph Smith at the time of the first vision concerning the state of the leaders of the churches in young Joseph's day (JS-H 1:19). Just as the the many false traditions of the Jews which were practiced as if they were the commandments of God though the contrivance of man, so it was in the apostate churches of Joseph Smith's day. Many corrupt and false traditions of worship an performances and teachings had entered into the 'Traditional Christian' religions. And they held to them as though they were commanded of God, Though they were not, being but the commandments and traditions of men. (See also Matthew 15:8).	1^a D&C 128:20; 2^a Mark 9:2 (2-13); Luke 9:29 (28-36); John 1:14; 2 Pet. 1:16 (16-19); TG Jesus Christ, Glory of;
9 And he said unto them, Full well ye reject the commandment of God, that ye may keep your own tradition. 10 ^aFor Moses said, Honour thy father and thy mother; and, Whoso ^bcurseth father or mother, let him die the death:
11 But ye say, If a man shall say to his father or mother, It is ^aCorban, 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.
14 ¶ And when he had called all the people unto him, he said unto them, Hearken unto me every one of you, and understand: 15 There is nothing from without a man, that entering into him can ^adefile him: but the things which come out of him, those are they that ^bdefile the man. 16 If any man have ears to hear, let him hear.
17 And when he was entered into the house from the people, his disciples asked him concerning the parable. 18 And he saith unto them, Are ye so without understanding also? Do ye not perceive, that whatsoever thing from without entereth into the man, it cannot defile him; 19 Because it entereth not into his heart, but into the belly, and goeth out into the draught, purging all meats?
20 And he said, That which cometh out of the man, that ^adefileth the man. 21 For from within, out of the ^aheart of men, proceed evil thoughts, ^badulteries, fornications, murders, 22 ^aThefts, ^bcovetousness, ^cwickedness, ^ddeceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness: 23 All these ^aevil things come from within, and ^bdefile the man.
24 ¶ And from thence he arose, and went into the borders of Tyre and Sidon, and entered into an house, and would have no man know it: but he could not be hid. 25 For a certain woman, whose young daughter had an unclean spirit, heard of him, and came and fell at his feet: 26 The woman was a Greek, a Syrophenician by nation; and she besought him that he would cast forth the devil out of her daughter.
27 But Jesus said unto her, Let the ^achildren first be filled: for it is not meet to take the children's bread, and to cast it unto the ^bdogs. 28 And she answered and said unto him, Yes, Lord: yet the dogs under the table eat of the children's crumbs. 29 And he said unto her, For this saying go thy way; the devil is gone out of thy daughter. 30 And when she was come to her house, she found the ^adevil gone out, and her daughter laid upon the bed.
31 ¶ And again, departing from the coasts of Tyre and Sidon, he came unto the sea of Galilee, through the midst of the coasts of Decapolis. 32 And they bring unto him one that was deaf, and had an impediment in his speech; and they beseech him to put his ^ahand upon him.
33 And he took him aside from the multitude, and put his fingers into his ears, and he spit, and touched his tongue; 34 And looking up to heaven, he sighed, and saith unto him, Ephphatha, that is, Be opened. 35 And straightway his ears were ^aopened, and the string of his tongue was loosed, and he spake plain.
36 And he charged them that they should tell no man: but the more he charged them, so much the more a great deal they ^apublished it; 37 And were beyond measure astonished, saying, He hath done all things well: he maketh both the deaf to hear, and the dumb to speak.