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Mark 7:1
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Defilement Comes from Within

1 Then athe Pharisees and some of the scribes came together to Him, having come from Jerusalem.  
2 Now1 when they saw some of His disciples eat bread with defiled, that is, with aunwashed hands, they found fault.  
3 For the Pharisees and all the Jews do not eat unless they wash their hands1 in a special way, holding the atradition of the elders.  
4 When they come from the marketplace, they do not eat unless they wash. And there are many other things which they have received and hold, like the washing of cups, pitchers, copper vessels, and couches.
5 aThen the Pharisees and scribes asked Him, “Why do Your disciples not walk according to the tradition of the elders, but eat bread with unwashed hands?”  
6 He answered and said to them, “Well did Isaiah prophesy of you ahypocrites, as it is written:
b‘This people honors Me with their lips,
But their heart is far from Me. 
7 And in vain they worship Me,
Teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’
8 For laying aside the commandment of God, you hold the tradition of men —the washing of pitchers and cups, and many other such things you do.”  
9 He said to them, “All too well ayou reject the commandment of God, that you may keep your tradition.  
10 For Moses said, a‘Honor your father and your mother’; and, b‘He who curses father or mother, let him be put to death.’  
11 But you say, ‘If a man says to his father or mother, a“Whatever profit you might have received from me is Corban”—’ (that is, a gift to God),  
12 then you no longer let him do anything for his father or his mother,
13 making the word of God of no effect through your tradition which you have handed down. And many such things you do.”
14 aWhen He had called all the multitude to Himself, He said to them, “Hear Me, everyone, and bunderstand:  
15 There is nothing that enters a man from outside which can defile him; but the things which come out of him, those are the things that adefile a man.  
16 aIf anyone has ears to hear, let him hear!”  
17 aWhen He had entered a house away from the crowd, His disciples asked Him concerning the parable.  
18 So He said to them, a“Are you thus without understanding also? Do you not perceive that whatever enters a man from outside cannot defile him,  
19 because it does not enter his heart but his stomach, and is eliminated,1 thus purifying all foods?”  
20 And He said, a“What comes out of a man, that defiles a man.  
21 aFor from within, out of the heart of men, bproceed evil thoughts, cadulteries, dfornications, murders,  
22 thefts, acovetousness, wickedness, bdeceit, clewdness, an evil eye, dblasphemy, epride, foolishness.  
23 All these evil things come from within and defile a man.”

A Gentile Shows Her Faith

24 aFrom there He arose and went to the region of Tyre and Sidon. And He entered a house and wanted no one to know it, but He could not be bhidden.  
25 For a woman whose young daughter had an unclean spirit heard about Him, and she came and afell at His feet.  
Book Notes:
Barnes' Book Notes



Preface to Mark

Of Mark, the writer of this Gospel, little is certainly known. He is commonly supposed to be the same that is several times mentioned in the New Testament. He was not an apostle, or companion of the Lord Jesus, during his ministry, though some of the fathers affirm that he was one of the seventy disciples. This is improbable, as he is mentioned by Peter I Peter 5:13 as "his son;" from which it is supposed that he was converted by the instrumentality of Peter.

From the New Testament we learn that he was sister' s son to Barnabas Colossians 4:10; and that his mother' s name was Mary, a pious woman in Jerusalem, at whose house the apostles and primitive Christians often assembled, Acts 12:12.

His Hebrew name was John Acts 12:12, and it is probable that he adopted a name better known or more familiar when he visited the Gentiles, a practice not uncommon in that age. He was at first the companion of Paul and Barnabas in their journeys to propagate Christianity, Acts 12:25; Acts 13:5; Acts 15:37. He chose not to attend them through their whole journey, but left them in Pamphylia, and probably returned to Jerusalem, Acts 15:38. Probably at this time he was the companion of Peter, and traveled with him to Babylon, I Peter 5:13. Afterward he went with Barnabas to Cyprus, Acts 15:39. Subsequently he went to Rome, at the express desire of Paul, in company with Timothy, II Timothy 4:11. He remained at Rome while Paul was a captive there, but how long is uncertain, Colossians 4:10; Philemon 1:24. From Eusebius, Epiphanius, and Jerome we hear that Mark went from Rome to Alexandria, in Egypt, where he planted a church, and died in the eighth year of the reign of Nero, 64 ad

The time when this Gospel was written is not certainly known. It is supposed to have been between the years 56 and 63 a.d. It is allowed by all that it was written at Rome; of course it was during the latter years of his life, after the apostles had left Judea, Mark 16:20. Mark was for a considerable time the companion of Peter. Though he had not himself been with the Saviour in his ministry, yet, from his long acquaintance with "Peter," he was familiar with the events of his life, and with his instructions. The uniform testimony of the fathers is that he was the "interpreter" of Peter, and that he wrote this Gospel under the eye of Peter and with his approbation. It has come down to us, therefore, with the sanction of Peter' s authority. Its right to a place among the inspired books has never been questioned. That it was written by Mark, that it was with Peter' s approbation, that it was a record of the "facts" which Peter stated in his ministry, and that it was therefore an inspired book, has never been questioned.

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