Mark 7:1–30
7 Now when the Pharisees gathered to him, with some of the scribes who had come from Jerusalem, 2 they saw that some of his disciples ate with hands that were defiled, that is, unwashed. 3 (For the Pharisees and all the Jews do not eat unless they wash their hands properly,1 holding to the tradition of the elders, 4 and when they come from the marketplace, they do not eat unless they wash.2 And there are many other traditions that they observe, such as the washing of cups and pots and copper vessels and dining couches.3) 5 And the Pharisees and the scribes asked him, “Why do your disciples not walk according to the tradition of the elders, but eat with defiled hands?” 6 And he said to them, “Well did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written,
“‘This people honors me with their lips,
but their heart is far from me;
7 in vain do they worship me,
teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’
8 You leave the commandment of God and hold to the tradition of men.”
9 And he said to them, “You have a fine way of rejecting the commandment of God in order to establish your tradition! 10 For Moses said, ‘Honor your father and your mother’; and, ‘Whoever reviles father or mother must surely die.’ 11 But you say, ‘If a man tells his father or his mother, “Whatever you would have gained from me is Corban”’ (that is, given to God)4— 12 then you no longer permit him to do anything for his father or mother, 13 thus making void the word of God by your tradition that you have handed down. And many such things you do.”
14 And he called the people to him again and said to them, “Hear me, all of you, and understand: 15 There is nothing outside a person that by going into him can defile him, but the things that come out of a person are what defile him.”5 17 And when he had entered the house and left the people, his disciples asked him about the parable. 18 And he said to them, “Then are you also without understanding? Do you not see that whatever goes into a person from outside cannot defile him, 19 since it enters not his heart but his stomach, and is expelled?”6 (Thus he declared all foods clean.) 20 And he said, “What comes out of a person is what defiles him. 21 For from within, out of the heart of man, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, 22 coveting, wickedness, deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride, foolishness. 23 All these evil things come from within, and they defile a person.”
24 And from there he arose and went away to the region of Tyre and Sidon.7 And he entered a house and did not want anyone to know, yet he could not be hidden. 25 But immediately a woman whose little daughter had an unclean spirit heard of him and came and fell down at his feet. 26 Now the woman was a Gentile, a Syrophoenician by birth. And she begged him to cast the demon out of her daughter. 27 And he said to her, “Let the children be fed first, for it is not right to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs.” 28 But she answered him, “Yes, Lord; yet even the dogs under the table eat the children’s crumbs.” 29 And he said to her, “For this statement you may go your way; the demon has left your daughter.” 30 And she went home and found the child lying in bed and the demon gone.
1 Greek unless they wash the hands with a fist, probably indicating a kind of ceremonial washing 2 Greek unless they baptize; some manuscripts unless they purify themselves 3 Some manuscripts omit and dining couches 4 Or an offering 5 Some manuscripts add verse 16: If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear 6 Greek goes out into the latrine 7 Some manuscripts omit and Sidon
Section Overview
Alongside the conspicuous sections in chapters 4 and 13 of Mark’s Gospel, 7:1–23 represents one of Jesus’ lengthier instructions reported in the book. Further challenges arise as the opponents of Jesus are concerned with the proper interpretation of the law of Moses. Jesus stresses that the neglect of a renewed and purified heart for the sake of ritual and external purity unhinges the very reason and purpose of the law of God. Verses 1–13 introduce the controversy by contrasting human statutes with God’s commandments. Because of the deep defilement and self-sufficiency of the human heart, even the Word of God is misused, reinterpreted, and annulled. It follows that without renewed and purified hearts, all else is futile (vv. 14–23). Verses 1–21 serve as an illustration for verses 22–23: even the pursuit of God’s law becomes corrupted (vv. 1–13) because of a corrupt heart (cf. vv. 14–21, and especially vv. 21–23).
Such profound teaching is accompanied by the ongoing demonstration of Jesus’ power over demons as well as his ability to heal and to multiply food (7:24–8:10). Jesus’ initial call is to the people of Israel (7:27). However, he anticipates a future ministry of his disciples to Gentiles. Subsequently, Jesus reaches out to a Gentile woman and her demon-possessed daughter (vv. 24–30).
Section Outline
II.C. Work beyond Galilee (6:7–8:26) . . .
3. Defilement of an Unclean Heart; Exorcism (7:1–30)
a. The Contrast between Human Tradition and God’s Word (7:1–9)
b. The “Corban” Example (7:10–13)
c. The Defilement of the Human Heart (7:14–19)
d. Elements of Personal Defilement (7:20–23)
e. Exorcism of the Daughter of the Syrophoenician Woman (7:24–30)
(1) Situation (7:24–26)
(2) Dialogue between Jesus and the Woman (7:27–28)
(3) Exorcism (7:29–30)
Response
Human beings from different religious and philosophical backgrounds, such as Islam, cultural Christianity, Hinduism, Buddhism, Stoicism, self-help disciplines, and various philosophies all know the fundamental problem: moral laws and rules are established, but the human heart is by no means cleansed and tamed by them. The power of evil, lust, greed, anger, and hatred, to name but a few, is often much greater than that of the respective laws set against them (7:20–23; cf. Col. 2:23) or even of good intentions. Without a greater power to overcome these evil inclinations of the heart, there is often little hope of change.
Some disciplined people may manage to shift a sinful human tendency from one area to another: the idol of illicit sexual gratification may be transferred (sublimated) to becoming a workaholic or an overly ambitious athlete. One idol is thus replaced by another. Another way of dealing with such powerful drives is the attempt to suppress them severely. Some other philosophies, such as Greek Epicureanism, sought to channel various powerful desires into manageable directions, thus seeking a degree of moderation. In the end, however, only the healing and transformation of the inner sanctum of a human heart by God himself facilitates true worship and life, in exchange for shedding idols, destructive desires, and habits.
Jesus’ teaching in 7:1–13 challenges a person to make a fundamental decision. As option one, a person may seek God’s righteousness and God’s purification of heart defilements (10:45; 14:22–24). Such a person can live under God’s Word and grow in his guidance. As option two, a person may seek his own sense of purity and live under his own rules and regulations, be they of religious or philosophical origin. Jesus is the fulfillment of the Mosaic law (Matt. 5:17). As such, he transforms and purifies his followers in such a radical way that they can gradually display the fundamental moral precepts of the Mosaic law as an expression of worship. In place of idolatry, such worship is the consequence of ongoing trust in Christ (cf. Col. 2:23).
Above all, Jesus transforms each follower of Christ into a person who lives in personal fellowship and union with the triune God. As such, a disciple receives the additional commission of going to the ends of the earth as a holistic witness to proclaim and live out the mission of God’s redemption. Such holistic witness finds its expression in, e.g., evangelism, church planting, multiple forms of service, beneficially improving the respective cultures, or becoming “salt” and “light” in the economic, political, and cultural realms of various places and peoples. While Jesus does indeed serve the covenant people of Israel first, he nevertheless praises the Syrophoenician woman’s faith. The wise humility and simple trust of the “impure” Gentile woman stands in sharp contrast to that of the Jewish leaders and Jesus’ disciples. She is a shining example for all followers of Christ, then and now, of how to respond to Jesus. She exemplifies humility and persistent trust in Jesus.
Greek unless they wash the hands with a fist, probably indicating a kind of ceremonial washing
Greek unless they baptize; some manuscripts unless they purify themselves
Some manuscripts omit and dining couches
Or an offering
Some manuscripts add verse 16: If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear
Greek goes out into the latrine
Some manuscripts omit and Sidon
7:1–4 Because Jesus becomes increasingly well known, Pharisaic “scribes” particularly schooled in legal matters are repeatedly sent from Jerusalem, the center of religious observance (cf. Mark 3:22). In 2:15–28, 3:6, 20–30, as well as here, it is plain that various Pharisees and scribes are seeking an opportunity to be able to charge Jesus with breaking the law of Moses (e.g., details of the ceremonial law; Ex. 30:19; 40:13). According to their view, the oral tradition of the elders, supposedly stemming from Moses, serves as the authoritative framework of interpreting the law of Moses (Mark 7:5, 8; cf. Mishnah, Avot 3:13). By seeking to trap Jesus, they hope to discredit him with the people.
7:2–5 Neither Jesus nor his disciples break the law of Moses (cf. Matt. 5:17). They do, however, disregard the oral “tradition of the elders” (Mark 7:3, 5) as a mere “tradition of men” (5:8; cf. Matt. 15:1–20; Mark 5:21–48). The “elders” represent teachers of earlier times who had passed on oral traditions and interpretations of the law of Moses (7:3). These traditions were later written down, especially in the Mishnah (c. AD 200). Such “elders” hold positions of influence at the time of Jesus. The particular tradition in view here prescribes the ritual washing of hands (cf. Lev. 15:11), of food from the “marketplace,” utensils (“cups,” “pots,” “copper vessels”), and furniture. Jesus encourages his disciples to abandon these human traditions (cf. Luke 11:38–39). In doing so he challenges the authority upon which the scribes build their cases. In fact, Jesus restores the centrality and significance of God’s Word and identifies human depravity as the culprit (see below).
7:6–8 Jesus lays bare the basic predicament of his Pharisaic opponents: subscribing to oral tradition does not yield, as was perhaps intended, purity of heart before God. Instead it diminishes the urgency of facing the impurities of the heart. Note Jesus’ citation of Isaiah 29:13 (cf. Ps. 78:36; Col. 2:22). Oral tradition does not obviate or cleanse a defiled heart. It cannot remove hypocrisy, which arises from an impure inner being (Mark 7:6; cf. 12:15; also Matt. 6:2). Hypocrisy is not only displayed by demanding of others what one does not do oneself but is found within the human heart when pretending to surrender to God when in fact the heart is thoroughly self-seeking. Jesus thus exclaims, “This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me.” A man either surrenders to God (cf. Isa. 1:10–20) and thus also to his Word (“commandment of God”) or else retains his own self at the center of religiosity and life (cf. Mark 7:5, 8; 8:33; 10:9; 12:14), including his own self-made rules: “tradition of men.” As a consequence, God’s Word is disregarded.
7:9 Man-made traditions are incapable of purifying the heart. Worse yet, they can actually lead to disregarding (Gk. atheteō, “I nullify, reject”) God’s very Word (cf. 7:13; 10:5, 19; 12:28, 31). An example of annulling God’s Word follows in verses 10–13. As soon as heart defilements are dealt with, however, human traditions are rendered redundant. As that begins to happen, God’s transformation of human hearts ensues, and God’s Word stands.
7:10 Jesus does not question the significance of abiding by the Decalogue: “Honor your father and your mother” (cf. Ex. 20:12; 21:17; Deut. 5:16). This is one of the foundational laws of Moses. To disrespect this law (“revile” them) meant facing the punishment of death in ancient Israel (Mark 7:10b; cf. Ex. 21:17; Lev. 20:9). An aspect of honoring father and mother is to take care of them, both financially and personally, as they age. Such selfless action displays godliness (cf. 1 Tim. 5:4).
7:11–13 According to human traditions, funds that were initially set aside for the care of parents can be declared “Corban” (from Hb. qorban; “oblation,” “sacrificial offering”), i.e., they can be legally dedicated to God (cf. Lev. 2:1; 4:12–13). As a consequence, responsibility “for . . . father or mother” (cf. Num. 30:3) has been annulled. The funds offered as “Corban” can now be given to the temple, if so desired (contrast with Matt. 27:6). Potentially, however, the funds could also be kept by the one declaring them “Corban.” In the end, neither the parents nor the temple would benefit from such an “offering.” This is akin to 2 Kings 12:5–8, where money dedicated to temple repair is used for private consumption (cf. Prov. 28:24).
Human traditions thus potentially offer space for unchecked expressions of depravity and selfishness (cf. Isa. 29:13). They directly oppose the intent of the law of Moses, which in so many cases seeks to protect the weak, helpless, and needy (“making void the word of God”). Note that the commandments of God are here identified as the “word of God” (cf. comment on v. 9). Jesus’ concluding remark, “many such things you do,” tellingly describes the pervasiveness of the defilement of the heart, even in very religious settings.
7:14–15 Jesus now declares to all hearers that the fundamental problem of human existence lies in the far-reaching defilement of the human heart: “Hear me, all of you, and understand” (cf. 4:12). He thus further develops the theme begun in 7:1–13 (esp. vv. 2, 5). Every human being is created in the image of God (Gen. 1:26). The fall of mankind did not change that essential characteristic of human beings. However, in the wake of the fall, the defilement of the human heart runs much deeper and is much more serious than often supposed (e.g., Gen. 3:1–19; Isa. 29:13–16). It is much more severe than the culturally emphasized ceremonial impurity (cf. comments on 7:19a; 7:19b; cf. Luke 11:39). The central problem of impurity is that it resides in and proceeds from the inner sanctum (heart) of a person: “The things that come out of a person are what defile him” (cf. Mark 7:20; Luke 6:45; compare with Eph. 4:29; James 3:6).
A person is not defiled in the inner attitude by what enters her stomach. Jesus thus focuses on the core problem of comprehensive (cf. 9:42–50) defilement—he does not merely dwell on ceremonial and external uncleanliness (as, e.g., in Leviticus 11–15; cf. the entire section of Mark 7:14–23). He only peripherally speaks to the ancillary question of the continuity or discontinuity of the ceremonial law of Moses (cf. v. 19b). Such heart defilements affect the relationship with God, oneself, other human beings, and the rest of God’s good creation.
7:17 As happens often, the disciples receive further training. In this case Jesus deepens his teaching on the crucial importance of a pure heart, the central theme of 6:30–8:26 (esp. 6:52; 7:18–23; 8:14–21). The term “parable” indicates here that Jesus uses the example of ceremonial impurity in the OT as a plausible description for the fundamental and central question of the defilement of the human heart.
7:18 As do Jesus’ opponents and hearers, the disciples lack “understanding.” Their only advantage is that they continue to remain with Jesus. The understanding they lack exceeds mental grasp and includes perception and deeper engagement with the person of Jesus and his words.
7:19b One consequence of Jesus’ argument is the fact that food cannot, in this fundamental way, make a person unclean. In the course of his explanations, it becomes clear that Jesus looks at food on two different levels. At the basic level, foods cannot defile the heart of a person. In the present discourse, Jesus does not speak to the secondary level, namely, that various ceremonial laws do indeed distinguish between clean and unclean foods (cf. Lev. 11:1–47). In the course of his teaching, Jesus does imply a discontinuity regarding ceremonial laws. As soon as the impurity of the heart is radically removed through the sacrifice of Jesus, as well as through progressive sanctification (Mark 10:45; cf. Matt. 5:17), the ceremonial (food) laws lose their innate role and purpose of perpetually pointing to the desired purity of the heart.
7:20–23 Jesus now proceeds to make his chief point: impurity (cf. 7:15) arises from a life of thoughts, relationships, and ethics that derive from a sinful, self-centered heart with evil thoughts (cf. 2:6, 8), leading to sexual immorality, theft, murder, and other sins (15:7; cf. Rom. 1:29–31). “Evil thoughts” (Mark 7:21) generally point to a godless way of thinking and approach to life (cf. Ezek. 11:19; 36:26).
Jesus then mentions six areas of evil deeds (vv. 21b–22a): (1) “sexual immorality” (Gk. porneia), which conveys various forms of sexual misdeed; (2) “theft”; (3) “murder”; (4) “adultery” (moicheia; cf. 1 Cor. 6:9–10); (5) “coveting” (pleonexia), which conveys literally the meaning of “having more” or harboring “possessive greed,” sexually and materially; and (6) “wickedness,” which refers to a broad spectrum of misleading and/or exploitive deeds. All of these evil deeds arising from an unclean heart are connected to the second half of the Ten Commandments.
Finally, Jesus mentions six aspects of immoral character (v. 22b): (1) “deceit,” namely, harmful deceptiveness (14:1); (2) “sensuality” (aselgeia), referring to a “lustful lack of self-control;” (3) “envy,” or jealousy, which in Greek means literally to have an “evil eye” (10:22; cf. Matt. 6:23; cf. Deut. 15:9; 28:54); (4) “slander” (blasphēmia; cf. comments on 2:6–7; 3:28–30; 14:63–65; 15:27–32); (5) “pride” (hyperēphania), conveying the meaning of “showing or placing oneself above others,” expressing “arrogance” or a sense of superiority; and (6) “foolishness,” or unreasonableness (cf. Pss. 10:3–4; 14:1). Verse 23 summarizes Jesus’ definition of comprehensive defilement. Mark 7:14–23, therefore, zeroes in on the deepest problem of an impure heart and inner being (cf. 3:5; 6:52; 7:6; 8:17). In the present teaching cycle, Jesus does not, however, point to the ultimate solution for removing such profound defilement (cf., however, 10:45; 14:22–24).
7:24 Jesus retreats to a Hellenistic area where resettled Jewish residents already know him (cf. 3:8). While the region of Sidon and Tyre (cf. Matt. 11:21–22) was predominantly Gentile territory at the time of Jesus, it had been part of Israel at the time of the judges, when it belonged to the tribe of Asher (cf. comment on 7:31). Jesus travels with his disciples to Phoenicia primarily for the reason of reaching Jewish people (see 1:38; cf. Luke 4:43), but also to rest. This second expressly mentioned reason explains why he “did not want anyone to know” he was there (cf. Mark 1:44–45; 2:1–2; 6:32–33). As noted in the comment on 7:24–30, however, Jesus anticipates a subsequent mission to the Gentiles through the ministry of his disciples (cf. comments on 7:27; 13:10; 14:9; [16:15]; cf. Matt. 28:18–20).
7:25 There is an echo here of Elijah (1 Kings 17:8, 17–24). Elijah helps a Gentile widow and her son in Zarephath, a town 9 miles (14.5 km) south of Sidon (1 Kings 17:9), during a famine in Israel. The Syrophoenician mother has a daughter with an “unclean spirit.” This expression reflects a Jewish way of referring to a demon or “evil spirit” (Mark 7:26, 29–30; cf. 5:25).
7:26 Mark highlights that the ethnically “Syrophoenician” woman is culturally of Gentile heritage and in desperate need (cf. 5:22).
7:27 Jesus’ guarded reply comes as a surprise. Moreover, it appears on the surface to be very offensive and racially judgmental. He likens his proclamation to “bread” (cf. 4:1–20) and compares the Jewish people to “children” (cf. Hos. 11:1; cf. also Deut. 14:1). Then, however, he likens Gentiles to “dogs,” as some later Rabbinic sources also suggest. However, the important reference to “first” (Gk. prōton; cf. Rom. 1:16; 2:9–10; Acts 1:8; 3:26; 13:46) conveys the hope that Gentiles will also be blessed with God’s grace and redemption (cf. Matt. 10:6, 23; 15:24) after the Jewish people have “first” been “fed” (contrast 1 Kings 17:17–24).
Because of 7:29–30, it becomes plausible that the seemingly pugnacious comment of Jesus serves merely to elicit two outcomes: (1) to bring the pure and wise attitude of the woman to the surface (cf. vv. 29–30), and (2) to let the disciples see and learn from the contrite and trusting Syrophoenician woman. We can contrast her wise and trusting response to Jesus with his disciples’ lack of understanding (7:18–19). On a deeper level, then, Jesus is actually praising the Syrophoenician woman’s inner attitude and understanding as over against that of his disciples, despite his seemingly offensive statement.
7:28 Surprisingly, the woman replies with much humility, insight, and courageous persistence. She respectfully reiterates her request by accepting—and working with—the difficult and offensive imagery of Jesus. She points out, “Even the dogs under the table eat the children’s crumbs.” It is thus possible that she willingly agrees with the salvation-historical fact that God first called his people Israel for a particular and unique purpose (Ex. 4:22) before extending the call to all nations, including hers.
7:29–30 Jesus’ all-too-ready and welcoming response to the woman supports the likelihood that his initially offensive statement served merely as a test. Jesus meets the woman’s contrite yet believing entreaty with loving mercy and gracious deliverance. The solid character and gracious speech of this woman (compare Ruth and Abigail) is an exhortation to his followers.