Mark 7:6

6 And he answered, and said to them, Esaias prophesied well of you, hypocrites, as it is written, This people worshippeth me with lips [This people honoureth me with lips], but their heart is far from me;

Mark 7:6 Meaning and Commentary

Mark 7:6

He answered and said unto them
Matthew postpones the following citation and application of the prophecy of Isaiah, to the account of the command of God being broken by the tradition of Corban; which Mark makes the answer of Christ to begin with:

well hath Esaias prophesied of you hypocrites;
which in Matthew is read, "ye hypocrites, well did Esaias prophesy of you", ( Matthew 15:7 ) ; to the same sense as here: for the prophecy of Isaiah not only described the hypocrites of his time, but had respect chiefly to the Jews in succeeding ages, in the times of Christ, and both before and after; when they would, as they did, greatly degenerate, and lost the power and spirituality of religion, and had only the form of it; left the word of God for the traditions of men, and were given up to great stupidity, and to judicial blindness: hence the Apostle Paul refers to a passage in the same chapter, ( Isaiah 29:10 ) , and applies it to the Jews in his time, ( Romans 11:8 ) ; (See Gill on Matthew 15:7), saying,

as it is written
in ( Isaiah 29:13 ) ,

this people honoureth me with their lips, but their heart is far
from me.
In the Prophet Isaiah more is said than is here cited; and so in Matthew more is produced, and the whole is there expressed thus: "this people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips, but their heart is far from me", ( Matthew 15:8 ) : they presented their bodies before the Lord in the synagogues, or in the temple, and prayed to him with an air of devotion and fervency, and offered up their praises to him, for their external privileges and blessings; but, alas! this was all lip labour; there was no lifting up their hearts, with their hands, unto God; these were not united to fear his name, but were distracted in his worship, and carried away from him to other objects; (See Gill on Matthew 15:8).

Mark 7:6 In-Context

4 And when they turn again from [the] market, they eat not, but they be washed; and many other things there be, that be taken to them to keep, as washing of cups, and of water vessels [washings of cups and cruets], and of vessels of brass, and of beds.

5 And Pharisees and scribes asked him, and said [saying], Why go not thy disciples after the tradition of elder men, but with unwashen hands they eat bread?

6 And he answered, and said to them, Esaias prophesied well of you, hypocrites, as it is written, This people worshippeth me with lips [This people honoureth me with lips], but their heart is far from me;

7 and in vain they worship me, teaching the doctrines and the behests of men. [in vain truly they worship me, teaching the doctrines and commandments of men.]

8 For ye leave the commandment of God, and hold the traditions of men, as [the] washing of water vessels, and of cups; and many other things like these ye do. [Forsooth ye forsaking the commandment of God, hold the traditions of men, washings of cruets, and cups; and many other things like to these ye do.]