Mark 7:14-23

What Defiles a Man

14 Once again Jesus called the crowd to Him and said, “All of you, listen to Me and understand: ¹

15 Nothing that enters a man from the outside can defile him; but the things that come out of a man, these are what defile him.” ^[a]

17 After Jesus had left the crowd and gone into the house, His disciples inquired about the parable.

18 “Are you still so dull?” He asked. “Do you not understand? Nothing that enters a man from the outside can defile him,

19 because it does not enter his heart, but it goes into the stomach and then is eliminated.” (Thus all foods are clean.) ^[b]

20 He continued: “What comes out of a man, that is what defiles him.

21 For from within the hearts of men come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, ^[c]

22 greed, wickedness, deceit, debauchery, envy, slander, arrogance, and foolishness.

23 All these evils come from within, and these are what defile a man.”

Cross References

• 1. (Matthew 15:10–20)

Footnotes

• [a] BYZ and TR include 16 If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear.
• [b] Or and then is eliminated, thereby expelling all foods.”
• [c] Many texts move adultery to verse 22.