Mark 7:3

For the Pharisees, and all the Jews
The far greater part of them; all, excepting the Sadducees; and especially the Pharisees, were very tenacious of this tradition of washing hands before eating: hence Pharisees are described as such, (hrhjb) (Nhylwx ylkwa) , "that eat their common food with cleanness" ^F14, i.e. of hands: these,

except they wash their hands oft, eat not;
or except they wash very cautiously, with great care, diligence, and exactness, as the Syriac version suggests; and about which there are various rules given, to be observed with great strictness ^F15. Some render the words, "they wash their hands to the elbow"; and this is a rule with the Jews, which is closely to be abode by, that the washing of hands is to be, (qrp de) , "to the joint", which joins the hand and arm together ^F16: particularly it is observed ^F17, that

``washing of the hands for the eating of the offering, is unto the elbow, and for common food, to the joints of the fingers: he that eats with an ancient man, and does not wash his hands to the elbow, he may not eat with him.''

holding the tradition of the elders;
nor do the Jews pretend the authority of the Scriptures as obliging them to such rules; for, they say, the command concerning washing of hands is, (Myrpwo yrbdm) , "from the words of the Scribes" ^F18; and is (Mymkx twum) , "a command of the wise men" ^F19. The tradition is this:

``they wash hands for common food, but for the tithe, and for the first offering, and for that which is holy, they dip them, and for the sin offering; for if the hands are defiled; the body is defiled ^F20.''