Mark 7:1-9

That Which Defiles

1 The Pharisees and some of the teachers of the law who had come from Jerusalem gathered around Jesus

2 and saw some of his disciples eating food with hands that were defiled, that is, unwashed.

3 (The Pharisees and all the Jews do not eat unless they give their hands a ceremonial washing, holding to the tradition of the elders.

4 When they come from the marketplace they do not eat unless they wash. And they observe many other traditions, such as the washing of cups, pitchers and kettles.^[a] )

5 So the Pharisees and teachers of the law asked Jesus, “Why don’t your disciples live according to the tradition of the elders instead of eating their food with defiled hands?”

6 He replied, “Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you hypocrites; as it is written: “ ‘These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me.

7 They worship me in vain; their teachings are merely human rules.’^[b]

8 You have let go of the commands of God and are holding on to human traditions.”

9 And he continued, “You have a fine way of setting aside the commands of God in order to observe^[c] your own traditions!

Cross References

• 1. Acts 10:14,28; Acts 11:8; Romans 14:14
• 2. ver 5,8,9,13; Luke 11:38
• 3. Matthew 23:25; Luke 11:39
• 4. S ver 3; Galatians 1:14; Colossians 2:8
• 5. Isaiah 29:13
• 6. S ver 3
• 7. S ver 3

Footnotes

• [a] Some early manuscripts "pitchers, kettles and dining couches"
• [b] Isaiah 29:13
• [c] Some manuscripts "set up"