Mark 7:4

They don’t eat when they come from the marketplace unless they bathe themselves, and there are many other things, which they have received to hold to: washings of cups, pitchers, bronze vessels, and couches.)

World English Bible
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Other translations

WEBBE

They don’t eat when they come from the marketplace unless they bathe themselves, and there are many other things which they have received to hold to: washings of cups, pitchers, bronze vessels, and couches.)

BSB

And on returning from the market, they do not eat unless they wash. And there are many other traditions for them to observe, including the washing of cups, pitchers, kettles, and couches for dining.

KJV

And when they come from the market, except they wash, they eat not. And many other things there be, which they have received to hold, as the washing of cups, and pots, brasen vessels, and of tables.

ASV

and [when they come] from the marketplace, except they bathe themselves, they eat not; and many other things there are, which they have received to hold, washings of cups, and pots, and brasen vessels.)

BBE

And when they come from the market-place, they take no food till their hands are washed; and a number of other orders there are, which have been handed down to them to keep--washings of cups and pots and brass vessels.

Original Greek

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καὶ kai and G2532 ἀπ ap᾽ [on coming] from G575 ἀγορᾶς agoras [the] market G58 δὲ de now G1161 ὅταν hotan when G3752 ἔλθωσιν elthōsin may come G2064 ἐὰν ean only G1437 μὴ mē unless G3361 βαπτίσωνται baptisōntai they shall wash G907 οὐκ ouk not G3756 ἐσθίουσιν esthiousin they eat G2068 καὶ kai and G2532 ἄλλα alla other things G243 πολλά polla many G4183 ἐστιν estin there are G1510 ἃ ha which G3739 παρέλαβον parelabon they received G3880 κρατεῖν kratein to keep G2902 βαπτισμοὺς baptismous washings G909 ποτηρίων potēriōn of cups G4221 καὶ kai and G2532 ξεστῶν xestōn vessels G3582 καὶ kai and G2532 χαλκίων chalkiōn utensils G5473 καὶ kai and G2532 κλινῶν.¶ klinōn couches for dining G2825

The early church

(ubi sup.) For taking the spiritual words of the Prophets in a carnal sense, they observed, by washing the body alone, commandments which concerned the chastening of the heart and deeds, saying Wash you, make you clean; (Isa. 1:16) and again, Be ye clean that bear the vessels of the Lord. (Isa. 52:11) It is therefore a superstitious human tradition, that men who are clean already, should wash oftener because they eat bread, and that they should not eat on leaving the market, without washing. But it is necessary for those who desire to partake of the bread which comes down from heaven, often to cleanse their evil deeds by alms, by tears, and the other fruits of righteousness. It is also necessary for a man to wash thoroughly away the pollutions which he has contracted from the cares of temporal business, by being afterwards intent on good thoughts and works. In vain, however, do the Jews wash their hands, and cleanse themselves after the market, so long as they refuse to be washed in the font of the Saviour; in vain do they observe the washing of their vessels, who neglect to wash away the filthy sins of their bodies and of their hearts. It goes on: Then the Scribes and Pharisees asked him, Why walk not thy disciples after the tradition of the elders, but eat bread with common hands?
Bede · d. 735Catena Aurea (Aquinas, 1274)

Commentary

Matthew Henry · Verses 1–13

One great design of Christ's coming was, to set aside the ceremonial law; and to make way for this, he rejects the ceremonies men added to the law of God's making. Those clean hands and that pure heart which Christ bestows on his disciples, and requires of them, are very different from the outward and superstitious forms of Pharisees of every age. Jesus reproves them for rejecting the commandment of God. It is clear that it is the duty of children, if their parents are poor, to relieve them as far as they are able; and if children deserve to die that curse their parents, much more those that starve them. But if a man conformed to the traditions of the Pharisees, they found a device to free him from the claim of this duty.

Read Matthew Henry on Mark 7 →

Cross-references

12

Topics

Brass

Cross-references: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge. Hebrew and Greek data from STEPBible.org (Tyndale House, Cambridge), CC BY 4.0. Library: sources.