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Matthew Henry

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Mark 7:1-23

One great design of Christ's coming, was, to set aside the ceremonial law which God made, and to put an end to it; to make way for which he begins with the ceremonial law which men had made, and added to the law of God's making, and discharges his disciples from the obligation of that; which here he doth fully, upon occasion of the offence which the Pharisees took at them for the violation of it. These Pharisees and scribes with whom he had this argument, are said to come from Jerusalem down... read more

William Barclay

William Barclay's Daily Study Bible - Mark 7:5-8

7:5-8 So the Pharisees and the experts in the law asked him, "Why do your disciples not conduct themselves as the tradition of the elders prescribes, but eat bread with hands that are unclean?" He said to them, "Isaiah did well when he prophesied about you hypocrites, as it stands written, 'This people honour me with their lips, but their heart is far away from me. This so-called reverence of men is an empty thing, for they teach as doctrine human rules and regulations.' While you hold fast... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Mark 7:5

Then the Pharisees and Scribes asked him ,.... Not the disciples, but Christ himself; for their chief view was to find fault, and quarrel with him: why walk not thy disciples according to the tradition of the elders, but eat with unwashen hands ? or "with common", that is, defiled "hands", as in Mark 7:2 . So the words are read in Beza's most ancient copy, and in one of Stephens's copies, and in the Vulgate Latin version. The word "common" is used for that which is unclean or unholy, ... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Mark 7:5

Why walk not thy disciples - See on Matthew 15:2-9 ; (note). read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Mark 7:1-23

Ceremonialism and spirituality. The teaching of our Lord Jesus was often in opposition to that of the religious leaders of his age and nation. The Pharisees and scribes were most religious, but their religion was of a bad type. They themselves practiced, and they inculcated upon the people, the observance of religious forms and ceremonies; whilst, generally speaking, they were negligent of the weightier matters of the Law. They laid great stress upon the outward, but they were careless of... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Mark 7:1-23

Externalism versus righteousness. In Mark 7:3 , Mark 7:4 of this chapter we are furnished with an interesting piece of antiquarianism. The daily life of the devout Jew is set before us in its ceremonial aspect; not as Moses had originally ordered it, but as custom and human casuistry had gradually transformed it. The light thrown upon several questions is very searching and full of revelation, viz. the various senses in which baptism seems to have been understood by the... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Mark 7:1-23

The ritual and the reality of purification. I. THE MOST NATURAL ACT MAY BE PERVERTED INTO A RITUAL SIN . The disciples were seen eating with unholy hands, that is, unwashed! How this came about we are not told; probably it was a case of necessity: there was no water to be had. Probably it was a choice between going without food and being ritually correct, or being ritually incorrect and supplying the wants of nature. II. THE MEANING AND USE OF RITUAL IS... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Mark 7:1-23

The tradition of men in competition with the commandments of God. Pharisees and scribes of Jerusalem had detected some of the disciples of Jesus eating bread "with defiled, that is, with unwashen, hands." "Holding the tradition of the elders" with great tenacity themselves, they demand of the new Teacher a reason for his disciples' departure from the old paths. It was a favorable opportunity for exposing the error of substituting human for Divine precepts, and for placing the external in... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Mark 7:1-23

Parallel passage: Matthew 15:1-20 .— Exposure of Pharisaism: its errors and evils. I. DOCTRINE OF DEFILEMENT . 1 . Contents of this chapter. This chapter contains three principal sections. The first section treats of defilement ; the second gives an account of a demon being expelled from the daughter of a Syro-phoenician woman; and the third narrates the cure of a deaf mute. The first section, again, contains the following:—The charge of defilement which the... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Mark 7:5

The Law of Moses prohibited contact with many things deemed to be unclean; and if any one had touched them he was counted unclean, so that he might not approach the temple until he had cleansed himself by the washing prescribed in the Law; the design being that by means of these ceremonial and bodily washings the Jews might be awakened to the necessity of spiritual cleansing. Hence the Jews, and especially the Pharisees, who wished to be esteemed more righteous than others, placing their whole... read more

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