God’s Word Translation
Mark 7:4
4When they come from the marketplace, they don’t eat unless they have washed first. They have been taught to follow many other rules. For example, they must also wash their cups, jars, brass pots, and dinner tables.)
Mark 7:4 in other versions
- King James Version (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.
- New International Version (NIV)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.)
- English Standard Version (ESV)and when they come from the marketplace, they do not eat unless they wash. And there are many other traditions that they observe, such as the washing of cups and pots and copper vessels and dining couches.)
- New King James Version (NKJV)When they come from the marketplace, they do not eat unless they wash. And there are many other things which they have received and hold, like the washing of cups, pitchers, copper vessels, and couches.
Context of Mark 7:4
2They saw that some of his disciples were unclean because they ate without washing their hands. 3(The Pharisees, like all other Jewish people, don’t eat unless they have properly washed their hands. They follow the traditions of their ancestors. When they come from the marketplace, they don’t eat unless they have washed first. They have been taught to follow many other rules. For example, they must also wash their cups, jars, brass pots, and dinner tables.) 5The Pharisees and the experts in Moses’ Teachings asked Jesus, “Why don’t your disciples follow the traditions taught by our ancestors? They are unclean because they don’t wash their hands before they eat!” 6Jesus told them, “Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you hypocrites in Scripture: ‘These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me.
Read all of Mark 7Mark 7:4 word by word
καὶ ἀπ᾽ ἀγορᾶς ἐὰν μὴ βαπτίσωνται, οὐκ ἐσθίουσιν· καὶ ἄλλα πολλά ἐστιν ἃ παρέλαβον κρατεῖν, βαπτισμοὺς ποτηρίων καὶ ξεστῶν καὶ χαλκίων καὶ κλινῶν.¶Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- Andκαίkai · andG2532
- fromἀπόapo · away fromG575
- the marketἀγοράagora · marketplaceG58
- exceptἐάνean · ifG1437
- exceptμήmē · notG3361
- they washβαπτίζωbaptizō · to baptizeG907
- they eatἐσθίωesthiō · to eatG2068
- notοὐou · noG3756
- manyπολύςpolus polos · muchG4183
- other thingsἄλλοςallos · anotherG243
- there beεἰμίeimi · to beG1510
- whichὅςhos hē ho · whichG3739
- they have receivedπαραλαμβάνωparalambanō · to takeG3880
- to holdκρατέωkrateō · to grasp/seizeG2902
- the washingβαπτισμόςbaptismos · baptismG909
- of cupsποτήριονpotērion · cupG4221
- potsξέστηςxestēs · pitcherG3582
- brasen vesselsχαλκίονchalkion · kettleG5473
- of tablesκλίνηklinē · bedG2825
Cross-references for Mark 7:4
- Job 9:30If I wash myself with lye soap and cleanse my hands with bleach,
- Psalms 26:6I will wash my hands in innocence. I will walk around your altar, O Lord,
- Isaiah 1:16“Wash yourselves! Become clean! Get your evil deeds out of my sight. Stop doing evil.
- Jeremiah 4:14Jerusalem, wash the evil from your heart so that you may be rescued. Don’t continue making evil plans.
- Matthew 27:24Pilate saw that he was not getting anywhere. Instead, a riot was breaking out. So Pilate took some water and washed his hands in front of the crowd. He said, “I won’t be guilty of killing this man. Do what you want!”
- Luke 11:38The Pharisee was surprised to see that Jesus didn’t wash before the meal.
- John 2:6Six stone water jars were there. They were used for Jewish purification rituals. Each jar held 18 to 27 gallons.
- John 3:25Some of John’s disciples had an argument with a Jew about purification ceremonies.
- Hebrews 9:10These gifts and sacrifices were meant to be food, drink, and items used in various purification ceremonies. These ceremonies were required for the body until God would establish a new way of doing things.
- James 4:8Come close to God, and he will come close to you. Clean up your lives, you sinners, and clear your minds, you doubters.
- 1 John 1:7But if we live in the light in the same way that God is in the light, we have a relationship with each other. And the blood of his Son Jesus cleanses us from every sin.
Commentaries on Mark 7:4
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 4And when they come - This clause is added by our translators, to fill up the sense; but it was probably a part of the original: for is the reading of the Codex Bezae, Vulgate, Armenian, and most of the Itala. The clause in my old MS. Bible is read thus: And thei turninge agein fro chepinge. The words seem essentially necessary to a proper understanding of the text; and, if not admitted on the above authority, they must be supplied in italics, as in our…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 1-23Verses 1-23 See this passage explained in the notes at Mark 7:1 Came from Jerusalem - Probably to observe his conduct, and to find matter of accusation against him. Mark 7:2 Defiled hands - The hands were considered defiled or polluted unless they were washed previous to every meal. Mark 7:3 Except they wash their hands oft - Our word “oft” means frequently, often. The Greek wore translated oft has been rendered various ways. Some have said that it means…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 2-4Mark explains the Pharisees’ practices of ritual cleansing (ceremonial washing for religious purity) for his non-Jewish (Gentile) audience. The traditions of the elders were not yet written down at that time. The Pharisees believed these teachings had been given to Moses on Mount Sinai along with the written law. These traditions were later written down around AD 200 in the Mishnah (a collection of Jewish teachings and laws). The Mishnah is one of the…Read the comment
Topics related to Mark 7:4
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Mark 7
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Calvin’s Commentaries
- John Wesley’s Notes
- Catena Aurea
- Illustrated New Testament
- Burkitt’s Expository Notes
- Darby Translation Notes
- Family Bible Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- John Lightfoot Commentary
- Luther’s Commentary on Selected Bible Passages
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- The People’s New Testament
- Robertson’s Word Pictures
- Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
- The Fourfold Gospel and Commentary on Acts
- Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
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