Mark 7:4

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

2and had seen that some of His disciples were eating their bread with impure hands, that is, unwashed. 3(For the Pharisees and all the Jews do not eat unless they carefully wash their hands, thus observing the traditions of the elders; and when they come from the market place, they do not eat unless they cleanse themselves; and there are many other things which they have received in order to observe, such as the washing of cups and pitchers and copper pots.) 5The Pharisees and the scribes asked Him, “Why do Your disciples not walk according to the tradition of the elders, but eat their bread with impure hands?” 6And He said to them, “Rightly did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written: ‘This people honors Me with their lips, But their heart is far away from Me.

Mark 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

• from the marketἀγοράagora · marketplaceG58
• they do not eatἐσθίωesthiō · to eatG2068
• unlessἐάνean · ifG1437
• unlessμήmē · notG3361
• cleanseῥαντίζωrhantizō · to sprinkleG4472
• themselves; and there are manyπολύςpolus polos · muchG4183
• otherἄλλοςallos · anotherG243
• whichὅςhos hē ho · whichG3739
• they have receivedπαραλαμβάνωparalambanō · to takeG3880
• in order to observeκρατέωkrateō · to grasp/seizeG2902
• washingβαπτισμόςbaptismos · baptismG909
• cupsποτήριονpotērion · cupG4221
• and pitchersξέστηςxestēs · pitcherG3582
• and copperχαλκίονchalkion · kettleG5473

Cross-references for Mark 7:4

• Job 9:30If I should wash myself with snow And cleanse my hands with lye,
• Psalms 26:6I shall wash my hands in innocence, And I will go about Your altar, O Lord,
• Isaiah 1:16“Wash yourselves, make yourselves clean; Remove the evil of your deeds from My sight. Cease to do evil,
• Jeremiah 4:14Wash your heart from evil, O Jerusalem, That you may be saved. How long will your wicked thoughts Lodge within you?
• Matthew 27:24When Pilate saw that he was accomplishing nothing, but rather that a riot was starting, he took water and washed his hands in front of the crowd, saying, “I am innocent of this Man’s blood; see to that yourselves.”
• Luke 11:38When the Pharisee saw it, he was surprised that He had not first ceremonially washed before the meal.
• John 2:6Now there were six stone waterpots set there for the Jewish custom of purification, containing twenty or thirty gallons each.
• John 3:25Therefore there arose a discussion on the part of John’s disciples with a Jew about purification.
• Hebrews 9:10since they relate only to food and drink and various washings, regulations for the body imposed until a time of reformation.
• James 4:8Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded.
• 1 John 1:7but if we walk in the Light as He Himself is in the Light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all 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

• Ablution
• Brass
• Commandments
• Ecclesiasticism
• Hand
• Jesus, the Christ
• Pharisees
• Purification
• Tradition

In the dictionaries

• Ablution
• Abundance
• Banquet
• Covetousness
• Hold
• String
• Tables
• Washing
• Baptism (lutheran Doctrine)
• Baptism (non-Immersionist View)

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