New Living Translation
Mark 7:4
4Similarly, they don’t eat anything from the market until they immerse their hands in water. This is but one of many traditions they have clung to—such as their ceremonial washing of cups, pitchers, and kettles.)
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 noticed that some of his disciples failed to follow the Jewish ritual of hand washing before eating. 3(The Jews, especially the Pharisees, do not eat until they have poured water over their cupped hands, as required by their ancient traditions. Similarly, they don’t eat anything from the market until they immerse their hands in water. This is but one of many traditions they have clung to—such as their ceremonial washing of cups, pitchers, and kettles.) 5So the Pharisees and teachers of religious law asked him, “Why don’t your disciples follow our age-old tradition? They eat without first performing the hand-washing ceremony.” 6Jesus replied, “You hypocrites! Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you, for he wrote, ‘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 9:30Even if I were to wash myself with soap and clean my hands with lye,
- Psalms 26:6I wash my hands to declare my innocence. I come to your altar, O Lord,
- Isaiah 1:16Wash yourselves and be clean! Get your sins out of my sight. Give up your evil ways.
- Jeremiah 4:14O Jerusalem, cleanse your heart that you may be saved. How long will you harbor your evil thoughts?
- Matthew 27:24Pilate saw that he wasn’t getting anywhere and that a riot was developing. So he sent for a bowl of water and washed his hands before the crowd, saying, “I am innocent of this man’s blood. The responsibility is yours!”
- Luke 11:38His host was amazed to see that he sat down to eat without first performing the hand-washing ceremony required by Jewish custom.
- John 2:6Standing nearby were six stone water jars, used for Jewish ceremonial washing. Each could hold twenty to thirty gallons.
- John 3:25A debate broke out between John’s disciples and a certain Jew over ceremonial cleansing.
- Hebrews 9:10For that old system deals only with food and drink and various cleansing ceremonies—physical regulations that were in effect only until a better system could be established.
- James 4:8Come close to God, and God will come close to you. Wash your hands, you sinners; purify your hearts, for your loyalty is divided between God and the world.
- 1 John 1:7But if we are living in the light, as God is in the light, then we have fellowship with each other, 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
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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