Mark 7:2
 Mark 7:2 
New International Version (©2011)
and saw some of his disciples eating food with hands that were defiled, that is, unwashed.

New Living Translation (©2007)
They noticed that some of his disciples failed to follow the Jewish ritual of hand washing before eating.

English Standard Version (©2001)
they saw that some of his disciples ate with hands that were defiled, that is, unwashed.

New American Standard Bible (©1995)
and had seen that some of His disciples were eating their bread with impure hands, that is, unwashed.

King James Bible (Cambridge Ed.)
And when they saw some of his disciples eat bread with defiled, that is to say, with unwashen, hands, they found fault.

Holman Christian Standard Bible (©2009)
They observed that some of His disciples were eating their bread with unclean--that is, unwashed--hands.

International Standard Version (©2012)
They noticed that some of his disciples were eating with unclean hands, that is, without washing them.

NET Bible (©2006)
And they saw that some of Jesus' disciples ate their bread with unclean hands, that is, unwashed.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English (©2010)
And they saw some of his disciples eating bread when they had not washed their hands, and they found fault.

GOD'S WORD® Translation (©1995)
They saw that some of his disciples were unclean because they ate without washing their hands.

King James 2000 Bible (©2003)
And when they saw some of his disciples eat bread with defiled, that is to say, with unwashed, hands, they found fault.

American King James Version
And when they saw some of his disciples eat bread with defiled, that is to say, with unwashed, hands, they found fault.

American Standard Version
and had seen that some of his disciples ate their bread with defiled, that is, unwashen, hands.

Douay-Rheims Bible
And when they had seen some of his disciples eat bread with common, that is, with unwashed hands, they found fault.

Darby Bible Translation
and seeing some of his disciples eat bread with defiled, that is, unwashed, hands,

English Revised Version
and had seen that some of his disciples ate their bread with defiled, that is, unwashen, hands.

Webster's Bible Translation
And when they saw some of his disciples eating bread with defiled (that is to say with unwashed) hands, they found fault.

Weymouth New Testament
They had noticed that some of His disciples were eating their food with 'unclean' (that is to say, unwashed)

World English Bible
Now when they saw some of his disciples eating bread with defiled, that is, unwashed, hands, they found fault.

Young's Literal Translation
and having seen certain of his disciples with defiled hands -- that is, unwashed -- eating bread, they found fault;

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary

7:1-13 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.


Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

And when they saw some of his disciples,.... An opportunity soon offered of giving them an handle against him: for observing some of his disciples to sit down to meat, they took notice that they

eat bread with defiled (that is to say, with unwashen) hands, and

they found fault; with them, and charged them with the breach of the traditions of the elders, and took an occasion from hence of quarrelling with Christ. The Jews use the same phrase the evangelist here does, and interpret it in just the same manner: so, speaking of things eaten, , "with defiled hands"; that is, says the commentator (i), it is all one as if it was said, , "without washing of hands"; which was esteemed a very great crime, and especially if done in a contemptuous way: for they say (k),

"he that despiseth washing of hands, shall be rooted out of the world; for in it is the secret of the decalogue:''

and particularly to eat with unwashed hands, was unpardonable in a disciple of a wise man; for they looked upon this to be the characteristic of one of the vulgar people, a common and illiterate man: for they ask (l),

"who is one of the people of the earth, or a plebeian? he that does not eat his common food with purity.''

By this also they distinguished a Jew from a Gentile; if he washed his hands, and blessed, he was known to be an Israelite, but if not, a Gentile (m); See Gill on Matthew 15:2.

(i) Bartenora in Misn. Cholin, c. 2. sect. 5. (k) Zoharin Numb fol. 100. 3.((l) T. Bab. Gittin, fol. 61. 1.((m) Bevaidbar Rabba, fol. 228. 4.


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Tradition and Vain Worship
1Then came together to him the Pharisees, and certain of the scribes, which came from Jerusalem. 2And when they saw some of his disciples eat bread with defiled, that is to say, with unwashed, hands, they found fault. 3For the Pharisees, and all the Jews, except they wash their hands oft, eat not, holding the tradition of the elders. …

Matthew 15:2 "Why do your disciples break the tradition of the elders? They don't wash their hands before they eat!"
Mark 7:5 So the Pharisees and teachers of the law asked Jesus, "Why don't your disciples live according to the tradition of the elders instead of eating their food with defiled hands?"
Luke 11:38 But the Pharisee was surprised when he noticed that Jesus did not first wash before the meal.
Acts 10:14 "Surely not, Lord!" Peter replied. "I have never eaten anything impure or unclean."
Acts 10:28 He said to them: "You are well aware that it is against our law for a Jew to associate with or visit a Gentile. But God has shown me that I should not call anyone impure or unclean.
Acts 11:8 "I replied, 'Surely not, Lord! Nothing impure or unclean has ever entered my mouth.'
Romans 14:14 I am convinced, being fully persuaded in the Lord Jesus, that nothing is unclean in itself. But if anyone regards something as unclean, then for that person it is unclean.
Hebrews 10:29 How much more severely do you think someone deserves to be punished who has trampled the Son of God underfoot, who has treated as an unholy thing the blood of the covenant that sanctified them, and who has insulted the Spirit of grace?
Revelation 21:27 Nothing impure will ever enter it, nor will anyone who does what is shameful or deceitful, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb's book of life.