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

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

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

Berean Standard Bible
and they saw some of His disciples eating with hands that were defiled—that is, unwashed.

Berean Literal Bible
And they had seen that some of His disciples are eating the bread with defiled, that is, unwashed hands.

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

New King James Version
Now when they saw some of His disciples eat bread with defiled, that is, with unwashed hands, they found fault.

New American Standard Bible
and saw that some of His disciples were eating their bread with unholy hands, that is, unwashed.

NASB 1995
and had seen that some of His disciples were eating their bread with impure hands, that is, unwashed.

NASB 1977
and had seen that some of His disciples were eating their bread with impure hands, that is, unwashed.

Legacy Standard Bible
and had seen that some of His disciples were eating their bread with defiled hands, that is, unwashed.

Amplified Bible
and they had seen that some of His disciples ate their bread with [ceremonially] impure hands, that is, unwashed [and defiled according to Jewish religious ritual].

Christian Standard Bible
They observed that some of his disciples were eating bread with unclean —that is, unwashed—hands.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
They observed that some of His disciples were eating their bread with unclean—that is, unwashed—hands.

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

Contemporary English Version
They noticed that some of his disciples ate without first washing their hands.

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

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

Good News Translation
They noticed that some of his disciples were eating their food with hands that were ritually unclean--that is, they had not washed them in the way the Pharisees said people should. (

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

Majority Standard Bible
And seeing some of His disciples eating with hands that were defiled?that is, unwashed?they found fault.

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

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

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.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
and having seen certain of His disciples with defiled hands—that is, unwashed—eating bread, they found fault;

Berean Literal Bible
And they had seen that some of His disciples are eating the bread with defiled, that is, unwashed hands.

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

Smith's Literal Translation
And having seen some of his disciples with common hands, that is, unwashed, eating loaves, they rebuked.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
And when they had seen some of his disciples eat bread with common, that is, with unwashed hands, they found fault.

Catholic Public Domain Version
And when they had seen certain ones from his disciples eating bread with common hands, that is, with unwashed hands, they disparaged them.

New American Bible
they observed that some of his disciples ate their meals with unclean, that is, unwashed, hands.

New Revised Standard Version
they noticed that some of his disciples were eating with defiled hands, that is, without washing them.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
And they saw some of his disciples eating bread with their hands unwashed; and they reproached them.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
And they saw some of his disciples eating bread when they had not washed their hands, and they found fault.
NT Translations
Anderson New Testament
and when they saw some of his disciples eating bread with common, that is, with unwashed hands:

Godbey New Testament
And seeing certain ones of His disciples eating bread with defiled, that is, unwashed hands.

Haweis New Testament
And seeing some of his disciples eating bread with hands unclean, that is, unwashed, they found fault.

Mace New Testament
when observing that some of his disciples were eating with profane hands, that is, without having wash'd them, 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)

Worrell New Testament
and saw that some of His disciples ate bread with defiled, that is, unwashed hands.

Worsley New Testament
and when they saw some of his disciples eating with impure (that is, unwashed) hands, they found fault:

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Tradition and Worship
1Then the Pharisees and some of the scribes who had come from Jerusalem gathered around Jesus, 2and they saw some of His disciples eating with hands that were defiled— that is, unwashed. 3Now in holding to the tradition of the elders, the Pharisees and all the Jews do not eat until they wash their hands ceremonially.…

Cross References
Matthew 15:2
“Why do Your disciples break the tradition of the elders? They do not wash their hands before they eat.”

Luke 11:38
But the Pharisee was surprised to see that Jesus did not first wash before the meal.

Matthew 23:25-26
Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence. / Blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and dish, so that the outside may become clean as well.

Acts 10:14
“No, Lord!” Peter answered. “I have never eaten anything impure or unclean.”

Galatians 1:14
I was advancing in Judaism beyond many of my contemporaries and was extremely zealous for the traditions of my fathers.

Colossians 2:8
See to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deception, which are based on human tradition and the spiritual forces of the world rather than on Christ.

Colossians 2:20-22
If you have died with Christ to the spiritual forces of the world, why, as though you still belonged to the world, do you submit to its regulations: / “Do not handle, do not taste, do not touch!”? / These will all perish with use, because they are based on human commands and teachings.

Isaiah 29:13
Therefore the Lord said: “These people draw near to Me with their mouths and honor Me with their lips, but their hearts are far from Me. Their worship of Me is but rules taught by men.

Exodus 30:18-21
“You are to make a bronze basin with a bronze stand for washing. Set it between the Tent of Meeting and the altar, and put water in it, / with which Aaron and his sons are to wash their hands and feet. / Whenever they enter the Tent of Meeting or approach the altar to minister by presenting a food offering to the LORD, they must wash with water so that they will not die. ...

Leviticus 11:1-8
The LORD spoke again to Moses and Aaron, telling them, / “Say to the Israelites, ‘Of all the beasts of the earth, these ones you may eat: / You may eat any animal that has a split hoof completely divided and that chews the cud. ...

Deuteronomy 4:2
You must not add to or subtract from what I command you, so that you may keep the commandments of the LORD your God that I am giving you.

Deuteronomy 5:32
So be careful to do as the LORD your God has commanded you; you are not to turn aside to the right or to the left.

Deuteronomy 12:32
See that you do everything I command you; do not add to it or subtract from it.

2 Kings 17:15
They rejected His statutes and the covenant He had made with their fathers, as well as the decrees He had given them. They pursued worthless idols and became worthless themselves, going after the surrounding nations that the LORD had commanded them not to imitate.

2 Kings 17:34
To this day they are still practicing their former customs. None of them worship the LORD or observe the statutes, ordinances, laws, and commandments that the LORD gave the descendants of Jacob, whom He named Israel.


Treasury of Scripture

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

defiled.

Acts 10:14,15,28
But Peter said, Not so, Lord; for I have never eaten any thing that is common or unclean…

they found.

Daniel 6:4,5
Then the presidents and princes sought to find occasion against Daniel concerning the kingdom; but they could find none occasion nor fault; forasmuch as he was faithful, neither was there any error or fault found in him…

Matthew 7:3-5
And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye? …

Matthew 23:23-25
Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have omitted the weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone…

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Mark 7
1. The Pharisees find fault with the disciples for eating with unwashed hands.
8. They break the commandment of God by the traditions of men.
14. Food defiles not the man.
24. He heals the Syrophenician woman's daughter of an unclean spirit;
31. and one that was deaf, and stammered in his speech.














and they saw
The Greek word for "saw" is "θεωρέω" (theōreō), which implies more than just a casual glance. It suggests a scrutinizing observation, often with a critical or judgmental intent. In the context of this passage, the Pharisees and scribes were not merely observing; they were looking for faults, indicative of their ongoing opposition to Jesus' ministry. This highlights the tension between Jesus and the religious leaders, who were more concerned with external appearances than with the heart.

some of His disciples
The mention of "some" indicates that not all of Jesus' disciples were involved in this particular incident. This detail underscores the individuality within the group of disciples and suggests that the Pharisees were targeting specific behaviors rather than condemning the entire group. The disciples, as followers of Jesus, were often under scrutiny, reflecting the broader societal tensions between Jesus' teachings and traditional Jewish customs.

eating with hands that were defiled
The term "defiled" comes from the Greek "κοινός" (koinos), meaning common or unclean. In Jewish tradition, ceremonial cleanliness was crucial, and eating with unwashed hands was considered a violation of these purity laws. This phrase highlights the Pharisees' focus on ritual purity, which they equated with spiritual purity. However, Jesus often challenged this notion, emphasizing the importance of inner purity over external rituals.

that is, unwashed
The clarification "that is, unwashed" serves to explain the cultural and religious context to the reader. The practice of handwashing was not about hygiene but about ritual purity, rooted in traditions that had developed over time. This phrase points to the oral traditions that had become as authoritative as the written Law in the eyes of the Pharisees. Jesus' response to this situation would later reveal His teaching that true defilement comes from within, not from external practices.

(2) With defiled, that is to say, with unwashen, hands.--The first word means literally common. This came to be associated, as in Acts 10:14, with what was "unclean," and so, for Jews at all events, the word acquired a new meaning. St. Mark's Gentile readers, however, were not likely to understand what was meant by "common hands," and therefore he adds his explanation of "unwashed."



Parallel Commentaries ...


Greek
and
καὶ (kai)
Conjunction
Strong's 2532: And, even, also, namely.

they saw
ἰδόντες (idontes)
Verb - Aorist Participle Active - Nominative Masculine Plural
Strong's 3708: Properly, to stare at, i.e. to discern clearly; by extension, to attend to; by Hebraism, to experience; passively, to appear.

some
τινὰς (tinas)
Interrogative / Indefinite Pronoun - Accusative Masculine Plural
Strong's 5100: Any one, some one, a certain one or thing. An enclitic indefinite pronoun; some or any person or object.

of
τῶν (tōn)
Article - Genitive Masculine Plural
Strong's 3588: The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.

His
αὐτοῦ (autou)
Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive Masculine 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 846: He, she, it, they, them, same. From the particle au; the reflexive pronoun self, used of the third person, and of the other persons.

disciples
μαθητῶν (mathētōn)
Noun - Genitive Masculine Plural
Strong's 3101: A learner, disciple, pupil. From manthano; a learner, i.e. Pupil.

eating
ἐσθίουσιν (esthiousin)
Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person Plural
Strong's 2068: Strengthened for a primary edo; used only in certain tenses, the rest being supplied by phago; to eat.

[with] hands
χερσίν (chersin)
Noun - Dative Feminine Plural
Strong's 5495: A hand.

[that were] defiled—
κοιναῖς (koinais)
Adjective - Dative Feminine Plural
Strong's 2839: Probably from sun; common, i.e. shared by all or several, or profane.

that
τοῦτ’ (tout’)
Demonstrative Pronoun - Nominative Neuter Singular
Strong's 3778: This; he, she, it.

is,
ἔστιν (estin)
Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 1510: I am, exist. The first person singular present indicative; a prolonged form of a primary and defective verb; I exist.

unwashed.
ἀνίπτοις (aniptois)
Adjective - Dative Feminine Plural
Strong's 449: Unwashed, ceremonially unclean. Without ablution.


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NT Gospels: Mark 7:2 Now when they saw some of his (Mar Mk Mr)
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