Mark 7:1-12 ▼

1 Now the Pharisees and some of the scribes came from Jerusalem and gathered around Him,

2 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].

3 (For the Pharisees and all of the Jews do not eat unless they carefully wash their hands, holding firmly to the traditions of the elders;

4 and when they come from the market place, they do not eat unless they cleanse themselves [completely according to ritual]; and there are many other things [oral, man-made laws and traditions handed down to them] which they follow diligently, such as the washing of cups and pitchers and copper utensils.)

5 So the Pharisees and scribes asked Jesus, “Why do Your disciples not live their lives according to the tradition of the elders, but [instead] eat their bread with [ceremonially] unwashed hands?”

6 He replied, “Rightly did Isaiah prophesy about you hypocrites (play-actors, pretenders), as it is written [in Scripture], ‘THESE PEOPLE HONOR ME WITH THEIR LIPS, BUT THEIR HEART IS FAR FROM ME.

7 ‘THEY WORSHIP ME IN VAIN [their worship is meaningless and worthless, a pretense], TEACHING THE PRECEPTS OF MEN AS DOCTRINES [giving their traditions equal weight with the Scriptures].’

8 You disregard and neglect the commandment of God, and cling [faithfully] to the tradition of men.”

9 He was also saying to them, “You are experts at setting aside and nullifying the commandment of God in order to keep your [man-made] tradition and regulations.

10 For Moses said, ‘HONOR YOUR FATHER AND YOUR MOTHER [with respect and gratitude]’; and, ‘HE WHO SPEAKS EVIL OF HIS FATHER OR MOTHER MUST BE PUT TO DEATH’;

11 but you [Pharisees and scribes] say, ‘If a man tells his father or mother, “Whatever I have that would help you is Corban, (that is to say, already a gift to God),”’

12 then you no longer let him do anything for his father or mother [since helping them would violate his vow of Corban];