the Third Week after Easter
Click here to join the effort!
Read the Bible
Mace New Testament
Mark 7:7
Bible Study Resources
Concordances:
- Nave'sDictionaries:
- AmericanEncyclopedias:
- InternationalParallel Translations
They worship me in vain,
Howbeit in vaine doe they worship me, teaching for doctrines, the commandements of men.
Howbeit in vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.
in vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.'
-'AND IN VAIN DO THEY WORSHIP ME, TEACHING AS DOCTRINES THE COMMANDMENTS OF MEN.'
Their worship of me is worthless. The things they teach are nothing but human rules.' Isaiah 29:13
-'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].'
'BUT IN VAIN DO THEY WORSHIP ME, TEACHING AS DOCTRINES THE PRECEPTS OF MEN.'
But in vain do they worship Me,Teaching as doctrines the commands of men.'
They worship Me in vain; they teach as doctrine the precepts of men.'
It is useless for you to worship me, when you teach rules made up by humans."
Their worship of me is useless, because they teach man-made rules as if they were doctrines.'
But in vain do they worship me, teaching [as their] teachings commandments of men.
Their worship of me is worthless. The things they teach are only human rules.'
But they worship me in vaine, teaching for doctrines the commandements of men.
And they worship me in vain, when they teach the doctrines of the commandments of men.
It is no use for them to worship me, because they teach human rules as though they were my laws!'
And they worship me in vain, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.'
and in vain they worship Me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men." Isa. 29:13
But in vain do they worship me, Teaching as their doctrines the precepts of men.
But their worship is to no purpose, while they give as their teaching the rules of men.
But in vain do they worship me, Teaching as doctrines the mitzvot of men.'
Their worship of me is empty, because they teach human rules as doctrines.'Isaiah 29:13">[fn]
But in vain do they reverence me while they teach the teachings of the commandments of men. [fn]
And in vain do they give me reverence, while teaching as doctrines the precepts of men.
Howebeit, in vayne do they worship me, teachyng doctrines, the commaundementes of men.
But in vain do they worship me, Teaching as their doctrines the precepts of men.
But in vain do they worship me, Teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.'
But in vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.
But idle is their devotion while they lay down precepts which are mere human rules.'
and in veyn thei worschipen me, techinge the doctrines and the heestis of men.
But in vain they worship me, Teaching [as their] doctrines the precepts of men.
But, in vain do they worship me, teaching [for] doctrines the commandments of men.
They worship me in vain, teaching as doctrine the commandments of men .'
And in vain they worship Me,Teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.' Isaiah 29:13 ">[fn]
Their worship is a farce, for they teach man-made ideas as commands from God.'
Their worship of Me is worth nothing. They teach what men say must be done.'
in vain do they worship me, teaching human precepts as doctrines.'
But, in vain, do they pay devotions unto me, teaching for teachings, the commandments of men;
And in vain do they worship me, teaching doctrines and precepts of men.
in vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines the precepts of men.'
In vayne they worshippe me teachinge doctryns which are nothinge but ye comaundementes of men.
and in vain do they worship Me, teaching teachings, commands of men;
But in vayne do they serue me, whyle they teach soch doctrynes as are nothinge but the commaundemetes of me.
What they call church is just teaching a bunch of rules and stuff that they came up with. It's not about me.'
Contextual Overview
Bible Verse Review
from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge
in vain: 1 Samuel 12:21, Malachi 3:14, Matthew 6:7, Matthew 15:9, 1 Corinthians 15:14, 1 Corinthians 15:58, Titus 3:9, James 1:26, James 2:20
the commandments: Deuteronomy 12:32, Colossians 2:22, 1 Timothy 4:1-3, Revelation 14:11, Revelation 14:12, Revelation 22:18
Reciprocal: Isaiah 8:20 - it is Isaiah 24:5 - changed Mark 7:3 - the tradition Luke 5:39 - General Acts 5:29 - We Titus 1:14 - commandments
Cross-References
for as at the time that usher'd in the deluge, they were eating and drinking, marrying themselves and their children, till the day that Noe entred into the ark,
eating and drinking, marriages and matches was the business till the very day that Noah entred into the ark, when the flood came and overwhelm'd them all.
that by two immutable things in which it was impossible for God to deceive us, we, who have no other refuge to fly to, but to maintain our present hopes,
'Twas by faith that Noah being divinely warned of unforeseen events, with a religious concern built an ark to the preservation of his family; whereby the world became inexcusable, and he obtained the reward of that righteousness which is by faith.
those antient rebels in the time of Noah, when the divine forbearance waited, till the ark was quite finish'd, in which only eight persons were saved by means of the water.
since he did not spare the old world, having preserved only eight persons, including Noah, that preacher of virtue, when he brought the deluge upon the impious world:
Gill's Notes on the Bible
Howbeit, in vain do they worship me,.... This is the continuation of the citation out of Isaiah, as is also what follows:
teaching for doctrines the commandments of men. As all these traditions mentioned were such; as washing their hands before they ate bread, and their whole bodies, when they came from the market, or from any court of judicature, or concourse of men, where they had been touched by the common people, and the washing of cups, pots, brazen vessels, and tables, or beds; these they taught the people, and enjoined them the observance of them: instead of instructing them in the doctrines of the Bible, respecting the Messiah, and salvation by him, the right fear, and true worship of God, his ordinances and statutes; wherefore their worship of him, though attended with a great show of sanctity and religion, was a vain thing, a mere empty thing, devoid of life, power, and spirituality, unacceptable to God, and of no real use, profit, and advantage to themselves: it neither issued in the glory of God, nor brought any true pleasure, or solid peace to themselves; and they would find, by sad experience, that their hope of being in the favour of God, and of enjoying eternal happiness on account of it, would prove a vain hope; :-.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible
See this passage explained in the notes at Matthew 15:1-20.
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 “up to the wrist” - unless they wash their hands up to the wrist. Others have said up to the elbow.” There is evidence that the Pharisees had some such foolish rule as this about washing, and it is likely that they practiced it faithfully. But the Greek Word πυγμή pugmē - means properly the “fist,” and the meaning here is, “Unless they wash their hands (rubbing them) with the fist” - that is, not merely dipping the finger or hands in water as a sign of ablution, but rubbing the hands together as a ball or fist, in the usual Oriental manner when water is poured over them. Hence, the phrase comes to mean “diligently, carefully, sedulously.” - Robinson, Lexicon. The idea is, unless they pay the utmost attention to it, and do it carefully and according to rule.
The tradition - What had been handed down; not what was delivered “by writing” in the law of Moses, but what had been communicated from father to son as being proper and binding.
The elders - The ancients; not the old men “then living,” but those who had lived formerly.
Mark 7:4
Market - This word means either the place where provisions were sold, or the place where men were convened for any purpose. Here it probably means the former.
Except they wash - In the original, “Except they baptize.” In this place it does not mean to immerse the whole body, but only the hands. There is no evidence that the Jews washed their “whole bodies” every time they came from market. It is probable that they often washed with the use of a very small quantity of water.
The washing of cups - In the Greek, “the baptism of cups.”
Cups - drinking vessels. Those used at their meals.
Pots - Measures of “liquids.” Vessels made of wood, used to hold wine, vinegar, etc.
brazen vessels - Vessels made of brass, used in cooking or otherwise. These, if much polluted, were commonly passed through the fire: if slightly polluted they were washed. Earthen vessels, if defiled, were usually broken.
Tables - This word means, in the original, “beds or couches.” It refers not to the “tables” on which they ate, but to the “couches” on which they reclined at their meals. See the notes at Matthew 23:6. These were supposed to be defiled when any unclean or polluted person had reclined on them, and they deemed it necessary to purify them with water. The word “baptism” is here used - in the original, “the baptism of tables;” but, since it cannot be supposed that “couches” were entirely “immersed” in water, the word “baptism” here must denote some other application of water, by sprinkling or otherwise, and shows that the term is used in the sense of washing in any way. If the word is used here, as is clear it is, to denote anything except entire immersion, it may be elsewhere, and baptism is lawfully performed, therefore, without immersing the whole body in water.
Mark 7:7
For doctrines - For commands of God binding on the conscience. Imposing “your” traditions as equal in authority to the laws of God.
Mark 7:8
Laying aside - Rejecting, or making, it give place to traditions; considering the traditions as superior in authority to the divine law. This was the uniform doctrine of the Pharisees. See the notes at Matthew 15:1-9.
The tradition of men - What has been handed down by human beings, or what rests solely on their authority.
Mark 7:9
Full well - These words are capable of different interpretations. Some read them as a question: “Do ye do well in rejecting?” etc. Others suppose they mean “skillfully, cunningly.” “You show great cunning or art, in laying aside God’s commands and substituting in their place those of men.” Others suppose them to be ironical. “How nobly you act! From conscientious attachment to your traditions you have made void the law of God;” meaning to intimate by it that they had acted wickedly and basely.
Mark 7:17
The parable - The “obscure” and difficult remarks which he had made in Mark 7:15. The word “parable,” here, means “obscure” and “difficult saying.” They could not understand it. They had probably imbibed many of the popular notions of the Pharisees, and they could not understand why a man was not defiled by external things. It was, moreover, a doctrine of the law that men were ceremonially polluted by contact with dead bodies, etc., and they could not understand how it could be otherwise.
Mark 7:18
Cannot defile him - Cannot render his “soul” polluted; cannot make him a “sinner” so as to need this purifying as a “religious” observance.
Mark 7:19
Entereth not into his heart - Does not reach or affect the “mind,” the “soul,” and consequently cannot pollute it. Even if it should affect the “body,” yet it cannot the “soul,” and consequently cannot need to be cleansed by a religious ordinance. The notions of the Pharisees, therefore, are not founded in reason, but are mere “superstition.”
The draught - The sink, the vault. “Purging all meats.” The word “purging,” here, means to purify, to cleanse. What is thrown out of the body is the innutritious part of the food taken into the stomach, and leaving only that which is proper for the support of life; and it cannot, therefore, defile the soul.
All meals - All food; all that is taken into the body to support life. The meaning is, that the economy or process by which life is supported “purifies” or “renders nutritious” all kinds of food. The unwholesome or innutritious parts are separated, and the wholesome only are taken into the system. This agrees with all that has since been discovered of the process of digestion and of the support of life. The food taken into the stomach is by the gastric juice converted into a thick pulp called chyme. The nutritious part of this is conveyed into small vessels, and changed into a milky substance called “chyle.” This is poured by the thoracic duct into the left subclavian vein and mingles with the blood, and conveys nutriment and support to all parts of the system. The useless parts of the food are thrown off.
Mark 7:20
Hat which cometh out of the man - His words; the expression of his thoughts and feelings; his conduct, as the development of inward malice, anger, covetousness, lust, etc.
Defileth the man - Makes him really polluted or offensive in the sight of God. This renders the soul corrupt and abominable in his sight. See Matthew 15:18-20.
