Mark 7:13

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible

cancelling the word of God by your tradition which ye have delivered. And, many such similar things, are ye doing!

Parallel Translations

Easy-to-Read Version
So you are teaching that it is not important to do what God said. You think it is more important to follow those traditions you have, which you pass on to others. And you do many things like that."

Tyndale New Testament (1525)
makinge the worde of God of none effecte through youre awne tradicions which ye have ordeyned. And many soche thinges ye do.

International Standard Version
You are destroying the word of God through your tradition that you have handed down. And you do many other things like that."

New American Standard Bible
thereby invalidating the word of God by your tradition which you have handed down; and you do many things such as that."

New Century Version
By your own rules, which you teach people, you are rejecting what God said. And you do many things like that."

Update Bible Version
making void the word of God by your tradition, which you have delivered: and many such like things you do.

Webster's Bible Translation
Making the word of God of no effect through your traditions, which ye have delivered: and many such like things ye do.

Amplified Bible
so you nullify the [authority of the] word of God [acting as if it did not apply] because of your tradition which you have handed down [through the elders]. And you do many things such as that."

English Standard Version
thus making void the word of God by your tradition that you have handed down. And many such things you do."

World English Bible
making void the word of God by your tradition, which you have handed down. You do many things like this."

Wesley's New Testament (1755)
Abrogating the word of God by your traditions which ye have delivered: and many such like things ye do.

Weymouth's New Testament
thus nullifying God's precept by your tradition which you have handed down. And many things of that kind you do."

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
and ye breken the word of God bi youre tradicioun, that ye han youun; and ye don many suche thingis.

English Revised Version
making void the word of God by your tradition, which ye have delivered: and many such like things ye do.

Berean Standard Bible
Thus you nullify the word of God by the tradition you have handed down. And you do so in many such matters."

Contemporary English Version
And you ignore God's commands in order to follow your own teaching. You do a lot of other things that are just as bad.

American Standard Version
making void the word of God by your tradition, which ye have delivered: and many such like things ye do.

Bible in Basic English
Making the word of God of no effect by your rule, which you have given: and a number of other such things you do.

Complete Jewish Bible
Thus, with your tradition which you had handed down to you, you nullify the Word of God! And you do other things like this."

Darby Translation
making void the word of God by your traditional teaching which ye have delivered; and many such like things ye do.

Etheridge Translation
But you reject the word of Aloha for the sake of the tradition which you have delivered: and many similar (observances) to these you practise.

Murdock Translation
And ye reject the word of God, on account of the tradition which ye hand down. And many things like these, ye do.

King James Version (1611)
Making the word of God of none effect through your tradition, which ye haue deliuered: And many such like things doe ye.

New Living Translation
And so you cancel the word of God in order to hand down your own tradition. And this is only one example among many others."

New Life Bible
You are putting away the Word of God to keep your own teaching. You are doing many other things like this."

New Revised Standard
thus making void the word of God through your tradition that you have handed on. And you do many things like this."

Geneva Bible (1587)
Making the worde of God of none authoritie, by your tradition which ye haue ordeined: and ye doe many such like things.

George Lamsa Translation
So you dishonor the word of God for the sake of the tradition which you have established; and you do a great many like these.

Douay-Rheims Bible
Making void the word of God by your own tradition, which you have given forth. And many other such like things you do.

Revised Standard Version
thus making void the word of God through your tradition which you hand on. And many such things you do."

Bishop's Bible (1568)
And make the worde of God of none effect, through your tradition, which ye haue ordeyned. And many such thinges do ye.

Good News Translation
In this way the teaching you pass on to others cancels out the word of God. And there are many other things like this that you do."

Christian Standard Bible®
You nullify the word of God

Hebrew Names Version
making void the word of God by your tradition, which you have handed down. You do many things like this."

King James Version
Making the word of God of none effect through your tradition, which ye have delivered: and many such like things do ye.

Lexham English Bible
thus making void the word of God by your tradition that you have handed down, and you do many similar things such as this."

Literal Translation
making the Word of God of no effect by your tradition which you delivered. And many such like things you do.

Young's Literal Translation
setting aside the word of God for your tradition that ye delivered; and many such like things ye do.'

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
& make Gods worde of none effecte, thorow youre owne tradicions that ye haue set vp. And many soch thinges do ye.

Mace New Testament (1729)
by such traditions, and such a number of practices, as you have settled, the word of God is stript of all its authority.

New English Translation
Thus you nullify the word of God by your tradition that you have handed down. And you do many things like this."

New King James Version
making the word of God of no effect through your tradition which you have handed down. And many such things you do."

Simplified Cowboy Version
You teach people to disobey God's command of honoring your mother and father in the name of greed and tradition. But y'all sure enough don't stop there."

New American Standard Bible (1995)
thus invalidating the word of God by your tradition which you have handed down; and you do many things such as that."

Legacy Standard Bible
thus invalidating the word of God by your tradition which you have handed down; and you do many things such as that."

Contextual Overview

¹ And the Pharisees and certain of the Scribes who have come from Jerusalem gather themselves together unto him; ² and, observing certain of his disciples, that, with defiled hands, that is unwashed, they are eating bread, - - ³ For, the Pharisees, and all the Jews, unless with care they wash their hands, eat not, holding fast the tradition of the elders; ⁴ and coming from market, unless they sprinkle themselves, they eat not, - and, many other things, there are, which they have accepted to hold fast - immersions of cups and measures and copper vessels - - ⁵ and so the Pharisees and the Scribes, question, him - For what cause do thy disciples not walk according to the tradition of the elders, but, with defiled hands, eat bread? ⁶ But, he, said unto them - Well, prophesied Isaiah concerning you, ye hypocrites, as it is written - This people, with the lips do honour me, while, their heart, far off, holdeth from me, - ⁷ But, in vain, do they pay devotions unto me, teaching for teachings, the commandments of men; ⁸ Having, dismissed, the commandment, of God, ye, hold fast, the tradition, of men. ⁹ And he was saying to them - Well, do ye set aside the commandment of God, that, your own tradition, ye may observe; ¹⁰ For, Moses, said - Honour thy father and thy mother, and - He that revileth father or mother, let him, surely die, -

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

the word: Mark 7:9, Isaiah 8:20, Jeremiah 8:8, Jeremiah 8:9, Hosea 8:12, Matthew 5:17-20, Matthew 15:6, Titus 1:14

such: Ezekiel 18:14, Galatians 5:21

Reciprocal: 1 Kings 12:33 - in the month Malachi 2:9 - before Matthew 15:3 - Why Mark 7:3 - the tradition

Cross-References

Genesis 5:32
And Noah was five hundred years old, - and Noah begat Shem, Ham and Japheth.

Genesis 6:10
And Noah begat three sons, - Shem, Ham and Japheth.

Genesis 6:18
therefore will I establish my covenant with thee, - and thou shalt enter into the ark, thou, and thy sons, and thy wife, and thy sons wives, with thee.

Genesis 7:1
And Yahweh said to Noah, Enter thou and all thy house, into the ark, - for, thee, have I seen righteous before me, in this generation.

Genesis 7:2
Of all the clean beasts, shalt thou take to thee by sevens, a male and his female, - and, of the beasts that are not clean,, shall be two a male and his female.

Genesis 7:4
For in seven days more, I, am sending rain on the earth, forty days and forty nights, - so will I wipe out all the living things which I have made, from off the face of the ground.

Genesis 7:7
So Noah entered, and his sons and his wife and his sons wives with him into the ark, - from before the waters of the flood,

Genesis 7:9
two and two, went they in unto Noah, into the ark male and female,, - as God commanded Noah.

Genesis 7:18
And the waters prevailed and increased greatly, on the earth, - and the ark went its way on the face of the waters.

Genesis 7:19
Yea the waters, prevailed very greatly, on the earth, - so that all the high mountains became covered, that were under all the heavens:

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Making the word of God of none effect, through your tradition,.... Beza says, in his most ancient copy it is read, "your foolish tradition"; and such it was indeed, that a vow made rashly, and in a passion, or if ever so deliberately entered into, should be more binding upon a man than the law of God; that rather than break this, he should transgress a divine command; and that though he might see his folly, and repent of his sin in making such a wicked vow, he could not go back from it, without the permission of a wise man: should his poor distressed parents come to him for assistance, he was obliged to answer them, that he had bound himself by a vow, that they should receive no advantage from his substance; and should they remonstrate to him the command of God, to honour them and take care of them, and observe that that command is enforced by promises and threatenings; he had this to reply, and was instructed to do it, that it was the sense of the wise men and doctors, and agreeably to the traditions of the elders, to which he ought rather to attend, than to the words of the law, that he should keep and fulfil his vow, whatever command was neglected or broken by it.

Which ye have delivered: they received it from their ancestors, and delivered it to their disciples; and it is in this way, that all their traditions were delivered: they say x, that

"Moses received the law (the oral law) at Sinai, ומסרה, "and delivered" it to Joshua; and Joshua to the elders, and the elders to the prophets; and the prophets to the men of the great synagogue; the last of which was Simeon the just; and Antigonus, a man of Socho, received it from him; and Jose ben Joezer, a man of Tzeredah, and Jose ben Jochanan, a man of Jerusalem, received it from Antigonus; and Joshua ben Perachiah (said to be the master of Jesus Christ), and Nitthai the Arbelite, received it from them; and Judah ben Tabai, and Simeon ben Shetach, received it from them; and Shemaiah and Abtalion received it from them; and from them Hillell and Shammai.''

Who were now the heads of the two grand schools of the Jews; these received, and delivered out these traditions to the Scribes and Pharisees, and they to their disciples:

and many such like things do ye; meaning, that there were many other traditions besides this now mentioned; whereby, instead of preserving the written law, which, they pretended, these were an hedge unto y, they, in a great many instances, made it void.

x Pirke Abot, c. 1. sect. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12. y Pirke Abot, c. 1. sect. 1.

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.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Mark 7:13. Your tradition — D, later Syriac in the margin, Saxon, and all the Itala but one, add τη μωρα, by your FOOLISH tradition. [Anglo-Saxon], your foolish law: - Anglo-Saxon.