Lectionary Calendar
Saturday, July 19th, 2025
the Week of Proper 10 / Ordinary 15
the Week of Proper 10 / Ordinary 15
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Bible Commentaries
Alford's Greek Testament Critical Exegetical Commentary Alford's Greek Testament Commentary
Copyright Statement
These files are public domain.
Text Courtesy of BibleSupport.com. Used by Permission.
These files are public domain.
Text Courtesy of BibleSupport.com. Used by Permission.
Bibliographical Information
Alford, Henry. "Commentary on Mark 7". Alford's Greek Testament Critical Exegetical Commentary. https://studylight.org/commentaries/eng/hac/mark-7.html. 1863-1878.
Alford, Henry. "Commentary on Mark 7". Alford's Greek Testament Critical Exegetical Commentary. https://studylight.org/
Whole Bible (43)New Testament (15)Gospels Only (6)Individual Books (13)
Verses 1-23
1 23. ] DISCOURSE CONCERNING EATING WITH UNWASHED HANDS. Matthew 15:1-20 . The two reports differ rather more than usual in their additions to what is common, and are not so frequently in verbal agreement where the matter is the same.
Verse 2
2. ἰδ . Ïιν . Ï . μαθ . ] See ch. Mark 2:16 . A mark of particularity.
ÏÎ¿Ï ÏÎÏÏιν á¼Î½Î¯Ï . is supposed by some to be a gloss, explaining κοιναá¿Ï : but the explanation seems necessary to what follows, especially for Gentile readers.
Verse 3
3. ÏÏ Î³Î¼á¿ ] This word has perplexed all the Commentators. Of the various renderings which have been given of it, two are excluded by their not being grammatical (1) that which makes it mean ‘ up to the elbow ’ (Euthym [26] and Thl.); ‘ including the hand as far as the wrist ’ Lightf.: (2) ‘ having clenched the hand,’ ‘facto pugno ’ (Grot. and others).
[26] Euthymius Zigabenus, 1116
The two meanings between which our choice lies are, (3) ‘ frequently ’ (as E. V. ‘oft,’ and Vulg. ‘crebro’), taking ÏÏ Î³Î¼á¿ = ÏÏ ÎºÎ½á¿ = ÏÏ ÎºÎ½á¿¶Ï , which however is not very probable: or (4), to which I most incline, and which Kuinoel gives, ‘ sedulo,’ ‘fortiter ,’ diligently; ÏÏ Î³Î¼Î® , he observes, meaning ‘the fist,’ answers in the LXX to the word ×Ö¶×ְרֹף , see reff. But this same word ×Ö¶×ְרֹף is used to signify strength and fortitude , and strong men are called in the Rabbinical writings ××¢×× ××ר×פ×× , ‘lords of fists.’ And the Sy [27] . interpreter renders it by the same word as he does á¼ÏÎ¹Î¼ÎµÎ»á¿¶Ï , Luke 15:8 .
[27] yr the Peschito (or simple) Syriac version. Supposed to have been made as early as the second century . The text as edited is in a most unsatisfactory state.
Verse 4
4. á¼Ï ʼ á¼Î³ . ] i.e. (as indeed some MSS. insert: see var. readd.) á½ Ïαν á¼Î»Î¸ÏÏιν . Winer, § 66. 2 note, takes á¼Ï ʼ á¼Î³Î¿Ïá¾¶Ï with á¼ÏθίÏÏιν , justifying it by Arrian, Epict. iii. 19. 5, Ïαγεá¿Î½ á¼Îº Î²Î±Î»Î±Î½ÎµÎ¯Î¿Ï .
βαÏÏ . is variously understood, of themselves , or the meats bought . It certainly refers to themselves ; as it would not be any unusual practice to wash things bought in the market: but probably not to washing their whole bodies : see below.
ξεÏÏ ., not from ξÎÏ , to polish, but a corruption of sextarius . See the passage of Josephus cited in the reff.
Ïαλκ ., brazen vessels ; earthen ones, when unclean, were to be broken , Leviticus 15:12 .
These βαÏÏιÏμοί , as applied to κλινῶν (meaning probably here couches (triclinia) used at meals ), were certainly not immersions , but sprinklings or affusions of water. On the whole subject, see Lightfoot ad loc.
Verse 5
5. ] The construction is an anacoluthon, begun with καὶ ἰδÏνÏÎµÏ , Mark 7:2 , which subject being lost sight of in the long parenthesis, is here renewed with καὶ á¼ÏÎµÏ . κ . Ï . λ .
Verse 8
8. ] Not contained in Matt., but important, as setting forth their depreciating of God’s command in comparison with human tradition, before their absolute violation of that command in Mark 7:10-11 .
Verse 9
9. ] ÎºÎ±Î»á¿¶Ï ironical: see ref.
Verse 10
10. ] ÎÏÏ Ï . Î³á½°Ï Îµá¼¶Ï . = á½ Î³á½°Ï Î¸Îµá½¸Ï á¼Î½ÎµÏείλαÏο Matt.
Verse 11
11. ] κοÏβᾶν â קָרְ×Ö¼Ö¸× , an offering without a sacrifice. οἱ κοÏβᾶν αá½ÏÎ¿á½ºÏ á½Î½Î¿Î¼Î¬ÏανÏÎµÏ Ïá¿· θεῷ , δῶÏον δὲ ÏοῦÏο Ïημαίνει καÏá½° á¼Î»Î»Î®Î½Ïν γλῶÏÏαν Jos. Antt. iv. 4. 4.
Verse 12
12. ] See note on Matthew 15:5 .
Verse 13
13. ] καὶ ÏÎ±Ï ., a repetition from Mark 7:8 ; common in Mark.
Verse 14
14. ] Both Matt. and Mark notice that our Lord called the multitude to Him, when He uttered this speech. It was especially this, said in the hearing of both the Pharisees and them, that gave offence to the former.
Verse 17
17. Îµá¼°Ï Î¿á¼¶ÎºÎ¿Î½ ] Not necessarily into a house, so that any inference can (Meyer) be drawn from it, but within doors : see note on ch. Mark 2:1 .
á¼Ï .⦠οἱ μαθ . = á¼ÏÎ¿ÎºÏ . á½ Î ÎÏÏÎ¿Ï Îµá¼¶Ï . Matt.
Verse 19
19. καθαÏίζÏν ] The masc. part. applies to á¼ÏεδÏῶνα , by a construction of which there are examples, in which the grammatical object of the sentence is regarded as the logical subject , e.g. λÏγοι δ ʼ á¼Î½ á¼Î»Î»Î®Î»Î¿Î¹Ïιν á¼á¿¤á¿¥ÏÎ¸Î¿Ï Î½ κακοί , ÏÏλαξ á¼Î»ÎγÏÏν ÏÏλακα , Soph. Ant [28] 259. See Kühner, Gramm. ii. § 678. 1. There need not be any difficulty in this additional clause: what is stated is physically true. The á¼ÏεδÏÏν is that which, by the removal of the part carried off, purifies the meat; the portion available for nourishment being in its passage converted into chyle, and the remainder (the κάθαÏμα ) being cast out.
[28] Antiochus of Ptolemais, 614
Verses 21-22
21, 22. ] The καÏδία is the laboratory and the fountain-head of all that is good and bad in the inner life of man: see Beck, biblische Seelenlehre, § 21.: Delitzsch, biblische Psychologie, Exodus 2:0 , § 12, pp. 248 ff.
Matt.’s catalogue follows the order of the second table of the decalogue. Mark’s more copious one varies the order, and replaces ÏÎµÏ Î´Î¿Î¼Î±ÏÏÏ Ïίαι by Ïλ ., Ïον ., δÏλ ., á¼ÏÎλ ., á½Ïθ . Ïον ., and βλαÏÏ . by βλαÏÏ ., á½ÏεÏη ., á¼ÏÏÎ¿Ï . Compare Romans 1:29 ; Ephesians 4:19 ; Wis 14:25-26 .
á¼ÏÏοÏÏνη , the opposite to ÏÏ ÏÏοÏÏνη , unreasoning folly : not in speaking only, but in thought, leading to words and acts.
Verse 24
24. ] á¼ÎºÎµá¿Î¸ÎµÎ½ is not, from the land of Gennesaret (Meyer), for ch. Mark 6:55-56 , has completely removed definiteness from the locality; but refers to the (unspecified) place of the last discourse.
μεθÏÏια ] The place must have been the neighbourhood of Tyre . The word is used in Xen. Cyr. i. 4. 16, á¼Î½ Ïοá¿Ï μεθοÏÎ¯Î¿Î¹Ï Ïοá¿Ï Ïε αá½Ïῶν καὶ Ïοá¿Ï ÎήδÏν , in a sense approaching that in our text: the repetition of the Ïοá¿Ï assigning μεθÏÏια to both countries.
οá½Î´ . ἤθ . γν . ] Not (Fritz.), ‘ wished to know no man :’ but would have no man know it.
Verses 24-30
24 30. ] THE SYROPHÅNICIAN WOMAN. Matthew 15:21-28 . Omitted by Luke. A striking instance of the independence of the two narrations. Mark, who is much more copious in particulars, omits a considerable and important part of the history: this would be most arbitrarily and indeed inexcusably done, if the common account of his having combined and epitomized Matt. and Luke is to be taken.
Our Lord’s retirement was to avoid the Pharisees : see notes on Matt. throughout.
Verse 25
25. ] The woman ( á¼Î»Î»Î·Î½Î¯Ï , a Gentile ) had been following Him and His disciples before , Matt.
Verse 26
26. ] ΣÏÏα Φ . , because there were also ÎÎ¹Î²Ï ÏÎ¿Î¯Î½Î¹ÎºÎµÏ , Carthaginians.
Verse 27
27. ] á¼ÏÎµÏ ÏÏá¿¶Ïον .⦠] This important addition in Mark sets forth the whole ground on which the present refusal rested. The Jews were first to have the Gospel offered to them, for their acceptance or rejection; it was not yet time for the Gentiles.
Verse 28
28. καὶ Î³á½°Ï .⦠] See on Matt.
Verse 30
30. ] These particulars are added here.
βεβλ . á¼Ïá½¶ Ï . κλ . which the torments occasioned by the evil spirit would not allow her to be before: κειμÎνην á¼Î½ εἰÏήνῠ, Euthym [29]
[29] Euthymius Zigabenus, 1116
Verse 31
31. ] He went first northward (perhaps for the same reason, of privacy, as before) through Sidon, then crossed the Jordan, and so approached the lake on its E. side. On Decapolis , see Matthew 4:25 . We have the same journey related Matthew 15:29 ; and κÏÏÎ¿á½ºÏ Î»Î±Î»Î¿á¿¦Î½ÏÎ±Ï mentioned among the miracles, for which the people glorified the God of Israel.
Verses 31-37
31 37. ] HEALING OF A DEAF AND DUMB PERSON. Peculiar to Mark .
A miracle which serves a most important purpose; that of clearly distinguishing between the cases of the possessed and the merely diseased or deformed . This man was what we call ‘deaf and dumb;’ the union of which maladies is often brought about by the inability of him who never has heard sounds to utter them plainly: or, as here apparently, by some accompanying physical infirmity of the organs of speech.
Verse 33
33. á¼Ïολ . αá½Ï . ] No reason that we know can be assigned why our Lord should take aside this man, and the blind man, ch. Mark 8:23 ; but how many might there be which we do not know, such as some peculiarity in the man himself , or the persons around , which influenced His determination.
It is remarkable that the same medium of conveying the miraculous cure is used also in ch. Mark 8:23 . By the symbolic use of external means, our Lord signified the healing virtue for afflicted human kind, which resides in and proceeds from Him incarnate in our flesh. He uses either his own touch, something from Himself, or the cleansing element to which He so often compares his word.
Verse 34
34. ] He looked to heaven in prayer : see John 11:41-42 . He sighed, as Chrysostom (or Pseudo-Chrys.) in Cramer’s Catena, h. l., says, Ïὴν Ïοῦ á¼Î½Î¸ÏÏÏÎ¿Ï ÏÏÏιν á¼Î»Îµá¿¶Î½ , á¼Ï Ïοίαν ÏαÏείνÏÏιν ἤγαγεν αá½Ïὴν á½ Ïε μιÏÏÎºÎ±Î»Î¿Ï Î´Î¹Î¬Î²Î¿Î»Î¿Ï , καὶ ἡ Ïῶν ÏÏÏÏοÏλάÏÏÏν á¼ÏÏοÏεξία : see John 11:36-38 .
á¼ÏÏαθά = ×Ö¶×ªÖ°×¡Ö¼Ö·×ªÖ¼Ö·× (Sy [30] .-chald.), imperative Hithp. from ×¡Ö¼Ö¸×ªÖ·× , aperuit : the word used in Isaiah 35:5 , “ Then shall the ears of the deaf be unstopped, ⦠and the tongue of the dumb sing .”
[30] yr the Peschito (or simple) Syriac version. Supposed to have been made as early as the second century . The text as edited is in a most unsatisfactory state.
Verse 35
35. ὠδεÏμÏÏ the hindrance, whatever it was, which prevented him from speaking á½ÏÎ¸á¿¶Ï before.
Verse 36
36. ] See ch. Mark 1:45 .
Verse 37
37. ÎºÎ±Î»á¿¶Ï Ïάν . ÏÎµÏ .⦠] So ÏάνÏα á½ Ïα á¼ÏοίηÏεν καλὰ λίαν , Genesis 1:31 . This work was properly and worthily compared with that first one of creation it was the same Beneficence which prompted, and the same Power that wrought it.