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BOOK 41 OF 66 · GOSPELS · KING JAMES BIBLE

Mark 7

Mark book home•Chapter 7 of 16•37 verses
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REVIEWED OVERVIEW

Mark 7 Overview

Pharisees and scribes criticize the disciples for eating with unwashen hands. Jesus answers that human tradition can make God’s word of none effect and teaches that defilement comes from the heart. He then travels into Gentile territory, responds to a Syrophenician woman’s faith, delivers her daughter, and heals a deaf man with a speech impediment.

MarkBook
7Chapter
37Verses
GospelsDivision

Before you read Mark 7

Coming from

Mark 6 established the immediate context: Jesus is rejected in His own country despite acknowledged wisdom and mighty works.

In this chapter

Mark 7 moves from false external measures of purity to the heart, then shows Jesus bringing mercy into Gentile regions.

Leads into

Mark 8 continues the account: Jesus feeds four thousand, refuses the Pharisees’ demand for a sign, and warns the disciples about the leaven of the Pharisees and Herod.

Key understandingExplore deeper

The dispute concerns ceremonial handwashing tradition, not ordinary hygiene. Jesus exposes how tradition can become morally corrupt when it cancels clear responsibility toward parents.

Mark explicitly explains the defilement teaching for his readers, showing the widening implications of Jesus’ authority over food-boundary concerns.

Major truths in this chapterExplore deeper

Human tradition must remain under God’s word

Religious customs become dangerous when they override divine command.

Sin flows from the heart

Jesus lists moral evils that come from within rather than being solved by external washing.

Gentile need is not beyond Jesus’ mercy

The Syrophenician woman receives deliverance for her daughter.

Jesus restores communication and community

The deaf man’s ears and speech are opened, prompting astonished testimony.

Connections to the rest of ScriptureExplore deeper

Isaiah 29:13

Jesus explicitly applies the prophet’s warning about lip-honor without heart devotion.

Exodus 20:12

The command to honor parents is central to the Corban dispute.

Isaiah 35:5–6

Opened ears and restored speech echo messianic restoration imagery.

Acts 10

Peter later learns more fully that old food-boundary distinctions do not define Gentile exclusion from God’s saving work.

What is clear, and where care is neededExplore deeper

Do not use Jesus’ critique of tradition to dismiss all inherited church practices automatically

The test is whether tradition contradicts God’s word.

Do not turn the Syrophenician woman’s persistence into earning grace

Her response displays faith and humility toward Jesus.’ mercy.

Do not conclude the heart teaching makes outward conduct irrelevant

The very sins Jesus lists are outward expressions flowing from within.

Read Mark 7 watching for…

The handwashing accusation.

The Corban example.

Jesus’ list of evils from the heart.

The Gentile setting of the woman’s request.

Her answer to Jesus’ illustration.

The unusual details of the deaf man’s healing.

TWBC REVIEW STANDARD

Plain language. Scripture first. Fact distinguished from inference. No filler. No fake certainty. Designed to help you read the Bible itself.

Chapter outline3 sections
1-23Jesus rebukes traditions that set aside God’s commandment and explains what defiles a person24-30Jesus answers a Syrophenician woman and heals her daughter31-37Jesus heals a deaf man with a speech impediment
1

Then came together unto him the Pharisees, and certain of the scribes, which came from Jerusalem.

2

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

3

For the Pharisees, and all the Jews, except they wash their hands oft, eat not, holding the tradition of the elders.

4

And when they come from the market, except they wash, they eat not. And many other things there be, which they have received to hold, as the washing of cups, and pots, brasen vessels, and of tables.

5

Then the Pharisees and scribes asked him, Why walk not thy disciples according to the tradition of the elders, but eat bread with unwashen hands?

6

He answered and said unto them, Well hath Esaias prophesied of you hypocrites, as it is written, This people honoureth me with their lips, but their heart is far from me.

7

Howbeit in vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.

8

For laying aside the commandment of God, ye hold the tradition of men, as the washing of pots and cups: and many other such like things ye do.

9

And he said unto them, Full well ye reject the commandment of God, that ye may keep your own tradition.

10

For Moses said, Honour thy father and thy mother; and, Whoso curseth father or mother, let him die the death:

11

But ye say, If a man shall say to his father or mother, It is Corban, that is to say, a gift, by whatsoever thou mightest be profited by me; he shall be free.

12

And ye suffer him no more to do ought for his father or his mother;

13

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

14

And when he had called all the people unto him, he said unto them, Hearken unto me every one of you, and understand:

15

There is nothing from without a man, that entering into him can defile him: but the things which come out of him, those are they that defile the man.

16

If any man have ears to hear, let him hear.

17

And when he was entered into the house from the people, his disciples asked him concerning the parable.

18

And he saith unto them, Are ye so without understanding also? Do ye not perceive, that whatsoever thing from without entereth into the man, it cannot defile him;

19

Because it entereth not into his heart, but into the belly, and goeth out into the draught, purging all meats?

20

And he said, That which cometh out of the man, that defileth the man.

21

For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders,

22

Thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness:

23

All these evil things come from within, and defile the man.

24

And from thence he arose, and went into the borders of Tyre and Sidon, and entered into an house, and would have no man know it: but he could not be hid.

25

For a certain woman, whose young daughter had an unclean spirit, heard of him, and came and fell at his feet:

26

The woman was a Greek, a Syrophenician by nation; and she besought him that he would cast forth the devil out of her daughter.

27

But Jesus said unto her, Let the children first be filled: for it is not meet to take the children's bread, and to cast it unto the dogs.

28

And she answered and said unto him, Yes, Lord: yet the dogs under the table eat of the children's crumbs.

29

And he said unto her, For this saying go thy way; the devil is gone out of thy daughter.

30

And when she was come to her house, she found the devil gone out, and her daughter laid upon the bed.

31

And again, departing from the coasts of Tyre and Sidon, he came unto the sea of Galilee, through the midst of the coasts of Decapolis.

32

And they bring unto him one that was deaf, and had an impediment in his speech; and they beseech him to put his hand upon him.

33

And he took him aside from the multitude, and put his fingers into his ears, and he spit, and touched his tongue;

34

And looking up to heaven, he sighed, and saith unto him, Ephphatha, that is, Be opened.

35

And straightway his ears were opened, and the string of his tongue was loosed, and he spake plain.

36

And he charged them that they should tell no man: but the more he charged them, so much the more a great deal they published it;

37

And were beyond measure astonished, saying, He hath done all things well: he maketh both the deaf to hear, and the dumb to speak.

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Mark 7:20

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