Mark 7:11

Contemporary English Version

But you let people get by without helping their parents when they should. You let them say that what they own has been offered to God.

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
But you say, ‘If anyone tells his father or mother: Whatever benefit

King James Version (1611)
But ye say, If a man shall say to his father or mother, It is Corban, that is to say, a gift, by whatsoeuer thou mightest be profited by me: he shalbe free.

King James Version
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.

English Standard Version
But you say, ‘If a man tells his father or his mother, "Whatever you would have gained from me is Corban"' (that is, given to God)—

New American Standard Bible
but you say, 'If a person says to his father or his mother, whatever I have that would help you is Corban (that is, given to God),'

New Century Version
But you say a person can tell his father or mother, ‘I have something I could use to help you, but it is Corban—a gift to God.'

Amplified Bible
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),"'

New American Standard Bible (1995)
but you say, 'If a man says to his father or his mother, whatever I have that would help you is Corban (that is to say, given to God),'

Legacy Standard Bible
but you say, ‘If a man says to his father or his mother, whatever you might benefit from me is Corban (that is to say, given to God),'

Berean Standard Bible
But you say that if a man says to his father or mother, 'The help you would have received from me is Corban' (that is, a gift committed to God),

Complete Jewish Bible
But you say, ‘If someone says to his father or mother, "I have promised as a korban" ' " (that is, as a gift to God) " ‘ "what I might have used to help you," '

Darby Translation
But *ye* say, If a man say to his father or his mother, [It is] corban (that is, gift), whatsoever thou mightest have profit from me by …

Easy-to-Read Version
But you teach that people can say to their father or mother, ‘I have something I could use to help you, but I will not use it for you. I will give it to God.'

Geneva Bible (1587)
But yee say, If a man say to father or mother, Corban, that is, By the gift that is offered by mee, thou mayest haue profite, hee shall be free.

George Lamsa Translation
But you say, If a man may say to his father or his mother, What is left over is Corban (my offering);

Good News Translation
But you teach that if people have something they could use to help their father or mother, but say, ‘This is Corban' (which means, it belongs to God),

Lexham English Bible
But you say, ‘If a man says to his father or to his mother, "Whatever benefit you would have received from me is corban" (that is, a gift to God),

Literal Translation
But you say, If a man says to his father or mother, Corban, (which is, A gift!) whatever you may profit by me.

American Standard Version
but ye say, If a man shall say to his father or his mother, That wherewith thou mightest have been profited by me is Corban, that is to say, Given to God;

Bible in Basic English
But you say, If a man says to his father or his mother, That by which you might have had profit from me is Corban, that is to say, Given to God,

Hebrew Names Version
But you say, 'If a man will tell his father or his mother, "Whatever you might have been profited by me is Corban, that is to say, given to God;"'

International Standard Version
But you say, 'If anyone tells his father or mother, "Whatever support you might have received from me is Corban,"' (that is, an offering to God)Matthew 15:5; 23:18;">[xr]

Etheridge Translation
But you say, If a man shall say to his father, or to his mother, My oblation, (be that) whatever from me thou mayest profit;

Murdock Translation
But ye say: If a man say to his father or to his mother, Be it my oblation, whatever thou mayest gain from me:

Bishop's Bible (1568)
But ye say, yf a man shall say to father or mother Corban (that is, by the gyft) that [is offred] of me, thou shalt be helped.

English Revised Version
but ye say, If a man shall say to his father or his mother, That wherewith thou mightest have been profited by me is Corban, that is to say, Given to God;

World English Bible
But you say, 'If a man will tell his father or his mother, "Whatever you might have been profited by me is Corban, that is to say, given to God;"'

Wesley's New Testament (1755)
But ye say, If a man shall say to his father or mother, It is Corban, that is, a gift, by whatsoever thou mightest have been profited by me: he shall be free.

Weymouth's New Testament
But *you* say, `If a man says to his father or mother, It is a Korban (that is, a thing devoted to God), whatever it is, which otherwise you would have received from me--'

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
But ye seien, If a man seie to fadir or modir, Corban, that is, What euer yifte is of me, it schal profite to thee;

Update Bible Version
but you say, If a man shall say to his father or his mother, That with which you might have been profited by me is Corban, that is to say, Given [to God];

Webster's Bible Translation
But ye say, If a man shall say to his father or mother, [It is] Corban, that is to say, a gift, by whatever thou mightest be profited by me; [he shall be free].

New English Translation
But you say that if anyone tells his father or mother, ‘Whatever help you would have received from me is corban' (that is, a gift for God),

New King James Version
But you say, "If a man says to his father or mother, "Whatever profit you might have received from me is Corban"--' (that is, a gift to God),

New Living Translation
But you say it is all right for people to say to their parents, ‘Sorry, I can't help you. For I have vowed to give to God what I would have given to you.'

New Life Bible
But you say that it is right if a man does not help his father and mother because he says he has given to God what he could have given to them.

New Revised Standard
But you say that if anyone tells father or mother, ‘Whatever support you might have had from me is Corban' (that is, an offering to God)—

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
But, ye, say - If a man shall say to his father or his mother, Korban! that is, A gift, whatsoever, out of me, thou mightest be profited,

Douay-Rheims Bible
But you say: If a man shall say to his father or mother, Corban (which is a gift) whatsoever is from me shall profit thee.

Revised Standard Version
but you say, 'If a man tells his father or his mother, What you would have gained from me is Corban' (that is, given to God) --

Tyndale New Testament (1525)
But ye saye: a man shall saye to father or mother Corban: which is: that thou desyrest of me to helpe the with is geven God.

Young's Literal Translation
and ye say, If a man may say to father or to mother, Korban (that is, a gift), [is] whatever thou mayest be profited out of mine,

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
But ye saye: A ma shal saye to father or mother: Corban, that is, The thinge yt I shulde helpe the withall, is geue vnto God.

Mace New Testament (1729)
but your doctrine is this, if any one shall tell his father or his mother, that what he could bestow for their relief, is corban, that is, to be given to the temple;

Simplified Cowboy Version
But you all tell people that they can get away from helping their parents if they

Contextual Overview

¹ Some Pharisees and several teachers of the Law of Moses from Jerusalem came and gathered around Jesus. ² They noticed that some of his disciples ate without first washing their hands. ³ The Pharisees and many other Jewish people obey the teachings of their ancestors. They always wash their hands in the proper way before eating. ⁴ None of them will eat anything they buy in the market until it is washed. They also follow a lot of other teachings, such as washing cups, pitchers, and bowls. ⁵ The Pharisees and teachers asked Jesus, "Why don't your disciples obey what our ancestors taught us to do? Why do they eat without washing their hands?" ⁶ Jesus replied: You are nothing but show-offs! The prophet Isaiah was right when he wrote that God had said, "All of you praise me with your words, but you never really think about me. ⁷ It is useless for you to worship me, when you teach rules made up by humans." ⁸ You disobey God's commands in order to obey what humans have taught. ⁹ You are good at rejecting God's commands so that you can follow your own teachings! ¹⁰ Didn't Moses command you to respect your father and mother? Didn't he tell you to put to death all who curse their parents?

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

It is Corban: Rather, "Let it be a corban" a formula common among the Jews on such occasions; by which the Pharisees released a child from supporting his parents; and even deemed it sacrilege if he afterwards gave anything for their use. Matthew 15:5, Matthew 23:18, 1 Timothy 5:4-8

Reciprocal: Exodus 21:17 - curseth Luke 21:1 - and saw 2 Timothy 3:2 - disobedient

Cross-References

Genesis 1:7
And that's what happened. God made the dome

Genesis 6:17
I'm going to send a flood that will destroy everything that breathes! Nothing will be left alive.

Genesis 7:5
Noah was six hundred years old when he went into the boat to escape the flood, and he did everything the Lord had told him to do. His wife, his sons, and his daughters-in-law all went inside with him.

Genesis 7:8
He obeyed God and took a male and a female of each kind of animal and bird into the boat with him.

Genesis 7:11
Noah was six hundred years old when the water under the earth started gushing out everywhere. The sky opened like windows, and rain poured down for forty days and nights. All this began on the seventeenth day of the second month of the year.

Genesis 7:24
A hundred fifty days later, the water started going down.

2 Kings 7:2
The chief officer there with the king replied, "I don't believe it! Even if the Lord sent a rainstorm, it couldn't produce that much grain by tomorrow." "You will see it happen, but you won't eat any of the food," Elisha warned him.

2 Kings 7:19
But the officer refused to believe that even the Lord could do that. So Elisha warned him that he would see it happen, but would not eat any of the food.

Job 28:4
They dig tunnels in distant, unknown places, where they dangle by ropes.

Psalms 33:7
He scooped up the ocean and stored the water.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

But ye say,.... Your elders, doctors, and wise men, in opposition to God and Moses:

if a man shall say to his father or his mother, it is Corban, that is to say, a gift; in the same manner is this word interpreted by Josephus, who speaking of some that call themselves Corban unto God, says u in the Greek tongue, δωρον δε τουτο σεμαινει, "this signifies a gift": now, according to the traditions of the elders, whoever made use of that word to his father or his mother, signifying thereby, that what they might have expected relief from at his hands, he had devoted it; or it was as if it was devoted to sacred uses; adding,

by whatsoever thou mightest be profited by me, [he shall be free]; and not under any obligation to regard and relieve his parents, let their case and circumstances be what they would. This is the form of a vow, which a man having made on purpose, to free himself from the charge of the maintenance of his parents, when reduced, repeats unto them; or which he makes upon their application to him: various forms of this kind of vows, are produced in the note "Mt 15:5", which see: this was not the form of an oath, or swearing by Corban, or the sacred treasury in the temple, mentioned in Matthew 27:6, of which I do not remember any instance; nor was it a dedication of his substance to holy and religious uses; to the service of God and the temple; but it was a vow he made, that what he had, should be as Corban, as a gift devoted to sacred uses: that as that could not be appropriated to any other use, so his substance, after such a vow, could not be applied to the relief of his parents; though he was not obliged by it to give it for the use of the temple, but might keep it himself, or bestow it upon others. L. Capellus has wrote a very learned dissertation upon this vow, at the end of his Spicilegium on the New Testament; very and our learned countryman, Dr. Pocock, has said many excellent things upon it, in his miscellaneous notes on his Porta Mosis; both which ought to be read and consulted, by those who have learning and leisure.

u Autiqu. Jud. l. 4. c. 4. sect. 4.

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.