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Contemporary English Version

Mark 7:13

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.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Children;   Commandments;   Ecclesiasticism;   Jesus, the Christ;   Pharisees;   Vows;   Word of God;   Thompson Chain Reference - Message Despised;   Reception-Rejection;   Rejection;   Word;   The Topic Concordance - Doctrine;   Heart;   Honor;   Hypocrisy;   Teaching;   Tradition;   Worship;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Dedication;   Scriptures, the;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Tradition;   Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Family;   Tradition;   Vow;   Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Abstain, Abstinence;   Deliver;   Jesus Christ;   Legalism;   Paul the Apostle;   Word;   Easton Bible Dictionary - Tradition;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Meals;   Pharisees;   Tradition;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Aging;   Haggadah, Halakah;   Leprosy;   Mark, the Gospel of;   Torah;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Law;   Melchizedek;   Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament - Asceticism (2);   Bason;   Betrayal;   Caesarea Philippi;   Commandments;   Common Life;   Courage;   Death of Christ;   Discourse;   Ethics (2);   Holiness Purity;   Israel, Israelite;   Law of God;   Lawlessness;   Logia;   Love (2);   Mother (2);   Old Testament (Ii. Christ as Student and Interpreter of).;   Originality;   Parents (2);   Property (2);   Purification (2);   Tittle ;   Tradition (2);   Wealth (2);   Widows;   Winter ;   Woe;   Womanliness;   Word (2);   Morrish Bible Dictionary - Tradition,;   14 Word Words;   The Hawker's Poor Man's Concordance And Dictionary - Tradition;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - Chief parables and miracles in the bible;   Scribe;   Smith Bible Dictionary - Scribes;  

Encyclopedias:

- International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Ablution;   Commandment, the New;   Deliver;   Effect;   Holiness;   Jesus Christ (Part 2 of 2);   Mark, the Gospel According to;   Tradition;   Uncleanness;   Vow;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Ablution;   Jesus of Nazareth;   Ḳorban;  

Devotionals:

- Every Day Light - Devotion for October 25;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
You nullify the word of God
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.
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.
English Standard Version
thus making void the word of God by your tradition that you have handed down. And many such things you do."
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."
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."
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."
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."
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.
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."
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.
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."
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.
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.
Hebrew Names Version
making void the word of God by your tradition, which you have handed down. You do many things like this."
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."
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.
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.
English Revised Version
making void the word of God by your tradition, which ye have delivered: and many such like things ye 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.
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.
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."
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."
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!
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."
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.
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.
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."

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

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
After Noah was five hundred years old, he had three sons and named them Shem, Ham, and Japheth.
Genesis 6:10
He had three sons: Shem, Ham, and Japheth.
Genesis 6:18
But I solemnly promise that you, your wife, your sons, and your daughters-in-law will be kept safe in the boat.
Genesis 7:1
The Lord told Noah: Take your whole family with you into the boat, because you are the only one on this earth who pleases me.
Genesis 7:2
Take seven pairs of every kind of animal that can be used for sacrifice and one pair of all others.
Genesis 7:4
Seven days from now I will send rain that will last for forty days and nights, and I will destroy all other living creatures I have made.
Genesis 7:19
Finally, the mighty flood was so deep that even the highest mountain peaks were almost twenty-five feet below the surface of the water.
Genesis 10:6
Ham's descendants had their own languages, tribes, and land. They were Ethiopia, Egypt, Put, and Canaan. Cush was the ancestor of Seba, Havilah, Sabtah, Raamah, and Sabteca. Raamah was the ancestor of Sheba and Dedan. Cush was also the ancestor of Nimrod, a mighty warrior whose strength came from the Lord . Nimrod is the reason for the saying, "You hunt like Nimrod with the strength of the Lord !" Nimrod first ruled in Babylon, Erech, and Accad, all of which were in Babylonia. From there Nimrod went to Assyria and built the great city of Nineveh. He also built Rehoboth-Ir and Calah, as well as Resen, which is between Nineveh and Calah. Egypt was the ancestor of Ludim, Anamim, Lehabim, Naphtuhim, Pathrusim, Casluhim, and Caphtorim, the ancestor of the Philistines. Canaan's sons were Sidon and Heth. He was also the ancestor of the Jebusites, the Amorites, the Girgashites, the Hivites, the Arkites, the Sinites, the Arvadites, the Zemarites, and the Hamathites. Later the Canaanites spread from the territory of Sidon and went as far as Gaza in the direction of Gerar. They also went as far as Lasha in the direction of Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah, and Zeboiim.
Genesis 10:21
Shem's descendants had their own languages, tribes, and land. He was the older brother of Japheth and the ancestor of the tribes of Eber. Shem was the ancestor of Elam, Asshur, Arpachshad, Lud, and Aram. Aram was the ancestor of Uz, Hul, Gether, and Mash. Arpachshad was the father of Shelah and the grandfather of Eber, whose first son was named Peleg, because it was during his time that tribes divided up the earth. Eber's second son was Joktan. Joktan was the ancestor of Almodad, Sheleph, Hazarmaveth, Jerah, Hadoram, Uzal, Diklah, Obal, Abimael, Sheba, Ophir, Havilah, and Jobab. Their land reached from Mesha in the direction of Sephar, the hill country in the east.
Hebrews 11:7
Because Noah had faith, he was warned about something that had not yet happened. He obeyed and built a boat that saved him and his family. In this way the people of the world were judged, and Noah was given the blessings that come to everyone who pleases God.

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.


 
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