Mark 7 (WK) - Bible Truth Library

Up to the elbow.Theophylact. [Pugme ,] the fist; which Dr. Lightfoot illustrates by a tradition from the Talmudical tracts, that when they washed their hands, they washed the fist up to the joint of the arm, [ad perek.]

The Jews laid great stress on these washings, or baptisms, [baptismos ,] considering eating with unwashen hands no ordinary crime, and feigning that an evil spirit, called Shibta, has a right to sit on the food of him who thus eats, and render it hurtful.the tradition.

Mark 7:7‑10,13• ⁷But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.
⁸For, leaving the commandment of God, ye hold the tradition of men, as the washing of vessels and cups: and many other such like things ye do.
⁹And he said to them, Well do ye set aside the commandment of God, that ye may observe your own tradition.
¹⁰For Moses said, Honour thy father and thy mother; and he who speaks ill of father or mother, let him surely die.
¹³making void the word of God through your traditions which ye have delivered: and many such like things ye do. (Mark 7:7‑10,13)

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Matt. 15:2‑6• ²{i}Why do thy disciples transgress what has been delivered by the ancients? for they do not wash their hands when they eat bread.{/i}
³{i}But he answering said to them, Why do ye also transgress the commandment of God on account of your traditional teaching?{/i}
⁴{i}For God commanded saying, Honour father and mother; and, He that speaks ill of father or mother, let him die the death.{/i}
⁵{i}But ye say, Whosoever shall say to his father or mother, It is a gift, whatsoever [it be] by which [received] from me thou wouldest be profited:{/i}
⁶{i}and he shall in no wise honour his father or his mother; and ye have made void the commandment of God on account of your traditional teaching.{/i} (Matt. 15:2‑6)

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Gal. 1:14• ¹⁴and I was advancing in Judaism beyond many contemporaries in my nation, being very exceedingly zealous for the traditions of my fathers. (Gal. 1:14)

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Col. 2:8,21‑23• ⁸See that there shall be no one that leadeth you a prey through philosophy and vain deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the elements of the world, and not according to Christ.
²¹Handle not, neither taste, nor even touch
²²(which are all for destruction in the using), according to the injunctions and trainings of men;
²³which have a reputation indeed of wisdom in will-worship, and humility, and unsparingness of [the] body, not in any honour to satisfying of the flesh. (Col. 2:8,21‑23)

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1 Peter 1:18• ¹⁸knowing that not by corruptibles, silver or gold, ye were redeemed, from your vain course ancestrally handed down, (1 Peter 1:18)

• They washed cups and pots, but not their hearts. (“Mark 7” by J.N. Darby)

• Any rule invented by man for the government of Christians is a tradition, and of the worst kind, because it is thus made a thing of positive authority for faith and practice. (“Mark 7” by W. Kelly)

J. N. Darby Translation

(for the Pharisees and all the Jews, unless they wash their hands diligentlyg, do not eat, holding what has been delivered by the ancientsh;

JND Translation Notes

Or "often." lit. "with the fist," a word of very uncertain and contested meaning.

Or "the tradition of the elders."

W. Kelly Translation

for the Pharisees and all the Jews, unless they wash their hands diligentlya, eat not, holding the tradition of the ancients.

WK Translation Notes

Or "frequently", "with vigour", or "with nicety." The mass of authority sustains this reading. Lit. "with the fist", or "up to the elbow."

WK Verse Note

(Note: Words in italics have been inserted from the J. N. Darby translation where the W. Kelly translation doesn’t exist.)