Mark 7
Mark 7 | |
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Book | Gospel of Mark |
Category | Gospel |
Christian Bible part | New Testament |
Order in the Christian part | 2 |
Mark 7 is the seventh chapter of the
Text
The original text was written in Koine Greek. This chapter is divided into 37 verses.
Textual witnesses
Some early manuscripts containing the text of this chapter are:
- Codex Vaticanus (325–350; complete)
- Codex Sinaiticus (330–360; complete)
- Codex Bezae (~400; complete)
- Codex Alexandrinus (400–440; complete)
Clean and unclean
Gospel of Mark |
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Some Pharisees and some of the teachers of the Jewish law (scribes) come from Jerusalem to see Jesus, presumably in Galilee. Protestant Tübingen theologian Karl Heinrich Weizsäcker suggested that they had been sent to Jesus as a formal deputation.[1]
They see some of his
The Pharisees and scribes ask Jesus why they are not obeying the "tradition of the elders" (verse 5), and Jesus replies with a quote from Isaiah 29:13 and tells them "You have let go of the commands of God and are holding on to the traditions of men".[6] He rebukes them for letting a man who makes an offering to God, i.e. money to the priests, no longer help his parents, in violation of one of the ten commandments. That this was done is not found in other sources of the period, although "...rabbinic Jewish texts suggest that vows may be broken in such circumstances". (Miller 29)
He calls people to listen to him and explains that "Nothing outside a man can make him '
) meaning intention of the "heart" is more important than ritual.Biblical commentator
According to John J. Kilgallen, "...ultimately what is at stake here is
The saying, without the explanation, is also found in the Gospel of Thomas saying 14.[8]
The Syrophoenician woman and the deaf mute man
Jesus then travels to the cities of
- First let the children eat all they want, for it is not right to take the children's bread and toss it to their dogs [9]
The New King James Version refers to "little dogs" (Greek: κυνάρια, kynária) and the Amplified Bible refers to "pet dogs". According to the Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges, "the heathen are compared not to the great wild dogs infesting Eastern towns (1 Kings 14:11; 1 Kings 16:4; 2 Kings 9:10), but to the small dogs attached to households".[4]
The children are the children of Israel (Matthew's text refers to the "lost sheep of the house of Israel" [10]) and the little dogs are the Gentiles, a metaphor also found in other Jewish writing.[11]
"'Yes, Lord,' she replied, 'but even the dogs under the table eat the children's crumbs.'" (28) Impressed with her answer, he tells her to go home and she returns home to find her daughter healed. This is one of the few times, and the only time in Mark's gospel, that Jesus performs a miracle at a distance, that is he does not touch nor is he near the girl. He only says it will be done and it is done, by his will alone. This passage shows that, according to Mark, Jesus' primary mission was to the Jews first and only then the Gentiles but Gentiles, as long as they have belief, can be part of that mission as well.[citation needed]
Jesus then goes to the
The argument with the Pharisees about food laws and the Syrophoenician woman are also found in Matthew 15:1-28
He charged them (Greek: διεστέλλετο, diestelleto) not to tell anyone.[13] "The word is a strong one: 'he gave them clear and positive orders' not to tell anyone".[12][14]
See also
References
- ^ Referred to, but disputed, by Meyer in Meyer's NT Commentary on Mark 7, accessed 9 June 2017
- ^ Wright, T. (2001), Mark for Everyone, Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge, p. 86
- ^ a b Expositor's Greek Testament on Mark 7, accessed 20 November 2017
- ^ a b Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges on Mark 7, accessed 20 November 2017
- ^ Mark 7:4: New Revised Standard Version
- ^ Mark 7:8
- ^ Tuckett, C. M., Mark in Barton, J. and Muddiman, J. (2001), The Oxford Bible Commentary, p. 899
- ^ Gospel of Thomas, Saying 14
- ^ Mark 7:27
- ^ Matthew 15:24
- ^ Kilgallen, p. 138
- ^ a b Pulpit Commentary on Mark 7, accessed 10 June 2017
- ^ Mark 7:34
- ^ The Real Meaning of Mark 7:24-37
Sources
- Kilgallen, John J. (1989), A Brief Commentary on the Gospel of Mark, Paulist Press ISBN 0-8091-3059-9
Further reading
- Brown, Raymond E. (1997), An Introduction to the New Testament, Doubleday ISBN 0-385-24767-2
- Miller, Robert J. (1994), The Complete Gospels, Polebridge Press ISBN 0-06-065587-9
External links
- Mark 7 King James Bible - Wikisource
- English Translation with Parallel Latin Vulgate
- Online Bible at GospelHall.org (ESV, KJV, Darby, American Standard Version, Bible in Basic English)
- Multiple bible versions at Bible Gateway (NKJV, NIV, NRSV etc.)
Preceded by Mark 6 |
Chapters of the Bible Gospel of Mark |
Succeeded by Mark 8 |