All these evils come from within, and these are what defile a man.”
Parallel translations
- WEB All these evil things come from within, and defile the man.”
- KJV All these evil things come from within, and defile the man.
- NKJV All these evil things come from within and defile a man.”
- NASB All these evil things come from within and defile the person.”
- NLT All these vile things come from within; they are what defile you.”
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
Jesus concluded that all these evils come from within and defile a person. It summarizes His teaching on the heart as the true source of sin.
Overview
Jesus drove home that genuine defilement arises from the corrupt human heart, not external things. This conclusion overturns the Pharisaic emphasis on ritual and exposes the depth of the sin problem. It points unmistakably to the need for a Savior who can give a new heart, as promised in the new covenant (Ezekiel 36:26).
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 5
- Mark 7:15Nothing that enters a man from the outside can defile him; but the things that come out of a man, these are what defile him.”
- Titus 1:15To the pure, all things are pure; but to the defiled and unbelieving, nothing is pure. Indeed, both their minds and their consciences are defiled.
- 1 Cor 3:17If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy him; for God’s temple is holy, and you are that temple.
- Jude 1:8Yet in the same way these dreamers defile their bodies, reject authority, and slander glorious beings.
- Mark 7:18“Are you still so dull?” He asked. “Do you not understand? Nothing that enters a man from the outside can defile him,
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Christ at the center
Mark drives urgently to the cross, showing Jesus the Son of God as the suffering Servant who 'came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.'
How Mark 7:23 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Greek word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.