(The Jews, especially the Pharisees, do not eat until they have poured water over their cupped hands, as required by their ancient traditions.
Parallel translations
- WEB (For the Pharisees and all the Jews, don’t eat unless they wash their hands and forearms, holding to the tradition of the elders.
- KJV For the Pharisees, and all the Jews, except they wash their hands oft, eat not, holding the tradition of the elders.
- BSB Now in holding to the tradition of the elders, the Pharisees and all the Jews do not eat until they wash their hands ceremonially.
- NKJV For the Pharisees and all the Jews do not eat unless they wash their hands in a special way, holding the tradition of the elders.
- NASB (For the Pharisees and all the other Jews do not eat unless they carefully wash their hands, thereby holding firmly to the tradition of the elders;
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
Mark explains the Pharisees' ceremonial washing customs for his readers. It clarifies that the dispute concerned man-made tradition.
Overview
Writing for a largely Gentile audience, Mark pauses to explain the Jewish practice of ritual washing rooted in the tradition of the elders. These traditions, developed over generations, were treated as binding alongside Scripture. The explanation highlights that the issue was human regulation, not the law of God itself.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 8
- Gal 1:14I advanced in the Jews’ religion beyond many of my own age among my countrymen, being more exceedingly zealous for the traditions of my fathers.
- Mark 7:13making void the word of God by your tradition, which you have handed down. You do many things like this.”
- Col 2:21–23“Don’t handle, nor taste, nor touch”
- Col 2:8Be careful that you don’t let anyone rob you through his philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the elements of the world, and not after Christ.
- Mark 7:5The Pharisees and the scribes asked him, “Why don’t your disciples walk according to the tradition of the elders, but eat their bread with unwashed hands?”
- 1 Pet 1:18knowing that you were redeemed, not with corruptible things, with silver or gold, from the useless way of life handed down from your fathers,
- Matt 15:2–6“Why do your disciples disobey the tradition of the elders? For they don’t wash their hands when they eat bread.”
- Mark 7:7–10But they worship me in vain, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’
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 7:3 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.