Mark 7:1 - Printer Friendly

ESV: Now when the Pharisees gathered to him, with some of the scribes who had come from Jerusalem,

NIV: The Pharisees and some of the teachers of the law who had come from Jerusalem gathered around Jesus

NASB: The Pharisees and some of the scribes *gathered to Him after they came from Jerusalem,

CSB: The Pharisees and some of the scribes who had come from Jerusalem gathered around him.

NLT: One day some Pharisees and teachers of religious law arrived from Jerusalem to see Jesus.

KJV: Then came together unto him the Pharisees, and certain of the scribes, which came from Jerusalem.

NKJV: Then the Pharisees and some of the scribes came together to Him, having come from Jerusalem.

The scribes are professional scholars and lawyers who specialize in the Mosaic Law. They claim, in addition to the written Law—the books of Genesis through Deuteronomy—that God gave Moses a series of oral laws which give more detail to what is written. Jesus first met with the scribes of Jerusalem in Mark 3:22–30 when they accused Him of performing miracles by the power of Satan. Some of the scribes are also Pharisees, but not all.

The Pharisees are a sect of ultra-conservative Jews who also value the oral law. The scribes and Pharisees believe that following the oral law will prevent anyone from coming close to breaking the written law. Their desire to follow the law is admirable, as the last time Israel neglected God's commandment the Babylonians destroyed the temple and the wall around Jerusalem, and took the people into exile for seventy years. But their fear of God's wrath leads to an unhealthy mix of pride, legalism, and hypocrisy. Too often practicing the oral law results in contradictions to the intent of the written law. In their attempt to remain as clean as possible, the scribes and Pharisees come to value their traditions over what God actually gave Moses.

Jesus has already addressed the Pharisees' teaching that good Jews should not associate with sinners (Mark 2:15–17), harvest a meal on the Sabbath (Mark 2:23–28), or heal on the Sabbath (Mark 3:1–6). In the future, He will challenge their beliefs on God's view of marriage (Mark 10:2–9) and their responsibilities to the pagan government (Mark 12:13–17).

Mark 7:1–13 argues that the traditions of Jewish elders are twisted interpretations of the Mosaic Law that hide the purpose of that law. Washing is a particular requirement of priests and has nothing to do with ensuring the ceremonial cleanness of a meal. And keeping a rash oath does not relieve a child from the commandment to care for his parents. In their attempt to add to the ceremonial law, the elders subtract from the moral law. They find that anyone who attempts to find salvation through works will end up stumbling on Christ (Romans 9:30–33). This story is also found in Matthew 15:1–9.

Jesus counters another traditional error from the scribes and Pharisees, explaining that food in and of itself does not make a person unclean. Rather, it is the intent of the heart that matters to God. He specifically condemns traditions which effectively undo the original intent of God's commands. Jesus heals the daughter of a persistent Gentile woman, and a man suffering from deafness and a speech impediment.

After showing His authority over demons, death, and physics, Jesus asserts His superiority over manmade traditions. For generations, Jewish religious leaders have added to the Law in an attempt to keep the nation holy. Such traditions, however, serve to make the leaders look good but unnecessarily burden the people. Jesus argues in word and action that any law that dismisses love is either misinterpreted or manmade.

The Gospel of Mark emphasizes both Jesus' servanthood and His role as the promised Messiah: the Son of God. This is done through a concise, action-packed style. Mark provides relatively few details, instead focusing on actions and simple statements. This relates to the Gospel's authorship, which is believed to be based on the memories of the apostle Peter. These include many of Jesus' miracles, in contrast to other Gospels which include many more of Jesus' teachings and parables. Mark also makes frequent mention of Jesus' ministry being misunderstood by others.