Mark 7:15 - Printer Friendly

ESV: There is nothing outside a person that by going into him can defile him, but the things that come out of a person are what defile him."

NIV: Nothing outside a person can defile them by going into them. Rather, it is what comes out of a person that defiles them."

NASB: there is nothing outside the person which can defile him if it goes into him; but the things which come out of the person are what defile the person .'

CSB: Nothing that goes into a person from outside can defile him but the things that come out of a person are what defile him."

NLT: It’s not what goes into your body that defiles you; you are defiled by what comes from your heart. '

KJV: There is nothing from without a man, that entering into him can defile him: but the things which come out of him, those are they that defile the man.

NKJV: There is nothing that enters a man from outside which can defile him; but the things which come out of him, those are the things that defile a man.

The scribes from Jerusalem join the local Pharisees, criticizing the disciples who ate without washing (Mark 7:1–2). Elders before them had twisted a rule God gave only to the priests into an unnecessary ceremony to try to ensure the Jews' holiness. In time, their tradition grew in importance and they taught that the people would become defiled without it.

"Defile" is from the Greek root word koinoo. At its most benign, it means to become common, but it also means to be unclean or profane. The scribes and Pharisees teach that food at the marketplace can become unclean either by the hands of the buyer or the seller. Eating unclean food causes the person to become unclean, himself. The remedy is to wash before eating.

Jesus points out that these religious leaders don't understand what "unclean" means. In the ceremonial law, God gave standards for what the Jews were to eat and what they were to avoid. But eating shrimp or bacon is nothing compared to the selfishness and pride that fills the hearts of the scribes and Pharisees. Ungodly attitudes identify that you are already defiled in your heart. Neglecting to wash your hands has nothing to do with your heart. The religious leaders turn cleanness into a cult while dismissing the spirit of the law.

Mark 7:14–23 contains Jesus' rebuttal to the Pharisees' beliefs about cleanness (Mark 7:1–5), by condemning their habit of rejecting God's law for their own tradition (Mark 7:6–13). Here, He goes into more detail about what actually makes someone unclean. After, He will live out His teaching of love over tradition by healing a Gentile girl then remaining in a Gentile area to heal and feed four thousand (Mark 7:31–8:10). A parallel description can be found in Matthew 15:10–20.

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.