Mark 7:9 - Printer Friendly

ESV: And he said to them, "You have a fine way of rejecting the commandment of God in order to establish your tradition!

NIV: And he continued, "You have a fine way of setting aside the commands of God in order to observe your own traditions!

NASB: He was also saying to them, 'You are experts at setting aside the commandment of God in order to keep your tradition.

CSB: He also said to them, "You have a fine way of invalidating God’s command in order to set up your tradition!

NLT: Then he said, 'You skillfully sidestep God’s law in order to hold on to your own tradition.

KJV: And he said unto them, Full well ye reject the commandment of God, that ye may keep your own tradition.

NKJV: He said to them, “ All too well you reject the commandment of God, that you may keep your tradition.

The words Jesus use here illustrate the natural progression from Mark 7:8. "Reject" is from the Greek root word atheteo. Where "leave" means they disassociate themselves from God's law, "reject" means they deny its validity. "Establish" is from the Greek root word tereo which goes beyond mastering the tradition and into guarding and keeping what already exists.

In this, the Jewish leaders are successful. By the third century AD, devout Jews consider eating with unwashed hands equivalent to sleeping with a prostitute; for example, see the Babylonian Talmud, Seder Nashim, Tractate Sotah 4b. In making a law that purports to keep followers ceremonially clean, the scribes manage to show their own arrogance and disrespect God's law.

Their attitude towards God's commandments is in stark contrast with King David's. The longest chapter in the Bible, Psalm 119, is David's declaration of devotion to God's law. David has no wish to add to the law, but to keep it. He sees that the law brings life and requires his heart and soul. But he also knows that when he sins against that law, the answer isn't more laws, but God's grace. He knows God will heal him (Psalm 41:4) and make him clean (Psalm 51:4–7). Over a thousand years before the Pharisees and scribes condemn Jesus' disciples for making themselves unclean by eating with unwashed hands, David writes that it is only God who can make our hearts clean (Psalm 51:10).

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.