Mark 7:15

Mar 7:15 . This saying is called a parable in Mar 7:17 , and Weiss contends that it must be taken strictly as such, i.e. , as meaning that it is not foods going into the body through the mouth that defile ceremonially, but corrupt matters issuing from the body (as in leprosy). Holtzmann, H. C., concurs. Schanz dissents on the ground that on this view the connection with unclean hands is done away with, and a quite foreign thought introduced. Mt., it is clear, has not so understood the saying; (Mar 15:11 ), and while he also calls it a parable (Mar 7:15 ) he evidently means thereby an obscure, enigmatical saying, needing explanation. Why assume that Mk. means anything more? True, he makes Jesus say, not that which cometh out of the mouth , but the things which come out of the man . But if He had meant the impure matters issuing from the body, would He not have said ἐκ τοῦ σώματος , so as to make His meaning unmistakable? On the whole, the most probable view is that even in Mar 7:15 the thought of Jesus moves in the moral sphere, and that the meaning is: the only defilement worth serious consideration is that caused by the evil which comes out of the heart (Mar 7:21 ).

The Expositor's Greek Testament, edited by W. Robertson Nicoll (1897–1910) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

There is nothing from without a man,.... As any sort of food and drink, whether it be received, with, or without washing of the hands:

that entering into him can defile him; in a moral sense, or render him loathsome and unacceptable in the sight of God:

but the things which come out of him; the Arabic: version reads, "out of the mouth of man", as in Mat 15:11, for the things are, all sinful words which proceed from the imaginations and lusts of the heart; as all idle, unchaste, blasphemous, and wrathful words and expressions: and may include evil thoughts, words, and actions; which actions first in thought, take their rise from the corrupt heart of man; and in word, come out of the mouth; and in action, are performed by some one or other of the members of the body: these are

they that defile the man: his mind and conscience, the faculties of his soul, and the members of his body; and render him abominable in the sight of God, and expose him to his wrath and displeasure; See Gill on Mat 15:11. The sense of the whole is, that not what a man eats and drinks, and in whatsoever way he does either, though he may eat and drink with unwashen hands, or out of cups, pots, and platters, not properly washed, according to the traditions of the elders, renders him a polluted sinful man, in the sight of God; or such as one, whose company and conversation are to be, avoided by good men; but that it is sin in the heart, and what proceeds from it; as all evil thoughts, wicked words, and impure actions; which denominate a man filthy and unclean, and expose him to the abhorrence of God, and of his people: the words may be rendered, "there is nothing from without a man, can make him common"; that is, as a plebeian, a vulgar common man, a sinful wicked man, as the common people were, or at least were so esteemed by the Pharisees; nothing that he took into his body, by eating or drinking, could put him into the class of such persons: "but the things which come out of him"; out of his heart, by his lips: "those are they that make a man common"; or a vulgar wicked man. The Ethiopic version renders it, "it is not what enters from without into the mouth of man, which can defile him; but only what goes out of the heart man, this defiles the man": the Persic version adds, "and is the sin of death"; or sin unto death, a deadly, mortal sin.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

15 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.

Ver. 15. {See Trapp on "Mat 15:11"}

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

The addition of these words, If any man have ears to hear, let him hear, confirm what I observed before, that our Saviour looked upon what he said as a truth of very great moment, and withal as such a notion which carnal hearts and superstitious persons had no ears to hear. This great truth was, That a man in the sight of God (for of such defilement he alone speaketh), could be defiled by nothing but what came from within him. How easily would a popish doctor have answered this: Doth not disobedience to the church’s commands come from within us? Our Saviour therefore must be understood of such things as come from within in disobedience to the commands of God; such are those which he mentions, Mar 7:21,22; for all things that come from within do not defile the man. And it is true, that a disobedience to the commands of any power, whether civil or ecclesiastical, is a thing which cometh from within and defileth a soul, if it be a disobedience in such things which God hath given them a power to command, but if not the case is otherwise.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

There is nothing entering into a man from without which can defile him - Though it is very true, a man may bring guilt, which is moral defilement, upon himself by eating what hurts his health, or by excess either in meat or drink yet even here the pollution arises from the wickedness of the heart, and is just proportionable to it. And this is all that our Lord asserts.

John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.

15. οὐδὲν ἔστιν ἔξωθεν κ.τ.λ. This illuminating principle is given by Mk in the most comprehensive terms; There is nothing external to a man which by entering into him can defile him. Mt. narrows it by limiting it to meat and drink. Externals cannot pollute a man, because they do not touch the man’s self, but only his body. Epictetus enlarges on this difference; e.g. Dis. i. 19. Plato points out that what enters into the mouth is perishable, but what comes out of it, viz. speech, may be imperishable (Tim. 75 D). Cf. Deu 23:23. Like other parabolic utterances of Christ, this Saying was not understood even by the Twelve at the time, nor indeed even after Pentecost (Act 10:14). But when this Gospel was written the practical result of this principle was recognized;—Levitical prohibitions of certain foods as unclean had been abolished (Mar 7:19 b). The art., τοῦ or τὸν ἄνθρ., is generic, as in Mar 2:27, Mar 4:21. For the aor. infin. see on Mar 1:41. Syr-Sin. omits ἔξωθεν as superfluous.

ἀλλά. “On the contrary, the things which defile the man, are the thoughts, words, and deeds which come out of him.” As both τὰ ἐκπορευόμενα and τὰ κοινοῦντα have the art., either may be the subject. The repetition of τὸν ἄνθρ. instead of using a pronoun is characteristic; cf. Mar 4:37.

Cambridge Greek Testament for Schools and Colleges (Cambridge University Press, 1896; 21 vols, various authors incl. Carr, Maclear, Plummer, Farrar, Lumby, Moule, M. R. James, Simcox) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.