Human Traditions and God’s Commandments

¹ And the Pharisees and some of the scribes who had come from Jerusalem gathered to him.

² And they saw that some of his disciples were eating their¹ bread with unclean—that is, unwashed—hands.

1. Literally “the”; the Greek article is used here as a possessive pronoun

³ (For the Pharisees and all the Jews do not eat unless they wash their hands ⌞ritually⌟,¹ thus² holding fast to the traditions of the elders.

1. Literally “with the fist”; although the exact meaning of the phrase is uncertain, there is general agreement it has to do with the ritual or ceremonial nature of the handwashing
2. *Here “thus” is supplied as a component of the participle (“holding fast to”) which is understood as result

⁴ And when they come¹ from the marketplace, they do not eat unless they wash. And there are many other traditions² which they have received and³ hold fast to—for example,⁴ the washing of cups and pitchers and bronze kettles and dining couches.)⁵

1. The phrase “when they come” is not in the Greek text but is implied
2. *The word “traditions” is not in the Greek text but is implied
3. *Here “and” is supplied because the previous participle (“have received”) has been translated as a finite verb
4. The phrase “for example” is not in the Greek text but is supplied as a clarification in the English translation
5. Several important manuscripts omit “and dining couches”

⁵ And the Pharisees and the scribes asked him, “Why do your disciples not live according to the tradition of the elders, but eat their¹ bread with unclean hands?”

1. Literally “the”; the Greek article is used here as a possessive pronoun

⁶ So he said to them, “Isaiah prophesied correctly about you hypocrites, as it is written, ‘This people honors me with their¹ lips, but their heart is far, far away from me.

1. Literally “the”; the Greek article is used here as a possessive pronoun

⁷ And they worship me in vain, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’¹

1. A quotation from Isa 29:13

⁸ Abandoning the commandment of God, you hold fast to the tradition of men.”

⁹ And he said to them, “You splendidly ignore the commandment of God so that you can keep¹ your tradition.

1. Some manuscripts have “you can maintain”

¹⁰ For Moses said, ‘Honor your father and your mother,’¹ and, ‘The one who speaks evil of father or mother ⌞must certainly die⌟².’³

1. A quotation from Exod 20:12; Deut 5:16
2. Literally “let him die the death”
3. A quotation from Exod 21:17; Lev 20:9

¹¹ But you say, ‘If a man says to his¹ father or to his² mother, “Whatever ⌞benefit you would have received⌟³ from me is corban”⁴ (that is, a gift to God),

1. Literally “the”; the Greek article is used here as a possessive pronoun
2. Literally “the”; the Greek article is used here as a possessive pronoun
3. Literally “you would have been benefited”
4. A Hebrew term referring to something consecrated as a gift to God and thus not available for ordinary use

¹² you no longer permit him to do anything for his¹ father or his² mother,

1. Literally “the”; the Greek article is used here as a possessive pronoun
2. Literally “the”; the Greek article is used here as a possessive pronoun

¹³ thus¹ making void the word of God by your tradition that you have handed down, and you do many similar things such as this.”

1. *Here “thus” is supplied as a component of the participle (“making void”) which is understood as result

Defilement from Within

¹⁴ And summoning the crowd again, he said to them, “Listen to me, all of you, and understand:

¹⁵ There is nothing outside of a person that is able to defile him by¹ going into him. But the things that go out of a person are the things that defile a person.”²

1. *Here “by” is supplied as a component of the participle (“going”) which is understood as means
2. Most later manuscripts add v. 16, “If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear.”

¹⁷ And when he entered into the house away from the crowd, his disciples asked him about the parable.

¹⁸ And he said to them, “So are you also without understanding? Do you not understand that everything that is outside that goes into a person is not able to defile him?

¹⁹ For it does not enter into his heart but into his¹ stomach, and goes out into the latrine”—thus² declaring all foods clean.

1. Literally “the”; the Greek article is used here as a possessive pronoun
2. *Here “thus” is supplied as a component of the participle (“declaring”) which is understood as result

²⁰ And he said, “What comes out of a person, that defiles a person.

²¹ For from within, from the heart of people, come evil plans, sexual immoralities, thefts, murders,

²² adulteries, acts of greed, malicious deeds, deceit, licentiousness, ⌞envy⌟,¹ abusive speech, pride, foolishness.

1. Literally “the evil eye”

²³ All these evil things come from within and defile a person.”

A Syrophoenician Woman’s Great Faith

²⁴ And from there he set out and¹ went to the region of Tyre. And when he² entered into a house, he wanted no one to know, and yet he was not able to escape notice.

1. *Here “and” is supplied because the previous participle (“set out”) has been translated as a finite verb
2. *Here “when” is supplied as a component of the participle (“entered”) which is understood as temporal

²⁵ But immediately a woman whose young daughter was possessed by an unclean spirit, when she¹ heard about him, came and² fell down at his feet,

1. *Here “when” is supplied as a component of the participle (“heard”) which is understood as temporal
2. *Here “and” is supplied because the previous participle (“came”) has been translated as a finite verb

²⁶ Now the woman was a Greek—a Syrophoenician by nationality—and she was asking him that he would expel the demon from her daughter.

²⁷ And he said to her, “Let the children be satisfied first, for it is not right to take the children’s bread and throw it¹ to the dogs!”

1. *Here the direct object is supplied from context in the English translation

²⁸ But she answered and said to him, “Lord, even the dogs under the table eat the children’s crumbs.”

²⁹ And he said to her, “Because of this statement, go! The demon has gone out of your daughter.”

³⁰ And when she¹ went to her home, she found the child lying on the bed and the demon gone.

1. *Here “when” is supplied as a component of the participle (“went”) which is understood as temporal

A Man Deaf and Unable to Speak Healed

³¹ And again he went away from the region of Tyre and¹ came through Sidon to the Sea of Galilee, within the region of the Decapolis.

1. *Here “and” is supplied because the previous participle (“went away”) has been translated as a finite verb

³² And they brought to him a man who was deaf and had difficulty speaking, and they were imploring him that he would place his¹ hand on him.

1. Literally “the”; the Greek article is used here as a possessive pronoun

³³ And he took him away from the crowd by himself and¹ put his fingers into his ears, and after² spitting, he touched his tongue.

1. *Here “and” is supplied because the previous participle (“took … away”) has been translated as a finite verb
2. *Here “after” is supplied as a component of the participle (“spitting”) which is understood as temporal

³⁴ And looking up to heaven, he sighed and said to him, “Ephphatha!” (that is, “Be opened!”).

³⁵ And¹ his ears were opened and ⌞his difficulty in speaking was removed⌟² and he began to speak normally.

1. Some manuscripts have “And immediately”
2. Literally “the bond of his tongue was loosened”

³⁶ And he ordered them that they should say nothing, but as much as he ordered them not to, they proclaimed it¹ even more instead.

1. *Here the direct object is supplied from context in the English translation

³⁷ And they were amazed beyond all measure, saying, “He has done all things well! He even makes the deaf hear and the mute speak!”