Mark 7:4
And when they come from the market, except they wash, they eat not. And many other things there be, which they have received to hold, as the washing of cups, and pots, brasen vessels, and of tables.
Mark 7:4 in other translations
| BSB | And on returning from the market, they do not eat unless they wash. And there are many other traditions for them to observe, including the washing of cups, pitchers, kettles, and couches for dining. |
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| WEB | They don’t eat when they come from the marketplace unless they bathe themselves, and there are many other things which they have received to hold to: washings of cups, pitchers, bronze vessels, and couches.) |
| ASV | and when they come from the marketplace, except they bathe themselves, they eat not; and many other things there are, which they have received to hold, washings of cups, and pots, and brasen vessels.) |
| YLT | and, coming from the market-place, if they do not baptize themselves, they do not eat; and many other things there are that they received to hold, baptisms of cups, and pots, and brazen vessels, and couches. |
| DARBY | and on coming from the market-place, unless they are washed, they do not eat; and there are many other things which they have received to hold, the washing of cups and vessels, and brazen utensils, and couches), |
| BBE | And when they come from the market-place, they take no food till their hands are washed; and a number of other orders there are, which have been handed down to them to keep--washings of cups and pots and brass vessels. |
| Webster | And when they come from the market, except they wash, they eat not. And many other things there are, which they have received to hold, as the washing of cups, and pots, and of brazen vessels, and tables. |
What does Mark 7:4 mean?
Barnes' Notes
Except they wash. In the original, "Except they baptize." In this place it does not mean to immerse the whole body, but the hands only. There is no evidence that the Jews washed their whole bodies every time they came from market. It is probable they washed as a mere ceremony; and often, doubtless, with the use of a very small quantity of water.
The washing of cups. In the Greek, the baptism of cups.
Cups. Drinking vessels. Those used at their meals.
Pots. Measures of liquids. Vessels made of wood, used to hold wine, vinegar, etc.
Brasen vessels. Vessels made of brass, used in cooking or otherwise. These, if much polluted, were commonly passed through the fire; if slightly polluted, they were washed. Earthen vessels, if defiled, were usually broken.
Tables. This word means, in the original, beds or couches. It refers not to the tables on which they ate, but to the couches on which they reclined at their meals. Mt 23:6. These were supposed to be defiled when any unclean or polluted person had reclined on them; and they deemed it necessary to purify them with water. The word baptism is here used--in the original, the baptism of tables; but as it cannot be supposed that couches were entirely immersed in water, the word baptism, here, must denote some other application of water, by sprinkling or otherwise, and shows that the term is used in the sense of washing in any way. If the word here is used, as is clear, to denote anything except entire immersion, it may be elsewhere; and baptism is lawfully performed without immersing the whole body in water.
(n) "except they wash" Job 9:30,31 (2) "and pots" "Sexatarius is about a pint and a half" (3) "of tables" or, "tables"
Albert Barnes, 1834 · public domain
Adam Clarke's Commentary
Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain
Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Mark 7:1-13
One great design of Christ's coming was, to set aside the ceremonial law; and to make way for this, he rejects the ceremonies men added to the law of God's making. Those clean hands and that pure heart which Christ bestows on his disciples, and requires of them, are very different from the outward and superstitious forms of Pharisees of every age. Jesus reproves them for rejecting the commandment of God. It is clear…
Mark 7:4 in the original Greek
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Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).
Cross references for Mark 7:4
- Matthew 23:25
Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye make clean the outside of the cup and of the platter, but within they are full of extortion and excess.
- Luke 11:38-39
And when the Pharisee saw it, he marvelled that he had not first washed before dinner. And the Lord said unto him, Now do ye Pharisees make clean the outside of the cup and the platter; but your inward part is full of ravening and wickedness.
- Hebrews 9:10
Which stood only in meats and drinks, and divers washings, and carnal ordinances, imposed on them until the time of reformation.
- Isaiah 1:16
Wash you, make you clean; put away the evil of your doings from before mine eyes; cease to do evil;
- Jeremiah 4:14
O Jerusalem, wash thine heart from wickedness, that thou mayest be saved. How long shall thy vain thoughts lodge within thee?
- John 2:6
And there were set there six waterpots of stone, after the manner of the purifying of the Jews, containing two or three firkins apiece.
- James 4:8
Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded.
- Job 9:30-31
If I wash myself with snow water, and make my hands never so clean; Yet shalt thou plunge me in the ditch, and mine own clothes shall abhor me.
- Matthew 27:24
When Pilate saw that he could prevail nothing, but that rather a tumult was made, he took water, and washed his hands before the multitude, saying, I am innocent of the blood of this just person: see ye to it.
- 1 John 1:7
But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.
- Psalms 26:6
I will wash mine hands in innocency: so will I compass thine altar, O Lord:
- John 3:25
Then there arose a question between some of John’s disciples and the Jews about purifying.
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Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Context
- Mark 7:3
For the Pharisees, and all the Jews, except they wash their hands oft, eat not, holding the tradition of the elders.
- Mark 7:4
And when they come from the market, except they wash, they eat not. And many other things there be, which they have received to hold, as the washing of cups, and pots, brasen vessels, and of tables.
- Mark 7:5
Then the Pharisees and scribes asked him, Why walk not thy disciples according to the tradition of the elders, but eat bread with unwashen hands?
Mark 7:4 in other languages
| Spanish Reina-Valera 1909 | Y volviendo de la plaza, si no se lavaren, no comen. Y otras muchas cosas hay, que tomaron para guardar, como las lavaduras de los vasos de beber, y de los jarros, y de los vasos de metal, y de los lechos.) |
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| French Bible J.N. Darby 1885 | et étant de retour du marché, ils ne mangent pas qu’ils ne soient lavés. Et il y a beaucoup d’autres choses qu’ils ont reçues traditionnellement pour les observer, comme de laver les coupes, les pots, les vases d’airain, et les lits. |
| German Elberfelder 1871 | und vom Markte kommend, essen sie nicht, es sei denn, daß sie sich waschen; und vieles andere ist, was sie zu halten überkommen haben: Waschungen der Becher und Krüge und ehernen Gefäße und Tischlager, |
| Latin Clementine Vulgate | et a foro nisi baptizentur, non comedunt: et alia multa sunt, quæ tradita sunt illis servare, baptismata calicum, et urceorum, et æramentorum, et lectorum: |