Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Mark 7:11
But ye say, If a man shall say to his father or mother, [It is] Corban, that is to say, a gift, by whatsoever thou mightest be profited by me; [he] shall be [free].
11. If a man shall say ] Literally it runs, If a man shall say to his father or his mother, That, from which thou mightest have been benefited by me, is Corban, that is to say, a gift, or offering consecrated to God, he shall be free, and ye suffer him no longer to do aught for his father or his mother. A person had merely to pronounce the word Corban over any possession or property, and it was irrevocably dedicated to the Temple. Our Lord is quoting a regular formula, which often occurs in the Talmudic tracts Nedarim and Nazir. Others would give to the words an imperative force, Be it Corban from which thou mightest have been benefited by me, i. e. “If I give thee anything or do anything for thee, may it be as though I gave thee that which is devoted to God, and may I be accounted perjured and sacrilegious.” This view certainly gives greater force to the charge made by our Lord, that the command “Whoso curseth father or mother, let him die the death” was nullified by the tradition.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
But ye say,…. Your elders, doctors, and wise men, in opposition to God and Moses:
if a man shall say to his father or his mother, it is Corban, that is to say, a gift; in the same manner is this word interpreted by Josephus, who speaking of some that call themselves Corban unto God, says u in the Greek tongue, , “this signifies a gift”: now, according to the traditions of the elders, whoever made use of that word to his father or his mother, signifying thereby, that what they might have expected relief from at his hands, he had devoted it; or it was as if it was devoted to sacred uses; adding,
by whatsoever thou mightest be profited by me, [he shall be free]; and not under any obligation to regard and relieve his parents, let their case and circumstances be what they would. This is the form of a vow, which a man having made on purpose, to free himself from the charge of the maintenance of his parents, when reduced, repeats unto them; or which he makes upon their application to him: various forms of this kind of vows, are produced in the note “Mt 15:5”, which see: this was not the form of an oath, or swearing by Corban, or the sacred treasury in the temple, mentioned in Mt 27:6, of which I do not remember any instance; nor was it a dedication of his substance to holy and religious uses; to the service of God and the temple; but it was a vow he made, that what he had, should be as Corban, as a gift devoted to sacred uses: that as that could not be appropriated to any other use, so his substance, after such a vow, could not be applied to the relief of his parents; though he was not obliged by it to give it for the use of the temple, but might keep it himself, or bestow it upon others. L. Capellus has wrote a very learned dissertation upon this vow, at the end of his Spicilegium on the New Testament; very and our learned countryman, Dr. Pocock, has said many excellent things upon it, in his miscellaneous notes on his Porta Mosis; both which ought to be read and consulted, by those who have learning and leisure.
u Autiqu. Jud. l. 4. c. 4. sect. 4.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
Corban ( ). See on Mt 15:5. Mark preserves the Hebrew word for a gift or offering to God (Exod 21:17; Lev 20:9), indeclinable here, meaning
gift (), but declinable in Mt 27:6, meaning sacred treasury. The rabbis ( but ye say , ) actually allowed the mere saying of this word by an unfaithful son to prevent the use of needed money for the support of father or mother. It was a home thrust to these pettifogging sticklers for ceremonial punctilios. They not only justified such a son’s trickery, but held that he was prohibited from using it for father or mother, but he might use it for himself.
Fuente: Robertson’s Word Pictures in the New Testament
Corban. Mark only gives the original word, and then translates. See on Mt 14:5.
Fuente: Vincent’s Word Studies in the New Testament
1)”But ye say, If a man shall say to his father or mother,” (hroneis de legete ean eipen anthropos to patri e te metri) “Yet you all say that if a man says to his father or mother,”
2) “It is Corban, that is to say, a gift,” (korban ho estin doron) -Korban, which is (exists as) a gift,” a dedicated gift to a religious cause, or I have dedicated all I have to a religious cause; Tradition of the elders, had come, like pronouncements of Popes, to cause men to ignore the very Word of God.
3) “By whatsoever thou mightest be profited by me (ho ean eks emou ophelethes) “Whatever by me you may profit,” from what I own, from my properties I have accumulated, Mat 15:5-6.
4) “He shall be free.” (interpolated, not in older manuscripts) meaning “he shall be released from the obligations to his parents, as set forth in the Law,” by taking a “Corban” oath or statement, before the elders of Israel, Mar 7:3. They had, by this tradition, declared that a son or daughter had no more moral or ethical obligation to look after their aging father and mother, after having made a special gift to a charitable cause.
Fuente: Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary
(11) It is Corban.The Hebrew word is peculiar to St. Mark. It occurs frequently in Leviticus and Numbers (e.g., Lev. 2:1; Lev. 2:5; Num. 7:3; Num. 7:5), and is translated generally by offering, sometimes by oblation (Lev. 2:13; Lev. 3:1), but elsewhere in the Old Testament it only appears in Eze. 20:28; Eze. 40:43. It had come to be applied specifically (as in the Greek of Mat. 27:6; Jos. Wars, ii. 9, 4) to the sacred treasure of the Temple.
He shall be free.The words, as the italics show, have nothing corresponding to them in the Greek, nor are they needed, if only, with some MSS., we strike out the conjunction and from the next verse. So the sentence runs, If a man shall say . . . ye suffer him no more . . .
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
Mar 7:11. It is Corban, “You assert, that any one may say to his father or mother,Let that be Corban; that is to say, let it be reckoned as a devoted thing, or be considered as a gift, dedicated to the altar,by which thou mightest otherwise receive advantage from me; and he shall then be free from the command, and not be under any obligation to honour and relieve his father or his mother.” The word is a Hebrew word, of which the Evangelist here gives the meaning. See Doddridge, and the note on Mat 15:3-6; Mat 27:6-8.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
11 But ye say, If a man shall say to his father or mother, It is Corban, that is to say, a gift, by whatsoever thou mightest be profited by me; he shall be free .
Ver. 11. It is Corban ] i.e. Consecrated, and cast into the treasury; therefore look for no duty from me. This is the Jews’ solemn oath, in this case.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
11. ] , an offering without a sacrifice. , Jos. Antt. iv. 4. 4.
Fuente: Henry Alford’s Greek Testament
Mar 7:11 . : Mk. gives first the Hebrew word, then its Greek equivalent.
Fuente: The Expositors Greek Testament by Robertson
If. The condition being purely hypothetical. See App-118.
Corhan = a gilt dedicated to God. A Divine supplement, giving the word and then translating it. See notes on Mat 15:5. Lev 1:2. Eze 40:43.
by = from. Greek. ek. App-104.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
11.] , an offering without a sacrifice. ,- -Jos. Antt. iv. 4. 4.
Fuente: The Greek Testament
a gift
Or, I have dedicated to God that which would relieve your need; Mar 7:12.
No longer do you permit him to use it for his father or mother. Cf. Mat 15:5; Mat 15:6
Fuente: Scofield Reference Bible Notes
It is Corban: Rather, “Let it be a corban” a formula common among the Jews on such occasions; by which the Pharisees released a child from supporting his parents; and even deemed it sacrilege if he afterwards gave anything for their use. Mat 15:5, Mat 23:18, 1Ti 5:4-8
Reciprocal: Exo 21:17 – curseth Luk 21:1 – and saw 2Ti 3:2 – disobedient
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
1
Corban is defined in the lexicon, “a gift offered to God.” These Pharisees pretended to have put their money into the Lord’s treasury instead of using it to provide some benefit for their parents.
Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary
But ye say, If a man shall say to his father or mother, It is Corban, that is to say, a gift, by whatsoever thou mightest be profited by me; he shall be free.
[Corban (that is, ‘a gift’).] the word a gift; was known and common among the Talmudists: Rabba saith, A burnt sacrifice is ‘a gift.’ Where the Gloss writes thus; “A burnt sacrifice is not offered to expiate for any deed: but after repentance hath expiated the deed, the burnt sacrifice comes that the man may be received with favour. As when any hath sinned against the king, and hath appeased him by a paraclete [an advocate], and comes to implore his favour, he brings a gift.
Egypt shall bring ‘a gift,’ to the Messiah.
Fuente: Lightfoot Commentary Gospels
Mar 7:11. Corban. This was the Hebrew word used, which Mark translates into Greek for his Greek readers. Both mean a gift to God. The term Corban seems to have included all kinds of offerings, though some think it was applied in the time of Christ only to offerings without a sacrifice. On the whole verse, see Mat 15:5-6.
Fuente: A Popular Commentary on the New Testament
Verse 11
Corban; consecrated to God; that is, a son might deprive his parents of any thing which he ought justly to render to them, by going through an empty ceremony of consecrating it to God. This was in reality nullifying one of the most sacred moral laws of Jehovah, under pretence of rendering him honor; and it was, therefore, a striking instance of the hypocrisy of the Pharisees, and of their making the word of God of none effect through their tradition.