Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Mark 7:3
For the Pharisees, and all the Jews, except they wash [their] hands oft, eat not, holding the tradition of the elders.
3. except they wash their hands oft ] Oft, literally, with the fist. “When they washed their hands, they washed the fist unto the jointing of the arm. The hands are polluted, and made clean unto the jointing of the arm.” Lightfoot Hor. Heb. upon St Mark. When water was poured on the hands, they had to be lifted, yet so that the water should neither run up above the wrist, nor back again upon the hand; best, therefore, by doubling the fingers into a fist. The Israelites, who, like other Oriental nations, fed with their fingers, washed their hands before meals, for the sake of cleanliness. But these customary washings were distinct from the ceremonial ablutions; in the former water was poured upon the hands; in the latter the hands were plunged in water. When, therefore, some of the Pharisees remarked that our Lord’s disciples ate with “ unwashen hands,” it is not to be understood literally that they did not at all wash their hands, but that they did not wash them ceremonially according to their own practice. And this was expected of them only as the disciples of a religious teacher; for these refinements were not practised by the class of people from which the disciples were chiefly drawn.
eat not ] “The Jews of later times related with intense admiration how the Rabbi Akiba, when imprisoned and furnished with only sufficient water to maintain life, preferred to die of starvation rather than eat without the proper washings.” Buxtorf, Syn. Jud.; quoted in Farrar’s Life of Christ, i. p. 443; Geikie, ii. 203 205.
the tradition of the elders ] The Rabbinical rules about ablutions occupy a large portion of one section of the Talmud.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Verse 3. Except they wash their hands] , the hand to the wrist-Unless they wash the hand up to the wrist, eat not. Several translations are given of this word; that above is from Dr. Lightfoot, who quotes a tradition from the rabbins, stating that the hands were to be thus washed. This sort of washing was, and still continues to be, an act of religion in the eastern countries. It is particularly commanded in the Koran, Surat v. ver. 7, “O believers, when ye wish to pray, wash your faces, and your hands up to the elbows – and your feet up to the ankles.” Which custom it is likely Mohammed borrowed from the Jews. The Jewish doctrine is this: “If a man neglect the washing, he shall be eradicated from this world.” But instead of , the fist or hand, the Codex Bezae has , frequently: and several of the Itala have words of the same signification. Bathing is an indispensable prerequisite to the first meal of the day among the Hindoos; and washing the hands and the feet is equally so before the evening meal. WARD’S Customs.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
For the Pharisees, and all the Jews,…. The far greater part of them; all, excepting the Sadducees; and especially the Pharisees, were very tenacious of this tradition of washing hands before eating: hence Pharisees are described as such,
, “that eat their common food with cleanness” n, i.e. of hands: these,
except they wash their hands oft, eat not; or except they wash very cautiously, with great care, diligence, and exactness, as the Syriac version suggests; and about which there are various rules given, to be observed with great strictness o. Some render the words, “they wash their hands to the elbow”; and this is a rule with the Jews, which is closely to be abode by, that the washing of hands is to be,
, “to the joint”, which joins the hand and arm together p: particularly it is observed q, that
“washing of the hands for the eating of the offering, is unto the elbow, and for common food, to the joints of the fingers: he that eats with an ancient man, and does not wash his hands to the elbow, he may not eat with him.”
Well may it be added,
holding the tradition of the elders; nor do the Jews pretend the authority of the Scriptures as obliging them to such rules; for, they say, the command concerning washing of hands is, , “from the words of the Scribes” r; and is , “a command of the wise men” s. The tradition is this:
“they wash hands for common food, but for the tithe, and for the first offering, and for that which is holy, they dip them, and for the sin offering; for if the hands are defiled; the body is defiled t.”
And this tradition of the elders, the Scribes, and Pharisees, strictly observed.
n Gloss in T. Bab. Chagiga, fol. 18. 2. Maimon. & Bartenora in Misn. Chagiga, c. 2. sect. 7. o Vid. Maimon. Hilch. Bcracot, c. 6. p T. Bab. Cholin, fol. 106. 1, 2. Maimon. Hilch. Beracot, c. 6. 4. Maimon. & Bartenora in Misn. Eracin, c. 5. sect. 1. Zohar in Deut. fol. 115. 2. q T. Hieros. Betacot, fol. 12. 1. r Maimon. Hilch. Mikvaot, c. 11. sect. 1. s Ib. Beracot, c. 6. sect. 2. t Misn. Chagiga, c. 2. sect. 5.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
Diligently (). Instrumental case,
with the fist , up to the elbow, rubbing one hand and arm with the other hand clenched. Aleph had probably because of the difficulty about (kin to Latin pugnus). Schultess considers it a dry wash or rubbing of the hands without water as a ritualistic concession. The middle voice means their own hands. This verb is often used for parts of the body while is used of the whole body (Joh 13:10). On the tradition of the elders see on Mt 15:2.
Fuente: Robertson’s Word Pictures in the New Testament
1) “For the Pharisees, and all the Jews,” (hoi gar Pharisaioi kai pantes hoi loudaioi) “Because the Pharisees and all the Jews,” including those of the Sadducee order.
2) “Except they wash their hands oft,” lean me pugme nipsontai tas cheiras) “Unless they carefully wash their hands,” with the fist being rubbed also, rubbing the palms firmly together, carefully diligently, to clean them before touching food to eat.
3) “Eat not,” (ouk esthiousin) “They do not eat,” or handle food going to their mouths.
4) “Holding the tradition of the elders.” (kratountes ten paradosin ton presbuteron) “Continually holding to or practicing the tradition of the elders,” called “vain deceit,” Col 2:8; Col 2:20-23; Even Paul, as a Pharisee, held vainly to these traditions, rudiments of the world, Gal 1:14; 1Pe 1:18.
Fuente: Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary
(3) For the Pharisees, and all the Jews.For the sake of the same class of readers, St. Mark adds another explanatory note. The custom of which he speaks was not, he says, peculiar to the Pharisees as a sect; it had passed, through their influence, to the whole body of the people.
Oft.The Greek MSS. present two readings, one of which this is the natural meaning; another, which means literally, with the fist, and figuratively, with might and main. The evidence is, on the whole, in favour of the former.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
3. Wash their hands oft Mark writes for Gentiles, and therefore explains Jewish customs at some length. The word here rendered oft has received very various interpretations. It properly signifies with the fists or clenched hand, and it describes the ceremonial mode of washing one hand with the other.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Mar 7:3. Except they wash their hands oft, Some render it, up to the wrist. ‘ . Theophylact translates it, up to their elbows; affirming that the word denotes the whole of the arm, from the bending to the ends of the fingers: but this sense of the word is altogether unusual: for the word properly is, “the hand with the fingers contracted into the palm and made round,the fist.” Theophylact’s translation, however, exhibits the Evangelist’s meaning; for the Jews, when they washed, held up their hands, and contracting their fingers, received the water that was poured on them by their servants, (see 2Ki 3:11.) till it ran down their arms, which they washed up to their elbows. To wash with the fist, therefore, is to wash with great care. See Mintert on the word , and Lightfoot’s Horae Hebraicae.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
3 For the Pharisees, and all the Jews, except they wash their hands oft, eat not, holding the tradition of the elders.
Ver. 3. Except they wash their hands oft ] Or up to the elbow, or with utmost diligence, sedulo et accurate. (Syr.) The Pharisees deemed it as great a sin to eat with unwashen hands, as to commit fornication. a Do not our modern Pharisees the Papists as much? Fornication is a money matter with them; but to eat an egg in Lent, or the like, a deadly sin. You may see them sometimes in Italy go along the streets with a great rope about their necks, as if they were dropped down from the gallows. And sometimes they wear a sausage or a swines’ pudding in place of a silver or gold chain. Is not this sufficient to deserve heaven by?
a Godwin’s Antiq. Heb.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
3. ] This word has perplexed all the Commentators. Of the various renderings which have been given of it, two are excluded by their not being grammatical (1) that which makes it mean ‘ up to the elbow ’ (Euthym [26] and Thl.); ‘ including the hand as far as the wrist ’ Lightf.: (2) ‘ having clenched the hand,’ ‘facto pugno ’ (Grot. and others).
[26] Euthymius Zigabenus, 1116
The two meanings between which our choice lies are, (3) ‘ frequently ’ (as E. V. ‘oft,’ and Vulg. ‘crebro’), taking = = , which however is not very probable: or (4), to which I most incline, and which Kuinoel gives, ‘ sedulo,’ ‘fortiter ,’ diligently; , he observes, meaning ‘the fist,’ answers in the LXX to the word , see reff. But this same word is used to signify strength and fortitude , and strong men are called in the Rabbinical writings , ‘lords of fists.’ And the Sy [27] . interpreter renders it by the same word as he does , Luk 15:8 .
[27] yr the Peschito (or simple) Syriac version. Supposed to have been made as early as the second century . The text as edited is in a most unsatisfactory state.
Fuente: Henry Alford’s Greek Testament
Mar 7:3-4 . Explanatory statement about Jewish customs, not in Mt. .: the Pharisees, the thorough-going virtuosi in religion, were a limited number; but in this and other respects the Jews generally followed ancient custom. The expression reminds us of the Fourth Gospel in its manner of referring to the people of Israel the Jews as foreigners. Mark speaks from the Gentile point of view. ., with the first, the Vulgate has here crebro , answering to , a reading found in [61] . Most recent interpreters interpret as meaning that they rubbed hard the palm of one hand with the other closed, so as to make sure that the part which touched food should be clean. (So Beza.) For other interpretations vide Lightfoot, Bengel, and Meyer.
[61] Codex Sinaiticus (sc. iv.), now at St. Petersburg, published in facsimile type by its discoverer, Tischendorf, in 1862.
Fuente: The Expositors Greek Testament by Robertson
For, &c. Mar 7:3-4 are interposed by the Figure of speech Parembole (App-6).
wash. Greek. nipto. App-136.
oft = diligently. Greek. pugme = with the fist. T reads pukna = often. Syr, reads
not. Greek. ou. App-105.
holding = holding fast or firmly. Compare Heb 4:14. Rev 2:25. Implying (here) determined adherence to.
elders. Always denoting in the Papyri an official class, whether sacred or secular.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
3. ] This word has perplexed all the Commentators. Of the various renderings which have been given of it, two are excluded by their not being grammatical-(1) that which makes it mean up to the elbow (Euthym[26] and Thl.); including the hand as far as the wrist Lightf.: (2) having clenched the hand, facto pugno (Grot. and others).
[26] Euthymius Zigabenus, 1116
The two meanings between which our choice lies are, (3) frequently (as E. V. oft, and Vulg. crebro), taking = = , which however is not very probable: or (4), to which I most incline, and which Kuinoel gives, sedulo, fortiter, diligently; , he observes, meaning the fist, answers in the LXX to the word , see reff. But this same word is used to signify strength and fortitude, and strong men are called in the Rabbinical writings , lords of fists. And the Sy[27]. interpreter renders it by the same word as he does , Luk 15:8.
[27] yr the Peschito (or simple) Syriac version. Supposed to have been made as early as the second century. The text as edited is in a most unsatisfactory state.
Fuente: The Greek Testament
Mar 7:3. ) , the fist.-, , up to the wrist. See Lightf.-, the tradition) Its correlative is , they have received, Mar 7:4.
Fuente: Gnomon of the New Testament
oft: or, diligently, Gr. With the fist, Up to the elbow, Theophylact. [Strong’s G4435], the fist; which Dr. Lightfoot illustrates by a tradition from the Talmudical tracts, that when they washed their hands, they washed the fist up to the joint of the arm, . The Jews laid great stress on these washings, or baptisms, [Strong’s G909], considering eating with unwashen hands no ordinary crime, and feigning that an evil spirit, called Shibta, has a right to sit on the food of him who thus eats, and render it hurtful.
the tradition: Mar 7:7-10, Mar 7:13, Mat 15:2-6, Gal 1:14, Col 2:8, Col 2:21-23, 1Pe 1:18
Reciprocal: Mat 3:7 – the Pharisees Mat 15:20 – but Mar 1:22 – as the Mar 7:8 – the tradition Luk 5:30 – General
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
3
This did not refer to ordinary cleansing but to a tradition of the elders.
Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary
For the Pharisees, and all the Jews, except they wash their hands oft, eat not, holding the tradition of the elders.
[Except they wash their hands oft.] The fist. When they washed their hands, they washed the fist unto the joining of the arm. The hands are polluted, and made clean unto the joining of the arm. “The Rabbins deliver: The washing of hands as to common things (or common food) was unto the joining of the arm. And the cleansing of hands and feet in the Temple was to the joint.” The joining; saith the Aruch, is where the arm is distinguished from the hand. So, also, where the foot is distinguished from the leg.
“The second waters cleanse whatsoever parts of the hands the first waters had washed. But if the first waters had gone above the juncture of the arm, the second waters do not cleanse, because they do not cleanse beyond the juncture. If, therefore, the waters which went above the juncture return upon the hands again, they are unclean.”
Fuente: Lightfoot Commentary Gospels
Mar 7:3. All the Jews. Pharisaism had the upper hand.
Diligently, lit., with the fist The two interpretations now most generally adopted are: (1) Actually with the fist, as a peculiar ceremony on such occasions. Probably it was part of the rite, that the washing hand was shut; Because it might have been thought that the open hand engaged in washing would make the other unclean, or be made unclean by it, after having itself been washed (Lange.) (2) Diligently, thoroughly, in accordance with a Hebrew expression, which uses the fist as meaning strength. But Mark is giving an explanation to Gentile readers, and he would hardly use a Hebrew expression. The literal sense is the correct one, but it conveys no meaning to the ordinary reader without a long explanation. The main point is, that the ceremony was formal.
Fuente: A Popular Commentary on the New Testament
Mar 7:3-5. For the Pharisees, &c., except they wash their hands oft Greek, , except they wash their hands with their fist: or, as some render it, to the wrist. Theophylact translates it, unless they wash up to their elbows; affirming that denotes the whole of the arm, from the bending to the ends of the fingers. But this sense of the word is altogether unusual. For , properly, is the hand, with the fingers contracted into the palm, and made round. Theophylacts translation, however, says Macknight, exhibits the evangelists meaning. For the Jews, when they washed, held up their hands, and, contracting their fingers, received the water that was poured on them by their servants, (who had it for a part of their office, 2Ki 3:11,) till it ran down their arms, which they washed up to their elbows. To wash with the fist, therefore, is to wash with great care. A MS. termed Codex Bez, instead of , the fist, or wrist, has , frequently. And when they come from the market, except they wash Greek, , bathe themselves, as the word probably ought here to be rendered, (see Lev 15:11,) they eat not Having the highest opinion of the importance of these institutions. Indeed, some of their rabbis carried this to such a ridiculous height, that one of them determined the neglect of washing to be a greater sin than whoredom; and another declared, it would be much better to die than to omit it. See many instances of this kind in Hammond and Whitby on the place. The Pharisees, therefore, viewing these washings in this important light, did not doubt but our Lord, by authorizing his disciples to neglect them, would expose himself to universal censure, as one who despised the most sacred services of religion; services to which a sanction was given by the approbation and practice of the whole nation. Accordingly, they asked him, Why walk not thy disciples according to the tradition of the elders? Hast thou taught them to despise these institutions? But while they pretended nothing but a sorrowful concern for the contempt which the disciples cast on institutions so sacred, their real intention was to make Jesus himself to be detested by the people as a deceiver. But the charge of impiety which they thus brought against him and his disciples, he easily retorted upon them with ten-fold strength. For he shows clearly, that notwithstanding their pretended regard for the duties of godliness, they were themselves guilty of the grossest violations of the divine law. And as they thus transgressed, not through ignorance, but knowingly, they were the worst of sinners, mere hypocrites, who deserved to be abhorred by all good men; and the rather, as God had long ago testified his displeasure against them, in the prophecy which Isaiah had uttered concerning them. He answered, Well hath Esaias prophesied, &c. See note on Mat 15:7-9.
Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
7:3 For the Pharisees, and all the Jews, except they wash [their] hands oft, eat not, {c} holding the tradition of the elders.
(c) Observing diligently.
Fuente: Geneva Bible Notes
These verses do not appear in Matthew’s parallel account. They explain Pharisaic tradition for those unfamiliar with it such as Mark’s original Gentile readers. In Jesus’ day the Jews communicated the traditions of the elders orally from generation to generation. About A.D. 200 the rabbis completed compiling these into the Mishnah, which became the basis for the Talmud (ca. A.D. 425). The Pharisees customarily washed themselves after visiting the marketplace to rid themselves of the defilement that contact with Gentiles produced. Most Jews regarded breaking these traditions as sin.
"Indeed, a Rabbi who had held this command in contempt was actually buried in excommunication." [Note: Edersheim, 2:10.]