Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Mark 7:8
For laying aside the commandment of God, ye hold the tradition of men, [as] the washing of pots and cups: and many other such like things ye do.
Verse 8. Washing of pots and cups, &c.] This whole clause is wanting in BL, five others, and the Coptic: one MS. omits this and the whole of the ninth verse. The eighth verse is not found in the parallel place of Mt 15:7-9.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
For laying aside the commandment of God,…. Meaning not any particular commandment, but all the commandments of God, the whole written law; to which they preferred the oral law, or the traditions of the elders, and the decisions of their doctors. So the Syriac, Arabic, Persic, and Ethiopic versions read, “the commandments of God”.
Ye hold the tradition of men: very significantly are the elders, whom the, Jews revered, and whose traditions and constitutions they extolled above the Scriptures, called “men”, in distinction from “God”, whose commands they neglected; which exposes and aggravates their sin, that they should leave the one, which had the stamp of divine authority on them, and hold the other, which were only the devices of men’s brains;
as the washing of pots and cups. The Arabic version adds, “and vessels”, from Mr 7:4, and the Ethiopic version, between “chalices” and “cups”, places “monies”; as if they also contracted uncleanness in some cases, and needed washing: and indeed, there is a tradition to this purpose p,
“lopnv rnyd, “a penny which is rejected” (that is, as the commentators say q, which a kingdom or province has made void, or which wants weight), if any one prepares it to hang about the neck of a child, it is “unclean”; and so a “sela” (which was the value of four pence) and it is prepared to weigh with it, is “unclean”.”
And many other such like things you do; so many, that it is almost endless to reckon up. The treatise “Celim”, or “of vessels”, in the Misna, is full of rules, concerning the cleanness and uncleanness, of almost all things in use with men; and so of what do, and what do not stand in need of washing. And these things they did, not according to the commandment of God, nor did they pretend to it; but according to the words of the Scribes, and traditions of the elders, which reached to all sorts of vessels: their rule is this r;
“vessels made of wood, and of skin, and of bone, and of glass, if they are plain, they are clean; but if they are hollow, (or made to hold things,) they are liable to pollution.”
Which Maimonides s explains thus;
“vessels of wood, and of skin, and of bone, if hollow, receive defilement from the words of the law; but if they are plain, as tables, a seat, a skin on which they eat, they do not receive defilement, but, , “from the words of the Scribes”.”
And this washing of vessels, not only concerned such as were for private use, but the vessels of the sanctuary: so it is said t;
“after a feast, at the close of a good day, or festival, “they dip all the vessels in the sanctuary”; because the “common people” have “touched” them at the feast, in the time of keeping it: wherefore they say, touch not the table (the showbread table), when they show it to them that come up to the feast, that it may not be defiled by touching it; and if after the feast, it is found (polluted), it must be dipped and all the vessels are obliged to immersion, excepting the golden altar, and the altar of brass.”
So that our Lord might well say, “and many such like things ye do”.
p Misn. Celim, c. 12. sect. 7. q Jarchi & Battenora in ib. r Misn. Celim, c. 2. sect. 1. s Hilch. Celim, c. 1. sect. 10. t Maimon. Hilch. Mishcab Umoshab, c. 11. sect. 11.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
Ye leave the commandment of God ( ). Note the sharp contrast between the command of God and the traditions of men. Jesus here drives a keen wedge into the Pharisaic contention. They had covered up the Word of God with their oral teaching. Jesus here shows that they care more for the oral teaching of the scribes and elders than for the written law of God. The Talmud gives abundant and specific confirmation of the truthfulness of this indictment.
Fuente: Robertson’s Word Pictures in the New Testament
1) “For laying aside the commandment of God, (aphentes ten entolen tou theou) “Leaving or deserting the commandment of God,” laying it aside as a worn out garment, as a reject, disapproved.
2) “Ye hold the tradition of men,” (krateite ten paradosin ton anthropon) “You all hold the tradition of men,” the trodden ways or paths of worldly men who disregard the trustworthiness of the Scriptures, Joh 10:35; Psa 119:160.
3) “As the washing of pots and cups (here interpolated again) as introduced, Mar 7:4. Tradition, with ceremonies to lean on, gives one a false place to rest his conscience from the guilt of condemnation for sin, repeatedly found in the Word of God, Rom 2:4-5.
4) “And many other such like things ye do.” (interpolated) to enforce the concept that their entire religious order had become a sham of empty form, much as is predicted in Christiandom, and now prevalent in these end times, 2Ti 3:5; Mat 7:21-23.
Protestantism and Catholicism have followed the pious patterns of the Pharisees, Sadducees, and Scribes by adding traditions, in both offices and forms, to their worship and church government.
For instance, they have added the offices of: a) Elders, b) Stewards, c) Priests, etc. of which the New Testament says nothing, plus their substitutions of sprinkling and pouring for baptism, etc.
Fuente: Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary
(8) As the washing of pots and cups.Many of the better MSS. omit the whole of the latter part of this verse. On internal grounds, however, it is hardly likely that such words should have been added as a note, and it is likely enough that the passage should have been altered by a transcriber, to make it agree with the report in St. Matthew.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
Mar 7:8. Ye hold ; ye retainye adhere to. See Heylin.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
8 For laying aside the commandment of God, ye hold the tradition of men, as the washing of pots and cups: and many other such like things ye do.
Ver. 8. Ye hold the tradition of men ] , With tooth and nail ye hold it, Mordicus retinetis, as if on that hinge hung all your happiness.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
8. ] Not contained in Matt., but important, as setting forth their depreciating of God’s command in comparison with human tradition, before their absolute violation of that command in Mar 7:10-11 .
Fuente: Henry Alford’s Greek Testament
Mar 7:8 . At this point Mk.’s account seems secondary as compared with Mt.’s. This verse contains Christ’s comment on the prophetic oracle, then, Mar 7:9 , He goes on to say the same thing over again.
Fuente: The Expositors Greek Testament by Robertson
laying aside = having forsaken. Same word as in Mar 1:18, Mar 1:20.
God. App-98.
other. Greek. allos. App-124.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
8.] Not contained in Matt., but important, as setting forth their depreciating of Gods command in comparison with human tradition, before their absolute violation of that command in Mar 7:10-11.
Fuente: The Greek Testament
Mar 7:8. , laying aside) The antithetic word to hold. The terms akin are, to reject, Mar 7:9, and to make of none effect, Mar 7:13.- the commandment) The commandment is one, even as virtue is one and uncompounded; as opposed to the multiplicity of traditions.- – , of God-of men) An evident antithesis.- , the washings of pitchers) worthless petty observances.
Fuente: Gnomon of the New Testament
laying: Isa 1:12
the tradition: Mar 7:3, Mar 7:4
Reciprocal: Ecc 7:29 – they Mal 2:9 – but Joh 3:25 – about Rom 7:9 – without Heb 6:2 – the doctrine
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
8
A person would have the privilege of maintaining his own notions about such things as ceremonial washing of hands and service vessels, provided that was as far as it went. But these people exalted those practices above the commands of God, even to the extent of substituting them for the divine law.
Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary
Mar 7:8. Yet let go the commandment of God, etc. This verse is peculiar to Mark, setting forth their depreciating of Gods command in comparison with human tradition, before their absolute violation of that command in Mar 7:10-11. (Alford.)
Tradition of men. Men as in contrast to God, implying that the elders (Mar 7:5) had no other than human authority.The rest of the verse is to be omitted, according to the best authorities.
Fuente: A Popular Commentary on the New Testament
7:8 {4} For laying aside the commandment of God, ye hold the tradition of men, [as] the washing of pots and cups: and many other such like things ye do.
(4) The deeds of superstitious men not only do not fulfil the law of God (as they blasphemously persuaded themselves) but these deeds utterly take away God’s law.
Fuente: Geneva Bible Notes
Jesus contrasted the commands of God and the traditions of men. The rabbis had built a fence around the law by erecting their dos and don’ts to keep the Israelites from breaking the law. However rather than protecting it their legalistic requirements distorted and even contradicted the law. This is always the problem that accompanies attempting to legislate obedience to God’s Word. Legalism involves making laws that God has not made and treating them as equally authoritative as God’s Word. The Pharisees had even abandoned God’s commandments in favor of their oral traditions that came from men. Jesus rejected the authority of the oral law.