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Mark 7:11-15

King James Version (KJV)

“In our prayers we talk to God, in our Bible study God talks to us, and we had better let God do most of the talking.”
— D.L. Moody

Scripture focus

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]. 12. And ye suffer him no more to do ought for his father or his mother; 13. Making the word of God of none effect through your tradition, which ye have delivered: and many such like things do ye. 14. And when he had called all the people [unto him], he said unto them, Hearken unto me every one [of you], and understand: 15. There is nothing from without a man, that entering into him can defile him: but the things which come out of him, those are they that defile the man.

Mark 7:11-15 — KJV

Commentary

Commentary on Mark 7:11

Theological / Devotional

But ye say. Jesus here gives a specific illustration of what He meant when He said, “You have a fine way of rejecting the commandment of God, in order to keep your tradition” (v. 9, RSV). Hence Jesus is here substantiating the fact that the Jews were worshipping God in vain (see v. 7). They accused Christ of abrogating the law, but He made it plain that they, by their traditional interpretation of the law, had, in fact, done the very thing of which they falsely accused Him (see on Matt. 5:17–19, 21, 22).

Corban. Gr. korban, from the Heb. qorban, “a gift,” “an offering,” literally, “that which is brought near.” In Oriental lands one would never think of approaching or “drawing near” to a superior without presenting a “gift.” Anything over which a man pronounced the words, “It is Corban,” was thereby dedicated to God and the Temple.

A gift. Apparently writing primarily for non-Jewish readers (see p. 564), Mark here interprets a word that had little or no meaning to them.

He shall be free. The italics reveal that this entire clause has been supplied by the translators of the KJV, who apparently thus attempted to clarify the meaning for English readers.

By SdaBc