The Meaning of Mark 7:5 Explained

Mark 7:5

KJV: 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?

YLT: Then question him do the Pharisees and the scribes, 'Wherefore do thy disciples not walk according to the tradition of the elders, but with unwashed hands do eat the bread?'

Darby: then the Pharisees and the scribes ask him, Why do thy disciples not walk according to what has been delivered by the ancients, but eat the bread with defiled hands?

ASV: And the Pharisees and the scribes ask him, Why walk not thy disciples according to the tradition of the elders, but eat their bread with defiled hands?

KJV Reverse Interlinear

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? 

What does Mark 7:5 Mean?

Study Notes

tradition
i.e. the so-called "oral law" alleged to have been handed down from Moses; really a traditional interpretation of the written law.
See margin ref.,
for doctrines
as authoritative the precepts of men. Cf. v. Mark 7:5 See "Pharisees" Matthew 3:7 (See Scofield " Matthew 3:7 ") Cf.; Colossians 2:8 ; Colossians 2:16 ; Colossians 2:18 ; Colossians 2:20 ; Colossians 2:23

Verse Meaning

The critics asked Jesus for an explanation of His disciples" conduct because, as their teacher, He was responsible for them. They suspected that the disciples" failure to wash properly indicated that Jesus disregarded all the traditions of the elders. Walking is a Hebrew figure of speech meaning habitual conduct (e.g, Genesis 5:24; Psalm 1:1). It occurs frequently in John"s Gospel and in Paul"s epistles.

Context Summary

Mark 7:1-23 - Breaking The Bonds Of Tradition
The Pharisees laid great stress on ritual. They followed endless rules, both intricate and troublesome, as to ablutions and outward ceremonials. So long as their devotees were careful in the minor observances, they were permitted a wide license so far as the weightier matters of the Law were concerned. This is a natural tendency of the human heart. It is glad to be able to reduce its religious life to an outward and literal obedience, if only its thoughts may be unhampered. In the life of true holiness everything depends on the control of the thoughts. "As a man thinketh in his heart, so is he." With infinite wisdom the wise man said, "Keep thy heart with all diligence, for out of it are the issues of life," and Jesus put "evil-thoughts" first in the black category of the contents of the evil heart. A gang of thieves sometimes put a very small boy through a tiny window that he may unlock the front door. So one evil thought will often admit an entire crew of evil. Heart of mine, hast thou learned this lesson? Art thou careful enough of thy cleanliness? That the hands should be often washed, that vessels of household use should be kept cleansed, that there should be decorum and neatness in the outward life, all these customs are good. But it becomes thee to inquire whether thou art not more eager for the outward than the inward cleanliness. "Create in me a clean heart," should be thy constant prayer. [source]

Chapter Summary: Mark 7

1  The Pharisees find fault with the disciples for eating with unwashed hands
8  They break the commandment of God by the traditions of men
14  Food defiles not the man
24  He heals the Syrophenician woman's daughter of an unclean spirit;
31  and one that was deaf, and stammered in his speech

What do the individual words in Mark 7:5 mean?

And questioned Him the Pharisees scribes Because of why not walk disciples of You according to the tradition of the elders but with unwashed hands eat the bread
Καὶ ἐπερωτῶσιν αὐτὸν οἱ Φαρισαῖοι γραμματεῖς Διὰ τί οὐ περιπατοῦσιν μαθηταί σου κατὰ τὴν παράδοσιν τῶν πρεσβυτέρων ἀλλὰ κοιναῖς χερσὶν ἐσθίουσιν τὸν ἄρτον

ἐπερωτῶσιν  questioned 
Parse: Verb, Present Indicative Active, 3rd Person Plural
Root: ἐπερωτάω  
Sense: to accost one with an enquiry, put a question to, enquiry of, ask, interrogate.
Φαρισαῖοι  Pharisees 
Parse: Noun, Nominative Masculine Plural
Root: Φαρισαῖος  
Sense: A sect that seems to have started after the Jewish exile.
γραμματεῖς  scribes 
Parse: Noun, Nominative Masculine Plural
Root: γραμματεύς  
Sense: a clerk, scribe, esp.
Διὰ  Because  of 
Parse: Preposition
Root: διά  
Sense: through.
τί  why 
Parse: Interrogative / Indefinite Pronoun, Accusative Neuter Singular
Root: τίς  
Sense: who, which, what.
περιπατοῦσιν  walk 
Parse: Verb, Present Indicative Active, 3rd Person Plural
Root: περιπατέω  
Sense: to walk.
μαθηταί  disciples 
Parse: Noun, Nominative Masculine Plural
Root: μαθητής  
Sense: a learner, pupil, disciple.
σου  of  You 
Parse: Personal / Possessive Pronoun, Genitive 2nd Person Singular
Root: σύ  
Sense: you.
κατὰ  according  to 
Parse: Preposition
Root: κατά 
Sense: down from, through out.
παράδοσιν  tradition 
Parse: Noun, Accusative Feminine Singular
Root: παράδοσις  
Sense: giving up, giving over.
τῶν  of  the 
Parse: Article, Genitive Masculine Plural
Root:  
Sense: this, that, these, etc.
πρεσβυτέρων  elders 
Parse: Adjective, Genitive Masculine Plural
Root: πρεσβύτερος  
Sense: elder, of age,.
κοιναῖς  with  unwashed 
Parse: Adjective, Dative Feminine Plural
Root: κοινός  
Sense: common.
χερσὶν  hands 
Parse: Noun, Dative Feminine Plural
Root: χείρ  
Sense: by the help or agency of any one, by means of any one.
ἐσθίουσιν  eat 
Parse: Verb, Present Indicative Active, 3rd Person Plural
Root: ἐσθίω 
Sense: to eat.
ἄρτον  bread 
Parse: Noun, Accusative Masculine Singular
Root: ἄρτος  
Sense: food composed of flour mixed with water and baked.