Mark 7:18 Meaning and Explanation
“And he saith unto them, Are ye so without understanding also? Do ye not perceive, that whatsoever thing from without entereth into the man, it cannot defile him;”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →Jesus chides their slowness, then begins the explanation: whatever enters a person from outside cannot defile him.
What Does Mark 7:18 Mean?
Are ye so without understanding also? The also stings — even the inner circle is slow, like the crowd outside. Yet the rebuke flows straight into patient teaching: he restates the principle as a question, drawing the disciples to perceive it for themselves.
His frustration never becomes abandonment. He reproves, then explains — the way of a true teacher with slow students, which is to say, with all of us. Dullness of heart is common to disciples in every age, and the remedy has not changed: stay at his side and let him keep teaching.
Frequently Asked Questions About Mark 7:18
What does Mark 7:18 mean?
Jesus chides their slowness, then begins the explanation: whatever enters a person from outside cannot defile him.