Mark 7:3 Meaning and Explanation
“For the Pharisees, and all the Jews, except they wash their hands oft, eat not, holding the tradition of the elders.”
King James Version (KJV)
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Read Full Chapter →Mark explains the custom: the Pharisees and devout Jews will not eat until they have washed, holding the tradition of the elders.
What Does Mark 7:3 Mean?
For readers unfamiliar with Jewish practice, Mark pauses the story to explain. The washing in question was not commanded in the law of Moses; it grew up over generations of teaching — the tradition of the elders — a hedge of customs built around the law in order to guard it.
Such customs could begin in real devotion, a longing to keep every meal mindful of God. But a hedge can grow until it hides the garden it was planted to protect. The chapter asks of every inherited practice the question Jesus is about to ask: does it carry the heart toward the commandment of God, or quietly take its place?
Mark 7:3 in the Original Language
paradosis (παράδοσις), 'tradition' -- that which is handed down from one generation to the next.
Frequently Asked Questions About Mark 7:3
What does Mark 7:3 mean?
Mark explains the custom: the Pharisees and devout Jews will not eat until they have washed, holding the tradition of the elders.