Mark 7:1-5
Summary for Mark 7:1-23: 7:1-23 a This account has no direct connection with what precedes it. It assumes only a context such as “Once in the ministry of Jesus.” After setting the scene (7:1-4 b), Mark introduces the Pharisees’ question (7:5 c), followed by Jesus’ response (7:6-23 d). The first part of Jesus’ response (7:6-13 e) centers around two Old Testament passages and a twofold attack on the Pharisees’ traditions (7:6-8 f, 9-13 g). In the second part (7:14-23 h), Jesus teaches about what does and does not truly defile. 7:1 i Readers already know that the Pharisees and teachers of religious law were hostile to Jesus (see 2:16 j, 24 k; 3:6 l, 22 m).Summary for Mark 7:2-4: 7:2-4 n Mark explains the Pharisaic practices of ritual cleansing for his non-Jewish (Gentile) readers. The ancient traditions (literally the traditions of the elders) were as yet unwritten accounts that the Pharisees believed had been given to Moses on Mount Sinai along with the written law. They were written down around AD 200 in the Mishnah, one of the key sources for understanding ancient Judaism.
7:5 o Since the Pharisees believed that their oral traditions were given to Moses as part of God’s divine revelation, they asked Jesus why his disciples did not keep them. After all, teachers were responsible for the behavior of their disciples (see 2:24 p).
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