Mark 7

Then came together unto him the Pharisees, and certain of the scribes, which came from Jerusalem.

And when they saw some of his disciples eat bread with defiled, that is to say, with unwashen, hands, they found fault.

For the Pharisees, and all the Jews, except they wash their hands oft, eat not, holding the tradition of the elders.

And when they come from the market, except they wash, they eat not. And many other things there be, which they have received to hold, as the washing of cups, and pots, brasen vessels, and of tables.

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?

He answered and said unto them, Well hath Esaias prophesied of you hypocrites, as it is written, This people honoureth me with their lips, but their heart is far from me.

Howbeit in vain do they worship me, teaching for doctines the commandments of men.

For laying aside the commandment of God, ye hold the tradition of men, as the washing of pots and cups: and many other such like things ye do.

And he said unto them, Full well ye reject the commandment of God, that ye may keep your own tradition.

For Moses said, Honour thy father and thy mother; and, Whoso curseth father or mother, let him die the death:

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.

And ye suffer him no more to do ought for his father or his mother;

Making the word of God of none effect through your tradition, which ye have delivered: and many such like things do ye.

And when he had called all the people unto him, he said unto them, Hearken unto me every one of you, and understand:

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.

If any man have ears to hear, let him hear.

And when he was entered into the house from the people, his disciples asked him concerning the parable.

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;

Because it entereth not into his heart, but into the belly, and goeth out into the draught, purging all meats?

And he said, That which cometh out of the man, that defileth the man.

For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders,

Thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness:

All these evil things come from within, and defile the man.

And from thence he arose, and went into the borders of Tyre and Sidon, and entered into an house, and would have no man know it: but he could not be hid.

For a certain woman, whose young daughter had an unclean spirit, heard of him, and came and fell at his feet:

The woman was a Greek, a Syrophenician by nation; and she besought him that he would cast forth the devil out of her daughter.

But Jesus said unto her, Let the children first be filled: for it is not meet to take the children's bread, and to cast it unto the dogs.

And she answered and said unto him, Yes, Lord: yet the dogs under the table eat of the children's crumbs.

And he said unto her, For this saying go thy way; the devil is gone out of thy daughter.

And when she was come to her house, she found the devil gone out, and her daughter laid upon the bed.

And again, departing from the coasts of Tyre and Sidon, he came unto the sea of Galilee, through the midst of the coasts of Decapolis.

And they bring unto him one that was deaf, and had an impediment in his speech; and they beseech him to put his hand upon him.

And he took him aside from the multitude, and put his fingers into his ears, and he spit, and touched his tongue;

And looking up to heaven, he sighed, and saith unto him, Ephphatha, that is, Be opened.

And straightway his ears were opened, and the string of his tongue was loosed, and he spake plain.

And he charged them that they should tell no man: but the more he charged them, so much the more a great deal they published it;

And were beyond measure astonished, saying, He hath done all things well: he maketh both the deaf to hear, and the dumb to speak.

What does Mark 7:37 mean?

Explanation

Mark 7:37 reflects the response of the people who witnessed one of Jesus’ miraculous healings.

In the verses leading up to this, Jesus heals a man who was deaf and had a speech impediment.

The crowd is "beyond measure astonished," which signifies that their amazement was immeasurable and profound.

Their astonishment leads to a declaration of Jesus' abilities, saying, "He hath done all things well." This is a recognition not just of the miracle itself, but also of the perceived perfection in Jesus’ actions and character.

The phrase "he maketh both the deaf to hear, and the dumb to speak" focuses on the transformative power of Jesus's miracles, changing the lives of those with physical impairments by restoring them to wholeness.

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Historical Context

This event as chronicled in the Gospel of Mark occurs during Jesus' ministry in the region of the Decapolis, a group of ten cities with a predominantly Gentile population.

This historical context is important because Jesus' ministry extended beyond the Jewish community, emphasizing the universal scope of his mission.

The healing of the deaf and mute man captures Jesus' compassionate response to human suffering regardless of cultural or religious barriers and underlines the early Christian community's belief in Jesus as a healer and miracle worker.

Theological Insights

From various theological viewpoints, this verse encapsulates key aspects of Jesus' identity and mission.

For traditional Christian theology, it affirms Jesus' divine authority and power to heal and restore.

It also exemplifies Christological themes, such as Jesus' compassion and the notion of the Kingdom of God breaking into the world through acts of healing.

Liberation theologians might emphasize the inclusivity of Jesus' miracles and how they challenge societal norms that marginalize individuals with disabilities.

Additionally, the perfection of Jesus’ acts could be seen as a foreshadowing of the eschatological hope for a restored creation without suffering or impairment.

Practical Applications

The practical applications of this verse lie in its encouragement of faith and compassion.

Believers are inspired to trust in God's power to do good and to transform situations.

It also serves as a call to action for Christians to be instruments of God’s healing and compassion in the world, showing kindness to those with various needs and challenges.

The social aspect of inclusion emphasized in the verse can motivate individuals and communities to work towards a more accommodating and accepting society.

Cross-References

Matthew 15:31: Insomuch that the multitude wondered, when they saw the dumb to speak, the maimed to be whole, the lame to walk, and the blind to see: and they glorified the God of Israel.
Isaiah 35:5-6: Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped.

Then shall the lame man leap as an hart, and the tongue of the dumb sing: for in the wilderness shall waters break out, and streams in the desert.

Acts 3:8-9: And he leaping up stood, and walked, and entered with them into the temple, walking, and leaping, and praising God.

And all the people saw him walking and praising God:

Language Study

The key words in this verse are:

"Astonished" (Greek: "existēmi"): To be out of one's mind, amazed, astonished.
"Done" (Greek: "poieō"): To make or do; in this context, it refers to the performance of Jesus' miracle.
"Well" (Greek: "kalōs"): Excellently, rightly, appropriately; denotes the goodness and completeness of the acts.
"Deaf" (Greek: "kophos"): Refers to the inability to hear.
"Dumb" (Greek: "alalos"): Speechless or unable to speak.

These words in their original Greek form highlight the extraordinary nature of Jesus’ miracles and the people's recognition of their goodness and perfection.

Cultural and Religious Comparisons

In other ancient cultures and religions, the ability to perform miracles was often attributed to divine beings or individuals with a special connection to the divine.

In the Greco-Roman world, god-like heroes like Asclepius, the god of medicine, were celebrated for their healing abilities.

By contrast, in the Jewish tradition, the power to heal was primarily associated with God's action and, to a lesser extent, certain prophets (such as Elijah and Elisha).

The healing actions of Jesus fit within this Jewish context but also extend it by their number and nature, affirming early Christian claims of Jesus' divine identity.

Scientific Perspectives

Modern scientific understandings acknowledge the complexity of hearing and speech mechanisms.

Advances in medicine and technology have made it possible to treat many conditions that lead to deafness and speech impediments, yet the instantaneous and complete healing described in the Bible falls outside the scope of scientific explanation.

These miracles are typically seen by secular scholars as literary expressions of the hope for transformation and the power of the divine within a pre-scientific worldview.

Commentaries

Commentaries on this verse typically emphasize the messianic significance of Jesus' miracle, pointing out how it fulfills prophecies from the Old Testament (like Isaiah 35:5-6). They also discuss the crowd's astonishment as an acknowledgment of Jesus' identity and authority.

Some scholars consider the reaction of the crowd to be a central component of Mark's narrative, as it demonstrates the public recognition of Jesus' miraculous powers and leads to broader implications for understanding the role of miracles in his ministry.

The emphasis on Jesus doing all things well often leads to discussions about the character of Jesus as not only powerful but also benevolent and perfectly righteous in his actions.

Mark 7

Mark 7

What does Mark 7:37 mean?

Explanation

Top Rated Mark Books

Historical Context

Theological Insights

Practical Applications

Cross-References

Language Study

Cultural and Religious Comparisons

Scientific Perspectives

Commentaries

Want more context?

What does Mark 7:37 mean?

Explanation

Top Rated Mark Books

Historical Context

Theological Insights

Practical Applications

Cross-References

Language Study

Cultural and Religious Comparisons

Scientific Perspectives

Commentaries

Want more context?